Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-04-24

Uhe railway bridge across the Tonnes
see at Bridgeport was partially de-
stroyed, April 90 1862. 1t was not full
~ repaired until November, 1868. The
Union army in the meantime used pom
toon bridges, but could put no locomo-
yves or cars across the river.
No serious attempt was made to re-
pair the Bridgeport bridge until some
weeks after the battle of Chickamauga
or when the armies We're concentrated
at Chattanooga for the march south
ward on Atlanta. | remember we'll
when the first train steamed across and
Whirled away with triumphant wits
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 Paint Rock
River bridge on the Memphis and
Charleston Railroad. l remember that
the men detailed from our company,
G, were Andrew ]. Anjier, Alexander
Fl. 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 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 Oh
lookout duty, and was indignant be-
cause the guard was so light. He
scolded a good deal and said it would
be an easy matter for the rebels to
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, but | don't
think it would be very healthy for you
to try That night we captured bush
whacker, who was prowling about the
bridge, and freight train loaded with
supplies for General Mitchell at Bridge
port was held in the belief that the
rebels had prepared to capture the
train or throw it from the track. Mon
day evening every man was at the
bridge when a negro who had black
smith shop seven miles up the river
gave notice that the rebel cavalry was
moving to attack u.s.
1--WE sent to Lieutenant Ford at
Woodyille for re-enforcementS. and 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 10
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. He gave
his name as Colonel Steams of the
First Tennessee Confederate Cavalry
He said he had over 700 men, and as
there were only twentysiX 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 fired dropping all who car
ried them. The burning torches gave
bright light, and we could see the reb-
els fall back into the woods. Soon their
fire became weaker and weaker, and
finally ceased altogether. We kept a
sharp lookout during the night, hut
found in the morning that they had
retreated for good.
lone ludicrous incident probably
contributed not a little to the discom-
fture of the rebels. At the west end
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 ev-
ery moment that they would shoot up
through the bridge. We scrambled for
tho top of the sill, on which we were
perched. and in our haste one Of the
bows stepped on a small iron mush
kettle which we had left there, and it
went rafting down among the Con-
faderates below They probably
thought it was hand grenade. AT
all events they ran out from under the
bridge In double-quick time.
when daylight came we went down
and found under the bridge one rebel
oead. a number of guns and reyolTers