The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-12-16
manitomof pilot.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER Is, 1886.
A WAR "REMINISCENCES.


BRIDGED IN TWELVE HOURS.
4 man could go through twenty
battles on a quarter the cold nerve
that Andy Hickenlooper had to use il
one little episode with Mcpherson
down on the Tennessee river, when
there wasn't. an enemy within
sight" said Capt Jim Harper, to q
reporter of The Cincinnati San, one
day recently. One evening abou,
an hour before shutdown, Col. Hicken-
looper was called to McPherson's tent
and informed that it was necessary fol
the entire army Of thirty thousand
men to be across the river and after
the Johnnies by daylight next morn
ing.
but general" said Andy, there
isn't stick of timber within forty miles
big enough to carry an empty caissan,
and the wagons with the pOntoons are
ten miles back"
Cant help that replied McPher-
son CURLY. The bridge must be built
and the army on the move before 4
O'Clock tomorrow morning. Good
afternoon, Col. Hickenlooper."
Il left the tent and went down to
the river said Gen. Hickenlooper,
IN telling this experience not long ago,
and don't suppose man could be
III greater misery, mentally, than l
was. walked up and down the bank
for an hour, sizing up the situation.
L knew that, as chief of the engineer
corps, | was expected to solve the
problem some way; and that to fail
then was to lose all standing, profes-
sionally, not only for the war, but pro
baby for all the future. l think [
must have sweat blood, if such thing
were possible. Finally I wandered
nearly mile up the bank, and there,
half a mile back, | came across al
old gin piled full of cotton. I guess
there must have been two thousand or
three thousand bales. My sharpened
wits caught on right away Why not
make a bridge Of the cotton, using the
boards for a roadway?
In thirty minutes [ had a large
detail of men on the ground, and the
nights work commenced. We sunk
We sunk the bales with big stones,
laying two tiers of four bales each
clear across the river, holding them III
place by two big cables stretched
across on the lower side The boards
Of the gin made tolerable roadway,
but at its best it was an awful scaly
job The top bales were only about
three inches out Of the water, and |
wasn't at al sure the cables would
stand the strain. But. at 3 o'clock ]
walked up to McPherson's tent and
routed him out of bed. How well 1
remember him lying there on his Ell
bow, holding up match to see my
face as L approached his bunk. Gen
eral, the bridge is ready Very well
colonel had passed before the match
went out, and before | had walked
three rods from headquarters boots
and saddles had been sounded and
the camp was bedlan4
II crossed the bridge and stood al
the edge of the water, expecting and
dreding to see the cables part under
the terrific strain. Why, those cotton
bales settled down under the weight
of the heavy guns until the water ran
into the mouths of the cannon, but
they stood the test, and at 1l:3O the
last wagon had made safe passage,
and we signalled ahead to Mcpherson:
All over In little while an order
ly came galloping cack to summon me
to Mcpherson, who was five miles a
head by this time. When I rode up
to my autoctratic superior he saluted
and said: That was well done, colo
mel Now you go back and cut the
bridge loose, and FL telegraph the
gunboats down on the Mississippi to
pick up the cotton for you and your
assistant engineer. [ thought that
was first-class reward, and of course
performed my part of the work, con
Guided Hicknlooper"
What did the cotton bring him,
Mr. Harper
Not a red cent. The gunboats
picked up the cotton all right, but
Andy never saw any Of the money for
it, 1t looks hard 20, tell a man to
make something out of nothing, but
that's war It's only il active field
service that a fellow learns the full
meaning of the proverb, Necessity
knows no law As an engineer and
an ex-soldier, [ tell you I'd rather be
twenty miles under fire than pass
through one such snap as that which
induced Gen. Hickenlooper TO plan
and construct a bridge strong enough
to carry six mule wagons; loaded with
subsistence and ammunition, out OF
cotton bales, over a swift stream, in
less than twelve hours"