THE CIVIL WAR DIARY OF JOHN G. MORRISON 1861-1865

long sixty-eights and an eight-inch iron howitzer. 1 of the
long guns had got struck with one of our shell on the
starboard trunion and which had of course dismounted it. The
howitzer had got struck in the muzzle with a ricochet shot
which had knocked it backwards into the trench behind the
battery. The battery itself was a substantial work, being
built of sandbags to the thickness of several feet and from
the bottom of the fosse to the top of the work it was "I
should say" about ten feet high. There was also a trench or
rifle pit which extended on each side of it for about a
quarter of a mile and was about four feet deep. Some of the
boys wandered off and could be seen returning to the boat
laden with various articles of secesh goods, some with
knapsacks, some with blankets, and some with clothing, I
having as my trophies four coonskins, a china cup, and a
scoop shovel. After all the troops were disembarked and the
ammunition all on board, we then left for the other shore
where we made fast, head downstream, well satisfied with our
day's work of taking and destroying nine guns, besides
breaking up a camp of three
[96] thousand men, which I think was a good day's work for one
boat.
Tuesday, April 8th. I was on deck last night from ten till
twelve. I could see numerous small blazes in and around
Tipton which I thought were camp fires, and above all, one
bright red glow which looked like a fire to me. Some of the
watch said the smaller fires were the rebels' lights to see
to strengthen their works to withstand us when we attacked
them this morning. However, was [not] destined to solve the
mistery. We beat to quarters and dropped slowly down. When
we got close down, we could see that our flag was waving over
it. We then hurried down and heard the joyful news that
Island No. 10 had been evacuated and that two thousand
prisoners, including one general, had fallen into our hands.
Before the day had closed, the number of prisoners had
increased to six thousand men and three generals -- namely,
Gantt, Makall, and Walke, formerly colonel of the 41st
Tennessee rebel regiment. We had got all their arms,
ammunition, artillery, and commissariat stores and all
without the loss of one man. I think this achievement will
compare favorably with any of the war, and in my opinion it
is all attributable to the skill and courage of Captain Walk
of this boat, because if he had not run the blockade and
destroyed their batteries, Pope could never have landed his
troops and so getting behind them, compelling them to
evacuate and then taking them prisoners. Some of the men
went ashore and got some of their arms. I also got one from
a pile that had just been brought in. They had been armed
with all sorts of firearms, from a flintlock musket to a
revolving rifle. They
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