New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-30
WHO BURNED ALEXANDRIA,

And Whe Built the Red River Dame
EDITOR REPUBLICANS:
In the Times Of Sunday, January %, ap-
peared an article headed, "On the Red
River" in which facts have been violently
distorted, and the memory of q gallant
Union soldier grossly insulted.
To those acquainted with the facts, the
following extracts will show for Themselves
that the writer was either lamentably igno-
rant or inspired by malice in the matter:
Next to Shreveport and Natchitoches,
Alexandria is the largest town in west
Louisiana. 1t covers about as much GROUND
as it ever did, but is not 80 compaccy onli5
that the town was burned during the war
by General Banks, on his famous raid.
Twenty three squares, including many hne
brick buildings, were lard 10 ashes:
A few hundred yards above Alexandra
stand the falls that have always proved
such aD obstacle to the navigation OF upper
Red river Much time and money we're
spent before the war to remove those 1ais
but without success. At the time OF BANKS
raid Admiral POrter's feet, the river being
high. went above the falls to give support
to the army. Banks, as will be remember
ed. was checked by the COntederates under
General Taylor at Mansfield and forced to
retreat. But, when the fleet returned down
the river, it was found that the water haa
fallen 90 that the falls could not be repassed'
The Confederates, becoming aware of the
fact, procee ded leisurely to lay their planas, da,
to capture the feet, and in fact 1t IS well
known that the federas themselves looked
on captivity as inevitable. In that, dliem-
ma. however, there arose man equal to
the occasion. He was Do undistinguished
CAPTAIN in the engineer corps named Bay
lev. Captain Bayley had been q lum.
herman in the wild Northwest and aad
made himself familiar with the means useo
there to float rats over the rapids OF tne
forest streams. He suggested that dam
he built from one side of the river far out
toward the middle SO that the pent up
water would be forced to flow through q
narrow channel, and give depth enough 10
float the vessels. This suggestion was at
once acted on. Trees were felled and
thrown into the river, and sugar houses
pulled down from their bricks and iron:
In q short time the dam was finished ana
the Runboats glided one by one safe down
| into deep water, leaving the astonished
Confederates to mourn the result OF their
tardiness. Captain Bay ley received the
| thanks of Congress and was promoted to q
brevet co!oneicy with back pay from the
| beginning of the war. The colonel. lntoxi-
| Gated by success, as some say, or harrassed
| by family discord, according to others.
| took to drink and was finally shot and
| war.
! Now, propose to give the facts az wit
messed by my self:
First of all, Major General Banks did MOI
order Alexandria burned. On the contrary
| when the town was discovered to be on fire
he made every fort in his power to quenct
the flames, several thousand men being EN-
ployed tor that purpose. But so rapidly die
the flames spread that only q small portion
of the town was saved.
After the fire had been progressing TO
some time, it became evident that some on
was buey with the torch. Orders were a
once given to the provost guard to patro
the streets, and shoot any one on the spo
that should be found setting fire to an
building. Under these instructions, tw
men belonging to an organization known q
the Jayhawkers, were caught in the act an
killed.
the jayhawkers were citizens of Louisi
ana who had banded together to resist be
ing drafted into the Confederate army, an
when General Banks arrived in Alexa1
dria, came into his lines and asked protee
tion, which was granted them. These me
burned Alexandria in order to reveDg
themselves for the wrongs done them b
the Confederate government.
The following is the truth in regard
General Baily and the dam:
The morning of the day that the arm
arrived in Alexandria, on it's retreat frol
Mansfield, it was rumored that the rive
had fallen go much that the feet could nj
pass the falls. Lieutenant Colonel Uri
Pearsall, commanding the Fifth Regimen
of Engineers, Corps D'Afrique, said to
party of his officers, while discussing tt
matter, that in his opin ion dam could
built that would get the fleet over, and 81
soon as we go into camp will 60 and 81
Colonel Baily and talk the matter ov'
with him." Colonel Baily commanded II
regiment to which moet of these office
had formerly belonged.)
early in the afternoon that day, within tv
: or three miles of Alexandria. and Lieute
ant Colonel Pearsall, together with Ca
tains Frank Harding, Edward Rigne
William Morrison, Lieutenants George V
Combs and Edward Sagendorpb, all OF Il
Fifth Engineers, mounted their horses al
rode to army headquarters and there callt
on Joseph Baily, lieutenant colonel Four
Wisconsin Cavalry, and chief engineer f
the Nineteenth Army Corps, and at tt
! time acting chief engineer for the enti
army.
The conversation that transpired betwe'
, Colonels BaiIy and Pearsall was about
follows:
Pearsall-Well, Baily, came to see "
about building q dam at the falls in ord
to get the gunboats over.
Baily-I don't think it can be done.
Pearsall-I know it can be done.
Baily-Well, Pearsall, if you say so, '
will try; let us ride over and look at u
falls.
The party then rode to the falls and e
amined the situation, and concluded whe
and how to commence operations.
The next morning work was commence
and kept up for twelve or fourteen day
: day and night.
Colonel Baily did all the planning, al
: closely supervised the work. and brought
to q successful termination; but many wi