Construction companies.
Early in 1863, after
Burnside was relieved and while the Army of the Potomac was lying at
Fredericksburg under
Hooker, the construction corps experimented busily with portable trusses and torpedoes.
Records of the experiments were made by photographs, and these views served for the education of other Federal armies.
Above are some of the very photographs that instructed the
Federal armies in “bridge-building while you wait.”
Hooker's first plan of operations, given in confidence to
General Haupt, required large preparations of railroad-bridge material.
Although the plans were subsequently changed, use was found for all of this material.
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Building portable bridge-trusses |
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At work in the carpenter-shop |
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Experiments with board trusses |
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Loading a bridge to test it |
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Testing a “shad-belly” bridge |
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Trial of a “shad-belly” bridge: bridges while you wait, by the construction corps |
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