Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-06-06
The RED RIVER DAN STORY
How Porter's Flee Was Saved
From Destruction.
AN ALMOST FORGOTTEN EPISODE
OF tho War of the Rebellion
in Mississippi.
Col. Bailsy's and Gel. Psarssii's Wsndsr-
fnl Engineering Faat-.BuildinE TIVE
Dams to Fleat IrSnclads ovsx ths
Rapids of the RED River.
New York Sun.

Early in the spring of cd the Army |
of the Red River, Gen. Banks command |
ing and supported by the Mississippi |
naval squadron consisting of some
fifteen gunboats, ironclads and monitors,
besides numerous transports) under the |
command OF Admiral David d. Porter,
had assembled the Red River to a point
little beyond Grand Ecore, La, with
Shreveport as an objective point. Their
progress up the river had been almost a
constant skirmish, and after severe bat.
ties at Sabine Crossroads and Pleasant
Hill--the former a Union defeat and
the latter fruitless victory-it was de-
cided to abandon the undertaking and
retreat down the river.
Great expedition was necessary in
order to save the feet, for the water,
which had been barely sufficient to al
low the larger boats to pass the rapids
at Alexandria, was falling rapidly, and
1t was extremely doubtful whether any
Of them would be able to do so on their
return. One vessel, in fact, the East
Port, was already aground and aban-
doned.
I The tired, disheartened foot soldiers
now set out to fight their way down the
river as they had fought it up. Their
path was intersected by payous and
swamps, and barricaded by almost i'm
penetrable woods. They were con-
stantly under scattering fire, for the
enemy lowered about them like vultures,
and what was still worse they were as
saulted day and night by myriads of
ravenous mosquitoes, an enemy against
twhich'warefare is useless.
The naval forces likewise worked
their way down stream as best they
could, impeded constantly by snags and
bars, and frequently annoyed by the
enemy. Arriving at last at Alexandria
their worst fears were realized. Not one
of the boats could pass Here was an
emergency in which failure meant the
total loss of the entire Mississippi squad.
ron and the consequent prolongation of
the war for an indefinite period Unless
the fleet could be brought below the
rapids 1t must be destroyed or aban-
doned to the enemy, it being manifest
that the army, already on short rations,
could not remain there to guard it all
summer.
COL. JOSEPH BAILEY OFFERS A RESCUE.
It was in this crisis that the genius of
Col. Joseph Bailey became manifest.
He proposed to build series of dams
across the rapids that should deepen the
channel and relieve the fleet. He
consulted with his assistant, Lieut. Col.
Uri b. Pearsall, who promptly agreed
with him that such plan was feasible.
Both had been lumbermen and dam
builders in the woods OF Wisconsin
previous to the war, and neither seemed
to consider the gigantic undertaking
impracticable, Notwithstanding the fact
that the plan suggested was ridiculed by
the West Point engineers of the army
The rapids extended one and one.
fourth miles in length, making gradual
descent OF eight feet and some inches
the width of the river at this point being
75S feet, and the depth of the water
from four to six feet. The current was
very rapid, running about 10 miles pei
hour.
THE BUILDING OF THE DAM.
The work was begun Immediately
1t was now the LIST of May, and ever,
day meant enormous additional labor
as the river was still falling rapidly
Four large coal barges were first towec
toa ledge of rock in the middle of thu
river, scuttled and sunk They wer,
placed lengthwise with the current, TIVE
and two, with channel of 40 feet be
tween them, and fastened to the yield
ing soap-stone river bed with long bar
of iron, sharpened and driven through
their bottoms like nails. These barge
Iwere then filled with such heavy ma
terial as could be readily procured
They were to serve as the abutments flo
the dam to be built out to them from
either side of the river. The curren
was thus TO be obstructed and deepened
and it was through the 40-foot channe
between the abutments that the iron
.clads and transports were TO pass int
deep water and safety below.
From the north bank it was decide
best TO build tree dam formed OF tn
bodies of very large trees, brush, brio
and stone, cross-tied with other heay
timber, and strengthened in every wa
which ingenuity could devise Tn
was constructed under the person,
supervision of Col. Bailey, while
Col. Pearsall was assigned the task {
filling the barges and projecting a
obstruction from the south bank III
swift current was thus to be gradual
diverted and forced between the abu
ments in the centre.
The dam from the south bank was
be series of log cribs built above an
tioated down into place, there To
filled with brick, stone and iron, such
could be procured quickly regardless
cost All the neighboring sugar mi
were destroyed for this purpose, cost
machinery hammered into fragmeu
because IL was heavy, and the weight
debris thus obtained was carried BY
endless procession OF men and dunipt
into the river
Six thousand men were divided in
two forces, which relieved each otll
every six hours, working day and nlgi
Trees were falling with gre
rapidly" says Admiral Porter; "teal
were moving in all directions bringi
in brick and stone; quarries we
opened; tiatboats were built to brl
stone down from above, and every N
seemed to be working with a ylgor
have seldom seen equalled, while d
haps not one in fifty believed in the s,
cess Of the undertaking"
At last, on Sunday, May Sth, the d,
was completed. But, alas the very Nc
day it broke.
Seeing this unfortunate accider
(the break in the damn says ADM
Porter, 81 jumped on horse and re
up to where the upper vessels W,
anchored, and ordered the Lexington
pass the upper falls if possible and
mediately attempt to go through
dam. thought might be able to s.
the four vessels below, not know
whether the persons employed on
work would ever have the heart to
new their enterprise.
THE Lexington sncceeded in pettl