About this record
Wisconsin soldier Joseph Bailey (1827-1867), an engineer with the 4th Wisconsin cavalry, used his logging experience in the pineries to save a Union fleet stuck on the Red River in Lousiana in May, 1864. The Union forces had lost a string of battles with Confederate soldiers during an abortive river invasion of Louisiana in May, 1864. As the troops retreated, $2,000,000 in federal ships were in danger of being captured by the enemy because falling water levels had stranded them. Bailey, a former lumberman, proposed a string of dams be built on the river to increase its depth -- a technique he had seen used to float stranded logs to sawmills - - and allow Union gunboats to break free when the dam was released. His plan, enacted in last-minute desperation, worked successfully, and Bailey is still remembered for his heroic efforts during the Civil War. The links below take you to a 22-page series of documents from the official government report on the incident, including many quotes from participants. Shortly after the war Bailey became a law enforcement officer and was gunned down by escaping criminals in March of 1867.Citation
Pearsall, Lieut. Col. Uri B. "The Official Reports of Building the 'Red River Dam' at Alexandria, La., May 1864." Excerpted from: United States War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. (Washington, 1880-1901), volume 34, series 61.