Today in History:

421 Series I Volume XXXIII- Serial 60 - New Berne

Page 421 Chapter XLV. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.

respectfully submit the following, derived from actual experience in the field and in superintending repairs of trains and equipage at this depot. I take the modified French equipage of thirty-four boats as a foundation, and would have a complete train composed of the following material:

Articles. Number. Articles. Number

Pontoon-wagons 36 Chess-binders, 30 13

feet of 1-inch rope

Box-tool-wagons 2 yes 100

Chess-wagons 13 Shovels 100

Field-forge, A 1 Pick-axes 25

Pontoons 34 Crow-bars 4

Long balks 254 Earth-rammers 4

Claw-balks 18 Beetles 4

Chesses 780 Sledges 2

Oars 170 Jack-screws 2

Boat-hooks 34 Cross-cut saws 4

Rubber buckets 34 Blocks and falls, 2

sets

Wooden scoops 34 Small chestes, 2

containing an

assortment of

carpenters' tools,

with screws, nails,

and spikes.

Row-locks 306

Rack-sticks 204

Anchors 36 Strong "canal

lanterns," with a 20

supply of oil, wicks,

&c.

Grease buckets 52

Extra wagon-tongues 52 The usual assortment

Abutment sills 4 of smith's tools and

Pickets 8 material, as

ordinarily furnished

Cables, 125 feet to to an artillery field

140 feet of 1-inch 34 forge, with extra

rope king-bolts, linch-

Lashings, 18 feet of 600 pins, and anchor-

3/8-inch rope

Coils, 3/8-inch rope 10 keys, with safety-

chains attached, and

Coils, 1-inch rope 6 washers of different

sizes for linch-pins.

And for land transportation I would arrange the above material, as follows:

Thirty-four pontoons, containing each 5 boards, 1 boat-hook, 1 bucket, 1 scoop, 9 row-locks, 6 rack-sticks, 1 cable. Two of these pontoons should contain an abutment sill, fitted on 5 saddles made of ordinary balk.

Thirty-four pontoon wagons, each containing, 1 pontoon, 7 common balks, 1 anchor, 1 grease bucket, 1 extra tongue.

One pontoon-wagon (abutment), containing 14 claw-balks, 2 sills, 8 pickets, 1 anchor, 1 grease bucket, 1 extra tongue.

One pontoon-wagon (balk), containing 4 claw-balks, 16 long balks, 1 anchor, 1 grease bucket, 1 extra tongue.

Thirteen chess-wagons, each containing 60 to 62 chesses, 1 grease bucket, 1 chess-binder, 1 extra tongue.

One field-wagon (tools), containing 100 axes, 100 shovels, 4 earth-rammers, 4 beetles, 2 sledges, 4 cross-cut saws, 25 pick-axes, 4 crow-bars, 2 jack-screws, 1 set blocks and fall, 1 grease bucket, 1 extra tongue, 1 small tool-chest of carpenters' tools with screws, nails, and spikes.

One box-tool-wagon (cordage), containing 600 lashings 18 feet long of 3/8-inch cordage, 10 coils manilla cordage 3/8-inch diameter, 6 coils manilla rope 1-inch diameter, 1 set blocks and fall, 20 spring-lines or chess-binders 30 feet long of 1-inch rope, 1 grease bucket, 20 canal lanterns with extra oil and wicking, 1 extra tongue, 1 small tool-chest of carpenter's tools, with screws, nails, and spikes.

In moving train or building bridges I have found it the most convenient to divide the tools and cordage equally between the two tool-


Page 421 Chapter XLV. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.