Occupying Beleaguered Island No. 10 In Early 1863.

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War-date Union soldier's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. John C. Hicks, [DOD Camp wood, Miss., 9/20/63], Co. H, 35th Iowa Vols, Island No. Ten, Tenn., Feb. 15, 1863 to his cousin Ellen Sherman, in part: "…we left Columbus [Kentucky] on Tuesday…we expected to have a brush with the Southern gents when we left…but they got wind of our coming &…left for parts unknown…we found the Island in bad shape for defense. Our damn cowardly Gen. [Thomas A.] Davies had all the guns on the island spiked & dismounted…you saw by the papers the amount of property he had destroyed here & at New Madrid which lays…about six miles from here on the Missouri…he spiked some…one hundred of siege cannon…32 & 64 pounders…the last one…weigh 15 thousand pounds…they are pretty ugly fellows to handle. I have been helping to get them in shape once more so we can defend ourselves from our Southern friends that are on either side of the river…if it wasn't for the gunboat New Era we would be at the mercy of the rebels …day after we came here Gen. Asboth…sent for five of our companies to come to Cairo…they packed up…leaving Companys C & H on the Island …there was two companies…here belonging to the Wisconsin 15th regiment. Al of them are Dutch…but I guess them are all good fellows but we cant understand them…there is very few…that can talk English…when we are divided up and sent out in squads in the rebel's country we are subject to be taken prisoners. Here we are without over three hundred effectual men…we haven't but one cannon mounted…about twelve miles from here on the Missouri side…there is 5000 rebels & they intend to take the Island…on the Tennessee side about 15 miles from here is a town called Tiptonville [where there] is camped a lot of the cusses…the gun boat shells the woods every day or two to keep them from planting their heavy guns near…we keep close watch that they don't ship men across to…the island…the gun boat would sink them before they could get across…we have had very good success in blowing the spikes out of some of the cannon. When we get ten or a dozen cannon in shooting shape we will mount them on different points…the island is about two miles long by one wide, partly covered with timber. The Island was well timbered before our army shelled the rebels off of it. The shells cut down the timber…you wanted to know what it would cost…to get my minature taken. I do not know…for there is nothing of that kind going on here…write soon. From Cousin J. C. H…". A stamped transmittal cover (not the original, but showing "Hicks" as the authors last name) is included. VG

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