[CHAP. XXVIII.

Nashville and Chattanooga road. We were also engaged in building pontoon boats. We were then ordered, with part of my regiment, in the letter part of August, to come up here and repair the Louisville and Nashville road. We were employed building the bridges on this road when we were desired to take up the line of march for Kentucky.

Question. Please explain the extent of the work, particularly on the Tennessee and Alabama road and the Nashville and Chattanooga road; whether your troops were constantly and industriously engaged upon the work and when it was completed so that the roads were in use throughout.

We built one brigade on the Tennessee and Alabama road across what is called Elk River. It was 700 feet long and 58 feet high, in about 20 feet of water. That was the heaviest bridge built. Four companies were employed on that work, with a large infantry detail. At that time we worked incessantly at it, rain or shine. At the same time I had three companies at work at what was called Richland Creek Numbers 1, which is a bridge 375 feet long, I think, 28 feet high, and in about 6 feet of water. I had two companies at the same time engaged on what is called the heavy trestle near the tunnel; we rebuilt 1,050 feet of it; that was about 64 feet high. I had then another set of men working at Richland Creek Numbers 2; that is a bridge about 300 feet long and 30 feet high. We also relaid about 2 miles of track and cleared out the tunnel on the same road. We also built a bridge across Mill Creek at Millville; came up to Columbia with two companies and repaired the bridge across Duck Creek that had been washed away by the high water. The companies that were at work on Elk River Bridge joined me about the middle of August on the Nashville and Chattanooga road. While this work was going on I rebuilt Crow Creek Bridge Numbers 3, as it was called; also cleared out the tunnel and built the bridge at Cowan.

Question. At what time were these works completed so that the roads were inn use to Stevenson?

About the 28th of August.

Question. Are you an engineer?

I have engineered for about eighteen years.

Question. Were these works prosecuted with industry and energy; was any time wasted?

They were. I took some pride in it. I think there was more work done during the time, considering the force within a short time, as has ever been completed by the same amount of men. I could say also that I had a double incentive, for I was continually being urged on verbally and by telegraph that everything depended on the opening of these roads.

Question. Were these roads essential for supplying the troops with a view to advance the army?

I should consider them very essential. I hardly see how the army could be supplied without them.

Question. You have spoken of being engaged in the constructions of boats for a pontoon bridge. Will you explain the object of that bridge as far as you know it and what progress you made in the construction them?

I understood the object of the boats was to cross the Tennessee River in the vicinity of Bridgeport, for the purpose, I understood, of marching to Chattanooga or some other place. The boats were completed before I left them, except putting the bottoms together, which I decided had better not be done until they were ready to be launched, probably half a day's work on the whole of them. The tackle, anchors, and everything were on hand ready to launch them. The boats were finished about the 20th of August, except putting the bottoms together. They would have been finished long before if we could have got the timber. There was but one mill on the road that could saw the long timber required for the bridges, and I ran that mill day and night, not only with the force belonging to the mill, but with the detail from my own regiment. We used, I think, every means that we could to get it out in as short time as possible.