Official Records of the Rebellion

No.2. Reports of Brig. Gen. John G. Barnard, U. S. Army, Chief Engineer of operations from May 23, 1861, to August 15, 1862.

[p.114: AFTER SEVEN PINES OR FAIR OAKS]

Immediately after the battle of Fair Oaks Lieutenant McAlester was directed to complete the redoubt already mentioned, and to extend the defensive line to the right, to embrace Fair Oaks, and to the left, to connect with the White Oak Swamp. At the same tune Colonel Sully, under General Sumner’s orders, commenced a line of barricades, continuing the line toward Golding’s house. Lieutenants Comstock and Farquhar were ordered to General Sumner’s headquarters to aid in this work, make reconnaissances, &c.

Colonel Alexander took by your orders immediate charge of the bridges and a vigorous effort was made to corduroy the approaches on each side—a thing indispensable to making the two trestle bridges practicable. The labor was completely thrown away. After being permitted to go on for a few days it was arrested by the enemy’s fire, and the approaches on the enemy’s side to these two bridges never did become practicable. Two days after the battle of the 1st—viz, June 3—I was directed to join General Sumner’s headquarters temporarily. Previous to leaving I had urgent1y recommended the construction of a bridge at a point not far below the lower trestle bridge, where the débouchéson each side could be completed out of view of the enemy and under the protection of our own forces, now holding Golding’s house. General Woodbury and Colonel Alexander made an exploration of the stream under direct orders from headquarters, and selected a point for a bridge favorable enough otherwise, but failing in the important object of bringing the two wings of the army into immediate connection, it being but 300 or 400 yards above Sumner’s upper bridge. This bridge was built over the stream upon framed trestles; through the swamp it was supported by cribs. The approaches to the bridge over the low bottom lands were either raised corduroy or on the north side simply earth raised 2 or 3 feet, the soil being here sandy, with a layer of brush 1 foot below the upper surface, deep lateral ditches being made. The whole structure of the bridge and approaches was about 1,400 yards long. The trestle-work and crib- work bridge was mostly done by troops of the Engineer Brigade, under Woodbury; the approaches on the north by the Ninth and Twenty- second Massachusetts Regiments, Colonels Cass and Gove, both of whom were killed in the battles following; those on the south side by the Third Vermont. The bridge was ready for the passage of teams on the 14th, covered with earth, and the approaches entirely completed on the 17th. The bridge proper was 1,080 feet long, roadway 11 feet wide, number of cribs 40, of trained trestles 6. Simultaneously two infantry [p.115] bridges were made across the swamp by the Engineer Brigade—one a short distance below the lower trestle bridge, and one nearly opposite Golding’s, where an old summer ford had been found, and where Genera! Naglee had commenced a bridge previous to the battle of Fair Oaks.

To complete the history of bridges, I would add that on my return from General Sumner’s headquarters I still urged the necessity of a more direct communication, practicable for all arms, between the two wings of the army, the two trestle bridges having been virtually abandoned. The point suggested by me being considered too much exposed, the commanding general himself selected a point somewhat lower down, where the débouché was entirely covered by our lines near Golding’s, and this bridge was commenced by Captain Duane’s Engineer Battalion (assisted by troops of General Porter’s and General W. F. Smith’s commands) on the 10th or 11th. The structure was about equal in magnitude to that already described. It was finished on the 18th or 19th. Besides the work described, detachments of the Engineer Brigade or Engineer Battalion were at work on the corduroy communication with the bridges commenced the night of 31st, repairing and corduroying road, rebuilding Bottom’s Bridge, &c.

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