Year: 1862

The Great Yankee Trick.


TRANSPORTING BoATs Across THE COUNTRY AT


ISLAND No. 10.


The great feature Of this memorable siege,
and the immediate cause Of the glorious VIC
tory which followed, is the transportation OF
the four steamers across the country to tue aid
of Gen. Pope


When the place was invested, Col Bissell
came across the neck of land which is formed
by the bend of the river, in a small boat, the
water being so high that navigation was per-
fectly easy, with the exception Of the OBJ
structions offered by trees and underground


He announced that Gen. Pope, although
below the enemy, and in a condition to cross
and completely surround them, was in want
of boats for that purpose, and could make no
movement until he was put in possession of
them. The enemy were iu possession Of the
bend Of the river, and there was no means Of
passing them with transports. Col Bissel
announced that he was in readiness to attempt
the task of taking them across the country,
and arrangements ware Immediately made to
expedite the project


The sreamers W. B. Terry and Trio being
ofHght draft, and drawing but thirty inches
OF water, were placed at his disposal, and the
point for entering the woods was selected at
the foot of Island No. g. The difficulties of
the work will be understood whenitis known
that for distance of over twelve miles the
boats were to be transported through heavy
forest, where the trees were uncommonly large
and close together, where the dense cotton
wood, underground and canebrake peculiar to
this country grew in all its native luXuriance.
There was plenty of water, the river having
overAowed its banks to a depth offrom five to
fifteen feet, and in many places much deeper.
The task of clearing out the trees was one
that would have dismaved a stouter heart
than Col Bissell's, but for the engineering ex-
perience and natural ingenuity which came to
his aid. He attacked the prImeval forest and
in a few hours was buried from sight within
its depths. Accompanied by a large detach-
ment Of men, in small boats and Aatboats,
armed with long cross-cut saws and axes he
made fast work of it. The trees to be cut
were selected and chopped down. They were
however, as much in the way as ever as the
stumps were still above water An upright
timber was then fastened to the stump and to
the top Of this, some six feet high, was fast
ened an osciIlating frame, swinging on bolt,
and extending four feet below the surface of
the river. The saw was fastened to the frame
at the lower end, and, with a rope extending
each way, it was pulled back and forth until
the tree was sawed of. In this way the lar
gsst trees succumbed and fell in a seort time.
Fifteen minutes usually conquered an ordina-
~ tree, and half an hour was sufficient for the
giants of the forest. The work was not done
then, however. The overhanging tree-tops
were to be cut to allow the upper works and
chimneys to pass, the trunks of the fallen
trees were to be cleared away, and clear
channel as wide as steamboat was to be made
all Of which necessitated the most arduous
labor and perseverance. The boats progress
ed, sometimes slowly, and sometimes with
considerable speed, in accordance with the
nature of the country. Some days they made
no more than one or two lengthts Of the boat,
while others they moved a mile cEmore, They
did not keep a straight course, but turned aside
when a ravine or valley offered less obstruct-
ions, aud in this way they worked in a north
westerly course, which was not in the direct
ion of New Madrid. The great object was to
reach deep bayou which empied into the
river at that place. This bayou was the bed
of creek which ran into raTine, aud was
comparatively clear Of distractions After
much labor and disappointment they finally
struck this bayou, about ten miles from the
place they started from, and after being in the
woods week and half They were then
nearly as far from New Madrid as when they
started but .Ac bayou was comparatively Aes