The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-18
WHO SAVED THE FLEETf
Historical Facts About the Cam
paign Into Louisiana

The man who saved the fleet COM
manded by Commodore Porter from the
necessity Of destroying it to prevent its
falling into the hands of the Confed-
crates in the memorable and ingIorious
campaign Gen. Banks made I'D the
Red river Of Louisiana, is Col and
Bvt. Brig. Gen. Uri B. Pearsall, of
Fort Scott, Kan. Another got the cred
it and the promotion, but Pearsall did
the final work. He is in the Twin
Cities now on business and ran across
one who served with him there, helped
in building the famous dam that saved
the fleet, and knows personally of the
share the colonel had in saving that
splendid fleet of ironclads. A compact
frame of medium height, joins with one
OF those fighting noses and heads to
indicate that there is a man who would
go at his work with the energy of a
forty-horse power engine, and one
whom it would be as we'll for diff
f1culties not to rise up against, if they
did not care to be brushed or kicked
aside. That is what the colonel was
thirty-three years ago, when Banks
had fallen back before Dick Taylor
and Porter's fleet, laden with conf1s-
Gated cotton, followed along down the
Red, with it's rapidly falling waters,
until Alexandria was reached and the
low water on the head of the rapids
where, for a mile, the river rushes down
a sharp decline, brought the fleet to
stop and the army with it.
If the fleet could not be got over that
place it must be destroyed. The army
could not remain to defend it for its
base of supplies was on the Mississippi
and the Confederates could cut it
off. There was CONSERVATION and dis
may in the navy. The army engineers
said that it was impossible to eXtricate
the fleet. The process of dismantling
was about to begin when the report
reached Banks that a Wisconsin colo
mel had said he could get the fleet
over. Col Bailey, of the Fourth Wis.
consin cavalry, was sent for. He was
Black river lumberman and river
driver before the war. Pearsall was
an Oconto river lumberman. Both
were familiar with just such dilemmas
as the fleet was in. Bailey submitted
his plan and received authority to go
ahead. A pioneer corps was organized.
PearsaN was made assistant and given
charge of the work on the right bank,
Bailey taking the work on the left.
Work was Immediately begun building
a dam at the foot Of the rapids to be
high enough to set the water back to
the ledge at the head, in sufficient
depth to let the fleet over. Bailey's
work was on a tree dam; Pearsalrs
on crib dam, with two coal barges
and filled with the debris of a dozen
RACED sugar mills from neighboring
plantations. Ten miles of railway were
torn up and the rails loaded into the
bargeS.
When the work was completed and
before the fleet could move, the pres
sure on the dam became so great that
the two barges were torn to pieces
and swept away, leaving a great gap
through which the waters poured i'll
mad glee at their escape. The water
fell rapidly at the head and the hopes
of relief were blasted. Bailey then
went to the head of the rapids and con-
structed two wing dams to catch the
water, but so poorly arranged them
were caught on the edge and hung
there. Then it was that Bailey admit
ted himself beaten. He gave up.
81 am ruined man. he said. "I
have failed in saving the fleet"
Here Pearsall came to the resuce.
"Give me the men and let me alone,
don't interfere with me, and 1 will get
those boats out of that" was his prop
osition to Bailey. Assent was given.
In twelve hours he had constructed
wing dams out under the bow Of the
Mound City, which caught the water
and raised it sufficiently to let the
Mound City and Carondolet, the deep
est draft boats of the fleet. pass over
and down the rapids, through the gap
in the lower dam, careening as they
passed through it. amid the cheers of
the army that lined the banks, and of
the sailors on the boats. The fleet was
saved and the possibility of losing con-
troll of the Mississippi river was re-
moved. And Bailey claimed the credit,
sighted Pearsall In his report, got the
thanks of congress and a star, while
Pearsall was mentioned in general or
ders with his name spelled wrong at
that. A close shave for Byron's defini-
ton of fame. p. J. S.
Tho CT Iosnnh,S Ladies', r A sncietv will