structure, which it replaced, required as many months
as this did days. It was constructed by the common soldiers of
the Army of the Rappahannock, (command of Major-General
McDowell,) under the supervision of his aide-de-camp, Colonel,
now Brigadier-General, Hermann Haupt, Chief of Railroad
Construction and Transportation."

A fine lithographic drawing of this bridge, taken from a photograph,
forms the frontispiece to the volume before us.

Previous to the Battle of Chancellorsville, General Haupt received
instructions to prepare for a rapid advance of the Army of the Potomac
towards Richmond. He provided a sufficient amount of material to rebuild
all the bridges between Fredericksburg and Richmond, and adopted the
bold and novel expedient of portable railroad-bridge trusses. These
trusses were built in advance, in spans of sixty feet; they were to be
carried whole on cars to the end of the track, then dragged like logs,
with the aid of timber-wheels and oxen, to the sites of the bridges,
where they were to be raised bodily on wooden piers, and the rails laid
over them. The reverse at Chancellorsville prevented this plan from
being carried into effect; but four of these spans were used to replace
the trestle-bridge across the Acquia Creek, where they were tested in
actual use, and answered perfectly.

When informed of the contemplated advance on Richmond, General Haupt
concluded to replace the trestle-bridge across Potomac Creek by the
military truss-bridge, which was of a more permanent character. The
trestle-bridge had performed good service for more than a year, but, as
it obstructed the water-way of the stream too much, and as the
preservation of the communications would become of even greater
importance after the advance than it had previously been, it was thought
best to take it down. General Hooker, having heard of this
determination, sent for General Haupt in much alarm, and inquired if the
report as to the proposed rebuilding of the bridge was true, and
protested against having it disturbed, saying that he needed all the
supplies that could be run forward, and could not allow a suspension of
transportation even for a day. General Haupt replied, that he was
willing to be held responsible for results, but must be permitted to
control his own means; he did not ask for a suspension of
transportation; he would take down the high bridge and build a permanent
bridge on the piers, and would