thousand infantry had gone! Two or three soldiers were found
asleep. They rubbed their eyes and stared wildly when they were told
that they were prisoners, that their comrades and commander had fled.

During the thunder-storm, the Rebel gunboats and steamers had taken the
troops on board, and ferried them to the Tennessee shore near Island No.
10. They spiked their heavy guns, but Colonel Bissell's engineers were
quickly at work, and in a few hours had the guns ready for use again.

The Rebels left an immense amount of corn, in bags, and a great quantity
of ammunition. They tumbled their wagons into the river.

General Pope set his men to work, and before night the guns which had
been pointed inland were wheeled the other way. He sent a messenger to
Commodore Foote, with this despatch:--

"All right! River closed! No escape for the enemy by water."

All this was accomplished with the loss of seven killed and forty-three
wounded. By these operations against New Madrid, and by the battle at
Pea Ridge, in the southwestern part of the State, which was fought about
the same time, the Rebels were driven from Missouri!

CHAPTER XI.

OPERATIONS AT ISLAND NUMBER TEN.

Commodore Foote, having repaired the gunboats disabled at Fort Donelson,
sailed from Cairo the day that New Madrid fell into the hands of General
Pope. He had seven gunboats and ten mortars, besides several tugs and
transports. Colonel Buford, with fifteen hundred troops, accompanied the
expedition.

The mortars were untried. They were the largest ever brought into use at
that time, weighing nineteen thousand pounds, and throwing a shell
thirteen inches in diameter. The accompanying diagram will perhaps give
you an idea of their appearance. You see the mortar mounted on its
carriage, or bed as it is called. The figures 1, 1 represent one cheek
of the bed, a thick wrought-iron plate. The figures 2, 2 represent the
heads of the bolts which connect the cheek in view to the one on the
other side. The bed stands on thick timbers, represented by 3, and the
timbers rest on heavy sleepers, 4. Figure 5 represents a thick strap of
iron which clasps the trunion or axis of the mortar, and holds it in its
place. This strap is held by two other straps, 6, 6, all iron, and very
strong. The figure 7 represents what is called a bolster. You see it is
in the shape of a wedge. It is used to raise or depress the muzzle of
the mortar. The figure 8 represents what i