Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-04-17

In the CIVIL War said the colonel,
"tha railway bridge across the Tannes-
see at Bridgeport was partially de-
stroyed, April 20, 1862. 1t was not full
" repaired until November, 1858 The
Union army in the meantime used pom
loon bridges, but could put no locomo-
lives or cars across the river.
NO serious attempt was made to re
pair the Bridgeport bridge until some
weeks after the battle of Chlckamauga.
or when the armies were concentrated
at Chattanooga for the march south
ward on Atlanta. | remember well
when the first train steamed across and
whirled away with a triumphant wis
tie toward Chattanooga. That first
train was followed by six others. all
carrying provisions to the army, and
We who were stationed at Bridgeport
cheered each train like Wild Indians .
Nine days after the railway bridge
at Bridgeport was destroyed" said
Charles Franz, "a detail of twenty
men was made from our regiment. the
Tenth Wisconsin, and placed under
command of Sergeant William Nelson,
with orders to proceed eastward from
Huntsville, Ala, to the Paine Rock
River bridge ON the Memphis and
Charleston Railroad. | remember TINT
the men detailed from our company.
G, were Andrew j. Anjier Alexander
II. Francisco, and myself We were
provided with three days rations, and
forty rounds of ammunition. The riv-
er was $50 feet wide, and the bridge
was a wooden structure. two spans in
length. with a center pier built of stone
work on bottom with the upper part
Of cobble work North from the bridge
was a small shanty of red cedar logs.
Sergeant Nelson and most OF the
men took up quarters at the little
shanty. My post was at the east end
of the bridge, and for a week there
was no excitement On Sunday. April
q, General o. NJ Mitchell went by
on train, when only two men were on
lookout duty, and was indignant be.
cause the guard was so light. lie
scolded a good deal and said 1t would
be an easy matter for the rebels tt
take the bridge. In fact, he thought
he could take it himself To this Fran
cisco, who was on guard, said, Gen
eral, may be you could. bur | dom
think ii would be very healthy for yot
to try That night we captured "A bush
whacker. who was prowling about tht
bridge, and a freight train loaded win
supplies for General Mitchell at Bridge
port was held in the belief that the
rebels had prepared to capture The
train or throw ii from the track. Mon
day evening every man was at tho
bridge when negro. who had a black
smith shop seven miles up the river
gave notice that the rebel cavalry was
moving to attack us.
we sent TO Lieutenant Ford nj
Woodyille for endorsements, aud our
party was increased by one sergeant
and six men We built platforms at
each end of the covered bridge. and |
with two comrades was stationed I'M
der the bridge structure on the stone
work of the middle pier. About ~
o'clock we were attacked on both sides
by rebel cavalry, and an incessant fire
was kept up for half an hour Then
the colonel commanding the enemy or
dered his men to cease firing and ask
ed us to surrender the bridge lie gave
his name as Colonel Steams of the
First Tennessee Confederate Cavalry.
He said he had over 700 men, ard as
there were only twenty-six OF us. it
was useless for us to keep up the fight.
If we did not surrender Immediately
he would charge and take the bridge
"Our men yelled IN defiance at him,
and the fight was resumed. The rebels
made bundles OF corn fodder. which
they saturated with oil. set on fire, and
tried TO throw on top Of the bridge.
Our men let the torch bearers come up
close, then fred. dropping all who car
ried them. The burning torches gave a
bright light. and We could see the reb-
his IhI Ddfh INTO the NDttlS. $pBll tUHif
fire became weaker and weaker, and
finally ceased altogether. We kept 4
sharp lookout during the night. but
found In the morning that they had
retreated for good
zone ludlcrous incident probably
contributed not little to the diss-Dn-
future of the rebels. Al the west enl
Of the bridge there was about rod Of
space between the shore pier and the
river. At the beginning Of the fight
we could hear some Of the Confeder-
ates walking below. We expected ey-
cry moment that they would shoot up
through the bridge. We scrambled for
the top Of the sill. on which we were
perched, and ia our haste one Of the
boys stepped on small iron mush
kettle which we had left there, and II
went rafting down among the Con
federates below They probably
thought 1t was hand grenade. At
ali events they ran out from under the
bridge 10 dOuble-qulck time