Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-04-12
LATEST NEWS
BY THE NAILS.

The great fsaurs Of this memorable Siege, and
the Immediate cause Of the glorious victory which
followed, IL the transportation Of the four steam ers
across the cooasry 70 the aid Of Gen. Pope. The
originator and successful protector Of this brilliant
exploit was Col. Bissell, OF st. Lo yis. the s.me
gentleman who has figured 10 your city 50 exten.
sively in connection with the Rock Island Bridge.
He 10 the commander of . regiment Of engineers
and mechanics, whose duty tits to do the mecban-
ica work sppertaining to :hs progress Of the army
such q building bridges, clearing Instructions,
etc. When tho place was Invested Col. BisselI
came acroes the mock Of land whieh formed bythe
bend Of the river in . small boat, the watsr being
% high that navigation was perfectly good. with
the exception of the obstructions offered BY trees
and undsrgrowth. lie announced that Gen Pope,
although below the enemy, and in condition to
cross and completely surround them. was in want
ef boats for that purpose, End could make no
movement until he was put IN possession Of them
The enemy were in possession Of the head Of the
river, and there was no means Of passing them
with transports. Col. Bissell announced that he
vas IN readiness to attempt tho task Of taking
tneu across the country, and arrangements were
Immediately made to expedite the project. The
steamers W. b. Terry and Trio, being If light
draft, and drawing but thirty inches Of water.
were placed at his disposal, and tho point for en-
tering tho woods was selected at tho foot of Is
land No. 8. Tho difficulties Of this work will bs
understood when it 10 known that for distance Of
over IL miles the boats were to be transported
through heavy forest, where the trees were un-
commonly large and close together, and whore tho
dense cottonwood undergr0wth and cane brake
peculiar to this country. grew in all itsnstvelux-
unsnce. There was plenty Of water, the rive,
having over6owed its banks to depth Of from !
i've to fifteen feet, and in many places much deep
or. The task o: clearing out thu trees was one !
that would have dismayed 4 stouter heart than |
Col. Bissers, but for the engineering experience
and natural ingsnrity which came to his aid. He |
attacked the primeval forest, and, in few hours
wss buried from sight in its depths. Accompa-
MED by large detachment Of men, in small boats
aud ast-boats armed with long cross-cut saws and
axes no mads fast work of it. The trees to be cut
were selected and chopped down. They were, |
however, a. much in the way as ever, as tho
bee was then fastened to the stump, and to tho |
bop OF this, some six feet high, was fastened an
oscillating frame, swinging on bolt and extend
ing four feet below tho surface Of the river. The
raw VAS fastened 10 this frame at the lower epd, |
and with rope extending each way, it was pulled |
ln this way the largest trees succumbed and fell in
, short time. Fifteen minutes usually CONQUERED |
IN ordinary tree, and half an hour va, sufficient |
Tor tho giants Of tho forrest. The work was not |
done then, however The sverhanking tree tops
were to be cut to allow the upper works and chin
neys to pass the trunks Of the fallen trees were to
be cleared away, and . clear channel az wide as !
steamboat was to be made, all Of which necessi-
tatcd the most arduous labor ard perseverance,
The boats progressed, sometimes slowly and some
times with considerable ,peed,i in accord .nce with
the nature Of the country. Some days they made
no more than ono or two lengths Of the beats,
while on others they moved milo or two. They
di not keep straight course, but turned aside
when rsvlne or valley offered less distractions.
and in this way they worked in northwe sterly
course. which was not in the direction of New
Madrid. The great object was to reach deem
bayou which emptied into the river at that place.
This bayou was thes.bc of q creek which ran in a
Favine, and was comparatively clear Of obstruc-
lions After much labor and disappointment,
hey finally struck this bayou, about ten miles
rom tho Po'nt they started from, and after having
been in the woods week and half. They wero
hen nearly as far from New Madrid as when
hey started, bus the bayou was comparatively
lee from trees and undergrowth, and they made
apid progress towards the river. Finally. after
having been in the woods over two weeks, with out
agnt OF dry land, the, emerged into the Missis-
hppi once more, and with joyful hearts steamed
'p to New Madrid, amid the enthusiastic welcom-
ngs of our solaiery, who saw in them tho harbin-
Isrs Ct change and relief. They had travelled
3 miles in gettin. through
This great feat Of ingenuity and perseverance
vas thus accomplished without . single drawback
o its complete success. The result Of it was IN
Immediate movement by the enemy, who saw
surrounded and cut off from oil hope
# escape. The bosts quickly transported the
r0Ops across, under cover of the gum and bat
cry fro, and the rebels were pursued to their
'over, where they were captured to man. 1t
Vas project eminently imp.actieab!s at FIRST view
Ind in such light they saw it. They knew tha,
ve were at work at something Of the kind, but the
dea of our being successful never entered their
minds. They said among themselves that tho
Yankees were digging q canal across the country,
md laughed 70 think Of the folly. They were
truck with CONSERVATION when the boats csmo
'ut into the river before their very eyes, and took
heir places at the levee at New Madrid, al d then
hey began to think that the Yankees were indeed
n earnest when they started to travel across the
country by steamboat.
Four steamboats, were taken across. The diff
ulties Of the passage were heightened by the
alling Of the water, which Commenced . week
fter the first boat vent in. The others ere
started, but most of the stuwps had
o be saved again, and much Of the overh angling
,sowth cleaned out, to admit Of tho passage Of tho
arger boats. Tho W. B. Terry was the pioneer
'oat. The Emma, the Trio and the Hattie Gill
more followed, and all went thorough this laby-
inth Of swamp. forest and underground, without
he slightest injury. To the genius, the energy
md the perseverance, Of Col. B.sell, this triumph
mt result, and its immense benefits to the Federal
ause, are due.