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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC02881.27 |
| From Archive Folder | Collection of Currier & Ives Civil War prints |
| Title | Bombardment of Island "Number Ten" in the Mississippi River |
| Date | 1862 |
| Author | Currier & Ives (1834-1907) |
| Document Type | Artwork |
| Content Description | Published by Currier & Ives at 152 Nassau Street, New York. Subtitle is "By the Gunboat and Mortar fleet, under the command of Flag Officer A.H. Foote." Caption under the title says: "The Bombardment commenced on Saturday afternoon, March 15th 1862, and continued until midnight of April 7th, when the whole Island with all its vast munitions of war, fell into the hands of the gallant forces, under Commodore Foote. 'A Nations thanks are due them.'" The foreground is dominated by low-lying ironclads firing mortars at the island in the background. The yellow-orange rainbow arcs from the mortars dominate the picture. Some light wear. |
| Subjects | Civil War Military History Art, Music, Theater, and Film Union Forces Battle Navy Union General |
| Place written | New York, New York |
| Theme | The American Civil War; Naval & Maritime |
| Sub-collection | Papers and Images of the American Civil War |
| Additional Information | The battle was fought in and around Island Number Ten at the Kentucky Bend in the Mississippi River, near New Madrid, Missouri, which was simultaneously attacked. In order to continue down the Mississippi, the Union found that it had to capture the heavily defended island. The Confederate fortifications consisted of land batteries on the island and a floating battery off the coast of the island. On 16 March 1862 Union gunboats started shelling the island fortifications, while Confederates were returning fire from shore batteries. On the night of April 4, the gunboat "Carondelet" managed to pass by the island. On April 7 "Pittsburg" managed to join her. Then, under cover of these gunboats, Union troops under the command of General John Pope crossed the Mississippi River and landed below the island, crossing a Confederate withdrawal route. On 7 April 1862, the Confederate garrison, of 7,000 men surrendered. The defeat of the Confederates opened the river for the capture of Memphis, Tennessee two months later in the Battle of Memphis. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Civil War, Reconstruction and the Modern Era: 1860-1945 |
| Civil War: Theater of War | Main Western Theater |