feet. That afternoon and evening the Second Division of cavarly crossed well closed up in twos, followed by a long and heavily loaded wagon train. This was the first trial in actual service of the canvas bridge in its present form (Duane's modified bridge), and it proved itself in the short spans at least equal to anything required of it in the field. At 4 a. m. on the 30th this bridge was dismantled, loaded, and Captain Folwell marched with his command to Paoli Mills. On the same morning (April 30) I moved from my winter camp to Paoli Mills with Captain Van Brocklin and his company in charge of pontoon train Numbers 5, leaving Captain McDonald with the Third Battalion in camp, awaiting orders from General Warren to take up the bridge at Rappahannock Station after all the troops of the Fifth Corps had crossed the river. From this time until the evening of May 2, the officers and men of the Reserve Battalion were occupied in completing the improvements upon the trains which were found necessary to fit them for the field, and which were unfinished when they left Rappahannock Station. May 3, at 7 a. m., I moved in the direction of Ely's Ford, at the head of General Gregg's cavalry, with pontoon train Numbers 4, Captain Folwell commanding, and halted at Richardsville until midnight. Captain Van Bracklin was left with his train at Paoli Mills to await orders. At midnight the train was started from Richardsville, arriving at Ely's Ford on the Rapidan at about daylight on the morning of May 4. The material was immediately unloaded, the brigade commenced and completed a 6 a. m.; length of bridge, 150 feet. There was no opposition by the enemy to the crossing a this point. While this bridge was being built, General Gregg's cavalry forded the river. A few minutes after this bridge was completed, Major Brainerd reached the river with his train, and immediately commenced the construction of a second bridge. The head of the column of the Second Corps arrived about the same time and began crossing rapidly on the canvas bridge. Major Brainerd's bridge was completed at 9.15 a. m., when the column was turned upon it, and Captain Folwell's bridge immediately dismantled, loaded in about one hour, and the train moved on with the troops of the Second Corps to a point near Chancellorsville, where it was halted all night.

On the 5th, this train moved in the road toward Todd's Tavern on the plank road. But little progress was made, as the road was very much the train. Reached Chancellorsville about dark, and sent Lieutenant Folwell to report to you at headquarters of the army near Wilderness Tavern.

Train Numbers 5.

At dark on the evening of May 3, Captain Van Brocklin moved with his train in the direction of Germanna Ford on the Rapidan. He arrived within half a mile of the ford at 10 p. m., and communicated whit General Wilson. At 4 o'clock on the morning of the 4th, Captain Van Brocklin moved his train within 1,000 feet of the river as ordered, and unloading his boats carried them to the river and completed his bridge in about one hour and a half; length of bridge, 220 feet. There was some slight skirmishing whit the enemy's cavarly at this point, but no serious opposition to the crossing. Captain McDonald arrived at this point about the same time that Captain Van

20 R R-VOL XXXVI, PT I