The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1862-04-23
How Island No. 10 Was ousaanked

HOW 1Slan0 NO. 10 Was Quth0nked
A correspondent of the Rocheste
Union gives the following account of th,
digging of canal 80 as to transpor
steamboats, to Gen. Pope at New Mad
rid:
Col. Bissell stated that be could, by
hand labor, get steamboats, and aatboats
through the woods and bayous, and BY
that means land our forces nearly oppo.
site New Madrid, aud take all the enc.
my's works in the rear. Gen. Pope al
once gave him carte blanche. and he sent
to Cairo for four steamboats, six fats and
such guns as could be spared. They sent
four steamers, with the barges, quantity
of lumber, &c. and one 8.inch columbi.
ad, and three 32-pounders. Tools we did
not need, for the regiment carries every
thing. from the heaviest ropes and screws
down to fne steel drills for unspiking
guns.
"Our route was about twelve miles
long, of which two miles were through
thick timber, and the remaining ten
through narrow, crooked bayous. grown
up full of brush and small trees. We have
cut our way right through. the track be.
ing fifty feet wide, in which thirty feet are
required for the huiIs Of the boats The
timber is cut four feet below the surface
OF the water. In one short stretch we
cut seventy Eve trees thus deep, not one
less than two feet through. The machines
were rugged from RATS and our loves:
fats. and worked each by about 20 men,
"In the first place three large launches
went ahead to cut out and push out of
the track the nnderbrush and driftwood,
then the RATS followed, on which were the
men who cut down and cut off the trees;
then the e~saws, then two large barges, then
one of the steamboats, Very large lines
were provided to rur from the capstan Of
the steamboats, aud haul out BY snatch
blocks what the men could not handle.
Then followed the rest of the feet, men
being engaged all the time converting the
Hat boats into floating batteries From
the river to the levee the distance is
about five hundred feet Here the water
was shallow and the route full Of stumps;
it took one whole day 10 pass this--then
the cut in the levee.
Here the fall was over two feet, and
the rush of water was tremendous The
largest boat was dropped through with
five lines out ahead Then q corn6eld
overaowed from cut in the levee. Here
was something Of channel cut by the
swift water, and we got along we'll nearly
a quarter of mile to the woods; here
was the labor, two straight and long miles
to the nearest point in the bayou This
it took eight days to get through. Thet
Wilson's bayou. then East bayou. whics
empties into the Mississippi at New Mad
Erid. s
s'If you have never seer q SoutherI
swamp, you have no idea how thick it is
New York elm swamp does not begir
to compare with it. 1t sometimes tool
twenty men whole day to get out hal
sunken tree across the bayou. Such
place as that kept rs back, as none of tn
rafts or fats could get by, and al had t
wait.
i "The water, after we got throughfint
the woods. was about six feet deep. wit
q gentle currcnt setting across the PENN
J sula In the East bayou the current wa
Tremendous, aud the boats had to b
checked down with heavy headlines
! Here We found some distractions, cause,
by drift heaps, but cutting one or tw
logs would start all down the current.