The New York herald., 1863-09-02
Oar Poniooas In Virginia.
TO rnE EDITOR or, THE HERALD.
40 ..-.....--.-... -

"that tho terrible disasters NJ sburg and
places which resulted In such slaughter Disgrace
tho uuion werc caused by tho abominaole aoartons
called pontoons.n
You aso 20 state tha, 'in this particular Al IN
world ahead Of us. that Great Britain, Gormaey And
Russia have adopted much beter rystcn, which can'
from an American and which Of light corrugat
IRON Wagon bodies OF such dimension ani form as TO
serve a. a wagon for tho transportation of surpes-a
boat with which troops rivers raft TO
carry heavy ordnance; Du, mportant oi all. as
bridge.
You thcnasS, "Why - u that this some better sys
TEN not immediately after tho late sasers saoti
tuted for the miserable wooden scows cal ei pontoons,
projected by mbeses under tho Secretary OF War, and
which have earriod such dcsolatlou to every family"
II the people os this country c,ald be mac to believe
that recent disasters sei by our system of
pontoon br dgcs that this system projected "by
beetles under tho secretary u War" AMI thu. tits
wicked abortion to bo made "to pri
va,c nteres,s regardless Of consequence there hc
no doubI but that they would demand reform
IN this branch that the 'mbeccsn should
ut once be disracei aud that all "priyae incrests'
growing OF the preson. system should DO sacrificed
Such, iIdecd would appear % bo the object Of your
article.
Now Mr. Editor, think you have been mlslnformed
on this subject api ns responsible more than any
person for tho system OF ponoon hriges which wc
have in our service aud the whole army knows that
am responsible must beg your indulgence while un.
dertake 10 csrrect tho into which you may have
| inadvertently been led.
The questions which tho public care to havc answered
| are these
!. Are wo behind the are in system OF pontooa
bridges? maintain that not.
2 II system the best that known u the nations
| OF Europef maintain that u H.
| g. Was due inquiry made TO what the best sys
tenn of ponioon bridges now In use N England France
Russia Austria Prussia and the German states before
our present system Of ponioon bridges was adop,ch
| maintain that II was.
l. Can this system te improved answer, all analogy
teaches ihn be, and that 1t VIII be hereafter.
was hl mccair ica ingenuity q our people invited
to improve sIggc,t improvements before this system
o! bridges Was haay determined upon maintain thit
q Il tho War Department, or tho persons whether
"imbcclesn not who acting under IL, now roaiy
T. adopt an improved system OF military bridges f one
be found maintain that II is both ready and will
ing 10 do 30.
siuple satemcn, OF tho facts IN the win be tho
easiest way 70 show grounds upon which base my
| answers % these question:
In tho month OF September 1851, General Mcclellan
for and told that he wanted me TO get up tea
twelve bridge trains for armies. had not asked
for this duty. had simply to obey orders knew
thing Of the subject before undertaking IT, and had tho
assistance Of Captain Duane, Of tho Corps Of Engineers
who had given Il IA much attention. both practically ana
| theoretically any other IN the country. Tho
General told that he dh wish % ",c my hams p
that he thought best not 20 give positive ortera in
| writing usually done military mltten--as tc WIN,
should do In the Performance. of this duty. e ndysct
L look well the system % bridges 10
Europe and adopt SUCH such combinations ot several
~ thought beat, with any improvements that might b,
suggested keeping In view all tho time tho character
the 10 DO crossed, particularly vlrgln the "a
that country wooded and therefore Afforded
terias substantial brsgcs than could la mai.
by pontoons that thoro would bo great mechanical sk Ii
the army and that IL would be supplied with all
| sary tools.
such In general terms were my nrrnoiions aud so
about executing them. After examining tho different,
systems Of military bridges then 10 Europe
10 the conclusion that tho French the best accord
ingly adopted the French ponioon tho BASIS sys-
FOR conclusion respectfully protest agains,
being called 'imbece nndcr Secretary of war"
Ny own researches had led u believe that tho
French pontoon the best boa, thea ussi IA makag
military bridges The experiments that hai been mado
with Point had led Captain pInc u the sana
concluson and, besides ,his, General Mcclellan =
the opinion. Now General Mcclellan thu, time
probably had moro knoscdgo of poutoon bridges TINA
any other man IN the United states lilo had for many
years been daty. olcrr, with only company
of engineer soldiers at west pon, lie there thoroashy
studied the subject u ponon bridges botn theoret cay
ami practically IL afterwards travelled all over fnrope.
during the crimean and eranuc the daeren, kinds
Of military brg hcn in giving th subject his par
tcuar attention. With all hn kn1wefse abo9t pJnto0n
bridges he conceded In opinion with Captain Duane
myself aud, u imheoiity must be charged the cn.
poyos 81 ID. War Department h. must share with
II shogd he stated however that did not cDllne
self exclusively 10 tha French pontoons Tho opfrgni
" the merits q other bridges suffered 10
be ost. We had India rubber tram drilled With
AMI with tho French train, and iherc sas % drercnc,
~ opinion al ~ the superiority ~ tho latter aiso had
mad. advanced guard train" of canvas, sfi~r tho
manner u the Rus ans ms va used On the 'heka.
bnWlny sni ~ lighter than the cprrugsi1d
wagon bodice IN aidlrpa ssg had tr.stie train made,
after the - the Aasirans bni mat rn oftsnt
of AZ. di not for1e b" corusAtfd roo saga bodies.
which had ~ many year. been Nsei ~ - ~fYic" 10
crossing the Pans had one hundred ~ ibess
We mpao boats aud RATES ~ thsm bnt aeger succeeded
10 making bridge. We ersafimeuici witb them, bos
over antii ~as he concurrent olin1n = ~ whD sit
messed tho esternenlr excerpt prfhape the masgfac
taror. that they we're not suited ~ form the
supports Of a military bridge Tor large army.
For crossing small stfasms vita small f0fco. a.
had been the pepding fetsrnmena - troops
the continent whsn there wAs plenty tfne they hsa
been uaes a maseshit for bot sni sostlfoas sh
success bat, As they are ne~ mahe a. foonf that ~e
could make Tractaabie bridge siih tLan sny
reasonable. time Tuubtess hey my be safrUved here
after Dat ~ may The art q pripiips The ensmy ~erc
knocking At the gates, ana Ne santsa rpnins g1sf
4ant tho rnorn.Eg fspers must have both. with
waiting for futura Improvements will aid. - ON
cgsgu that pat trains have been sfgin atty gto
nj and naoceaaful General nansr Grt us@i tban At
Harpcra Ferry 10 tbs rotomAc, before a~aerat
Me- feltaa op~ned the rrnibsasr campaign. t.sa~r.
ucsellan wsa usra aad sa1 the brdg bat sgxresiss
% ,mtrovemepA rbay ~ great darng "a.
Megr 0f yorktown IN landing v"ols - f@ta~in river,
aud IN building several iag tf3dect over wornlsy
creek ~ VEST Poat .snofsi ffsn<in landed ths
~hoe ~ his dlysion asa AZ hs srtil"ry n f.~ bosrs
with the all Il ghsAs pouioyns. Ne aysia us~d them
sh~n we we're sfvaleisg KsthmyDd ia cfo~slns tho
Chcsshnmny river. and IN ts~ f~ires' frvtn Hau.os
landing n~ssiy tho shoe ~ seD~rsi d0Asiisna army
With al s ,~rsdsrsst1, passed over brtdge, ~ tis
msa,h a thls stream. spns tsp thgasAaf feet hn.-s
feai vnich de.arves n history Agsio sftsf the
battle a Arii~tssn nearly tbs shgts ~ amy 4asei
,h. q taras thea hrdge-. No sesdstt has hap
rspss tbur uyof~ have coucf~rcs An then
hoss~~ have es-ncf that tbSy whan TIE
gns~ss bald fsntorn bffx, sasssea y, ts
fay /. ever rssed fhs foywlrg = sf,faet - lessr
from fg1i f!eners ~. iarssrd tbs Chef FnsDsgr
a The army a the Potomac
caxr I4.oots, Ns,s FsS Osws "a j0ss u. iss2.
Gen. fgrus. csisf fngls~a, rntsi states Army,
washasson, ~ g
or bost erpcrs~u~~ has shy-n th.; i,e rr~reh lat
tesa sniversai srplloabtlity - al fgfps~~. where
there = ~zfrs sfd thst q MARES p~v~,ay reliAbi~
bshsxs Tf~ Brasn r-~tis bflfse f&nsrss snsessssla
sod 0niy M fnv scvanc~s ssuss We bfouvns ln1ls
rubn~r pm ~as sby1f corslisr rs~seesbi-
49, -. r.