Russell, United States Military Railroad Photographic Album. No. 268. Military railroad bridge over Potomac Creek. Aquia Creek and Fredericksburg Railroad. Built by U.S.M.R.R. Construction Corps in 40 hours.
Printed label affixed to original prints: MILITARY RAILROAD BRIDGE OVER POTOMAC CREEK, on the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad. Built by the U.S.M.R.R. Construction Corps.—C. F. Nagle, Supervisor. Total Length, 414 feet. Height, 82 feet. Contains 204,000 feet Timber–board measure. Work begun Friday, May 20, 1864, at 5 A.M. Train passed over May 22d, at 4 P.M/ Actual Time of Construction, 40 hours. D. C. McCallum, Col. U.S.A., Director and General Manager M.R.R.U.S. E. L. Wentz, Chief Eng’r and Gen’l Sup’t M.R.R. Va. Photographed by Capt. A. J. Russell, Chief of Photographic Corps U.S.M.R.R.
Library of Congress print includes handwritten text by Herman Haupt, detailing the construction of the bridge: This was not the first trestle bridge. It was the successor of the truss bridge of which pictures and description have been given. The first bridge was built under [outstanding?] difficulties in 9 working days by details of [something] soldiers [something] unaccustomed to any kind of mechanical work. Details of 300 men required to report to [something] [something] and every day these [something] to a new detail. The [something] [something] [something], sometimes not more than a dozen men out of the 300 were willing to work in the tops of the trestles nearly 100 feet above the ground. General McDowell never tired of referring to this bridge as a most remarkable [something] under the circumstances. After completing this structure I got authority from the Sec. of War to [something] an independent Corps which became a marvel of efficiency. The [work?] accomplished was so extraordinary that the engineers of Europe regarded the reports as fabulous and in 1867 I was called upon at a meeting of the British Association for the [Something] of Science to explain how such results were accomplished if they [something]. The [something] elicited a vote of thanks and an invitation to accept a dinner from the Royal Engineers.
The bridge which required 9 days with [something] [something] was rebuilt by the Construction Corps in 40 hours as stated on photograph, but the greatest feat that the world has ever known was the reconstruction of a bridge across the Chattahoochie in Georgia 700 feet long and 100 feet high in 4 1/2 days taking the timber from the stump. This was done under the supervision of E. C. Smeed during Sherman’s March to the Sea. H. H.
