105

The Capture of New Orleans

ness of a gathering storm, the gallant Carondeletcast off her moorings and glided down the broadriver, unseen and unheard. It was not until shewas close to the island that her presence was be-trayed. The soot in her smokestacks, no longermoistened by the escape-steam, took fire, and atell-tale blaze sprang forth from their grimy tops.The enemy promptly took the alarm and beganfiring his heavy guns, the roar of which was soondrowned by louder peals of thunder, while glimpsesof the passing ship were revealed from momentto moment in vivid flashes of lightning. But herbold and shrewd commander ran her so close tothe island batteries that their ponderous balls flewharmlessly overhead, and before the gunners couldlower their pieces and take accurate aim she hadglided by, and the hour of midnight found her safeat New Madrid .

On Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th, whilethe battle was raging at distant Shiloh, the Caron-delet pounded to pieces the batteries on the easternshore as far as Tiptonville, and was presentlyjoined by the Pittsburg, which followed her ex-ample and ran the gauntlet of Island Number Tenat two o’clock on Monday morning. The Confed­ erate garrison now made haste to evacuate theirstronghold, but it was too late. During the even-ing Pope ’s army crossed the river and occupied the