Island Number Ten facts for kids
Island Number Ten was a small piece of land in the Mississippi River. It was located near Tiptonville, Tennessee. This island became famous during the American Civil War. A very important battle, called the Battle of Island Number Ten, happened there. The battle was named after the island itself.
.jpg)
What Was Island Number Ten?
In the mid-1800s, the United States government started naming islands in the Lower Mississippi River. This part of the river is south of where the Ohio River joins it near Cairo, Illinois. Each main island was given a number. The numbers went up as you moved downstream.
This numbering system was meant to make it clear which island people were talking about. However, it didn't always work as planned. The government thought the islands stayed the same. But islands in the Mississippi River are always changing.
How Islands Change
Islands in the river are always growing, shrinking, or even disappearing. This happens because of erosion and accretion. Erosion is when water wears away land. Accretion is when new land is built up by dirt and sand. Big floods can also change islands a lot.
Where Is Island Number Ten Now?
Today, the land that was once Island Number Ten no longer exists. Many islands in the Lower Mississippi River have changed or vanished. Part of what was the island is now dry land. This land is part of the floodplain near New Madrid, Missouri. A floodplain is flat land next to a river that can flood.
Most of the island has simply been washed away by the river. Because of this, a monument to the Battle of Island Number Ten is not on the island itself. It is located on State Route 22. This is about three miles north of Tiptonville. The cemetery where some soldiers were buried is across the river in Missouri.
_(14759637671)_(cropped).jpg)
