Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-01-31
MILITARY BRIDGES.

4<AA 10 AAAS ADAoA-A1 - ~~e~S
MAkEsAIFTs AND PoNTooNs con-
STRUGGLED DURING THE WAR.
Bridges That Were Flimsy and Danger
ous-One Of the Longest Ponsos~
Bridges Ever LaiA-whsn the
band Began 70 Play.
The soldiers sometimes built tolerably
substantial bridges, but In an active
campaign their bridge construction was
confined to makeshifts and pontOons.
Some of the makeshifts were queer
looking things; usually nimsy and fire.
Quently dangerous; like the one built
across the Chickahominy In June, 1885,,
during the battle Of Fair Oaks, under
the superint endence Of Capt. John
O'Shea, OF the orty second ("Tammany)
New York. Gen. Warren was chief OF
engineers then, and on inspecting the
bridge asked the captain II 1t would bear
artillery. The gallant O'Shea, who was
afterward killed heading . charge, stam-
cred terribly, and in addition had q very
rich Cork brogue "B-b-b-bear ARTILLERY,
Is it," he answered. "B-b-begad it'll
bear f-fyin' arthillery!"
In Lander's short campaign on the
Baltimore g. Ohio road In February, 1862,
where Lander's chief-of-stafi, the poet
Fitz-James O'Brien, was killed,
swollen mountain stream was met.
There was no ford or bridge and the
column had no pontoon train. But there
was an ingenious Yankee, the division
wagon-master, and that answered just
a. well. He loaded wagons with stone,
drove them into the water and drew
:hem up side by side until they reached
across from bank to bank, and then fell
ing trees laid the trunks across the
wagon bodies, covered all with bark and
dried leaves, and infantry, cavalry and
artillery passed over.
ACROSS THE CHICKAHoMINY.
The longest pontoon bridge laid during
the war-one Of the longest ever laid
was the one that was stretched across
the Chickahominy near 1t mouth in Au-
gust, 1852, for the army of the PotOmac's
passage on its withdrawal from the pen
insula. But the most exciting piece Of
bridge construction during the war was
probably that at Fredericksburg, Dec. II,
1862. Burnside wanted to cross over into
the town, which was occupied by Barks-
dale's Mississippi brigade, the rest Of
Lees army being in position along the
chain Of heights surrounding the basin
in which the city stands. Two regiments
Of engineers had been endeavoring since
daylight to launch their pontoons and ar
range the stanchions, ETC., for the bridge.
But the Confederate fire was too hot for
them. In the middle Of the forenoon 147
Union cannon opened ON Fredericksburg
from the earthworks along the high
north bank, and the engineers made one
moro effort under cover Of this fearful
cannonade. but failed again.
It was then that Gen. Sumner called
for volunteers from his own corps (the
Second) to undertake the work, and two
regiments responded-the Seventh Mich
gan and Nineteenth Massachusetts. The
little force moved quickly out across the
open plateau and then descended by
means Of . deep gulley to the waters
edge, where the p0ntOOns and their frame
work stood ready. The Michigan regi-
mont, numbering then but sixty men,
took pontoon and showed 1t out into
the water and then sprang In. The Mis-
sissippi bullets rained ON them, but they
sailed on, or, rather, poled ON, amid the
cheers Of all the Union army that could
see and understand what they were
doing.
WHEN THE BAND BEGAN 10 PLAY.
They reached the beach on the other
side, and, jumping out, formed under the
steep bank, which they climbed at once.
The whole heavens pealed with the
mighty thunder Of more than 100 cannon
and the air quivered with the detonation
Of bursting shells. But the Michigan
men not only held the ground they Just
won, they gained more, and, reinforced
by the Massachusetts, men, who were
now arriving In pontoons. pushed the
Mississippians steadily back through the
streets Of fredericksburg In that vicieity
and thus enabled the engineers to resume
their work after their own systematic
fashion. BY dusk three double pontoon
bridges spanned the river At the town,
and the right wing Of the army Of the
Potomac was pouring over, preparatory
to the bloody and disastrous battle Of
two days later aOld Bull" sumner was
90 delighted a. he observed the In
trepidity Of the Michigan and Massa-
men that he sent for .
brass band that was snuGly shell
tered in . ravine to the rear.
The devoted musicians hastened to obey,
and took their stand, like martyrs, On the
plateau near the Lacy house. They
struck up yankee Doodle" a. the gray
haired general desired, but they could
not have got much further on than where
the first Doodle dandy" comes in, when
and burst Just above their
heads. The music ceased, and the brass
horns were seen no more that day.
In the campaign Of 1854, from the VII
to the James and beyond, pom |
toon bridges were in constant use, and |
that summer pOntoons, made Of canvas,
stretched ON wooden frames, were ex-
tensively employed a. preliminary |
bridges for the passage of the heads Of
columns. They were lighter to transport
lnd easier TO lay than the heavier wooden
pontoons, and we're sufficiently strong to
bear infantry aud light batteries. But
10 continued move they were always
replaced, as rapidly as possible, by the |
wooden pontoou bridges, over which
heavy artillery, cavalry and wagon trains
,Ould pass in safety.-T. r. Galwey. in
Chicago Herald.
LONGER LEASE OF LIFE.
,lDsrences Between Youth and Old Ass
The Secret of Long Life.
The differences existing between youth