Pontoon Bridges of the 97th USCT

Описание: As an engineer regiment in the Department of the Gulf, the 3rd Regiment Engineers
Corps d’Afrique, later designated 97 the US Colored Infantry, was responsible for
multiple pontoon bridge crossings during the Civil War.
A pontoon bridge is a temporary military bridge made of wooden planks that are
laid upon boats floating on water.
These pontoon bridges enable an army to cross rivers when a standard wood, brick,
or stone bridge has been destroyed or when a wooden trestle is impactable to
construct or an additional bridge is required.
Pontoon bridges accompany an army on the march in campaigns where bridge
crossings are known to be needed.
They are laid and taken up quickly giving the army great mobility when on the
march.
The bridge materials can be utilized, not only as bridges, but also as piers and
wharfs to load and unload ships.
This video is an overview of pontoon bridges used by the 97th U.S. Colored
Infantry attached to the Engineer Department.
Separate videos will focus on the different pontoon bridges used by the regiment,
the composition of pontoon bridge trains, and the various applications of the
pontoon bridges.
The men of this regiment, at one time of another, utilized three different types of
pontoon bridges; an inflatable India rubber pontoon bridge, a wooden bateau
bridge, and a canvas covered wood framed pontoon bridge.
Primary sources such as company returns, journals, and official correspondence
confirms that the regiment possessed these bridges and participated in pontoon drill
often.

The pontoon bridge material, with its boats and wood planking was carried in
wagons along with additional wagons that carried anchors, ropes, tools and other
necessary pieces. The pontoon bridge train stretched out a very long distance.
At times the pontoon trains used by the regiment were as long as 48 wagons
requiring over 300 hundred horses and mules.
The pontoon bridge train with the 3rd Regt. Engrs., Corps d'Afrique used during
the Red River Campaign in the spring of 1864 was the 180 foot wooden bateau of
Capt. J. J. Smith and consisted of 28 wagons.
It was replaced by a new 600 foot canvas advance guard pontoon bridge of 48
wagons by the summer of 1864.
Six different parties of men had specific tasks in order to lay and take up the
bridges with great speed and efficiency which was practiced often during pontoon
drills.
These teams were divided into abutment and approach, boat, balk, lash, chess, and
side rail crews.
As each crew completed its task, the next crew would start to work in its
designated task, building upon each other’s completed work.
Each group synchronized seamlessly to build the pontoon bridge with rapid
deployment speed.
When completed, a pontoon bridge was 13 feet wide which was wide enough for
infantrymen to crossed at a walk (route step), four men abreast, and teams of
horses pulling army wagons and artillery. Herds of cattle also crossed. Crossing
cattle was the most dangerous.
Once the army on the march crossed the pontoon bridge, it was quickly taken up,
loaded onto wagons, and taken forward to the next crossing.
The first type of pontoon bridge given the regiment was made of India-rubber. The
pontoons were rubber bags shaped like a torpedo. They were inflated and tied
together in twos.  These pairs of floats were placed and secured side by side across
the water and the bridge deck was laid on top of the rubber floats.

The second type used by the regiment was a wooden bateau. Each boat was 31 feet
long with a flat bottom and squared ends. These floats were very strong and held
up well to the rigors of war. However, the wooden pontoon boats were very heavy
and hard to transport.  It took twenty men to unload each boat. In addition, it was
hard to repair when damaged.
​For the last half of the engineer regiment’s service, the lighter and easier to work
with cotton-canvas boat was used. The cotton-canvas covered pontoons required
more maintenance but were light weight and easier to work with and transport. The
97th USCI received this type of pontoon bridge and practiced laying it and picking
it up continuously during the summer of 1864.
With the need for pontoon bridges increasing, the Engineer Department placed
Captain John J. Smith and additional lieutenants of the 97th USCT on detached
service creating a separate 1st Company of Pontoniers made up of white soldiers.
The pontoon bridges of the 97th USCI were used in multiple military campaigns
including the Siege of Port Hudson in 1863, the Red River Campaign of 1864, and
during the 1865 Mobile Campaign.
Although cumbersome, the pontoon bridge train of the engineer regiment provided
great mobility to the army’s striking force.
Besides providing the army ease of movement deep into enemy territory, the
pontoon bridges allowed for logistical support and the ability to overcome multiple
obstacles that a mobile army encountered.