Building a corduroy road

[Belfoured]

According to Library of Congress records

[Richmond, Va., vicinity. Engineers building corduroy road]

1 negative : glass, stereograph, wet collodion ; 4 x 10 in. | Photograph from the main eastern theater of war, the Peninsular Campaign, May-August 1862.

www.loc.gov

Summary

• Photograph from the main eastern theater of war, the Peninsular Campaign, May-August 1862.

Names

• Woodbury, D. B. (David B.), 1839-1866, photographer

Created / Published

• 1862 June.

ANy idea where it was taken {near Richmond or Seven Pines{?)

By the way when were the twin Houses at Seven Pines torn down?

Web link showing how the site looks today

Lost Battlefields: Seven Pines, Part 1 - Emerging Civil War

In a series of articles author Doug Crenshaw will explore some of the battlefields in central Virginia that appear to be lost forever to development. In today’s installment, Doug looks at the Battlefield of Seven Pines. I hear it all too often: “I travelled to Richmond to see the Seven Pines...

emergingcivilwar.com

Sic Transit Glory

Regarding location, and assuming the photograph was taken in June, there are a couple of plausible "suspects" based on the records but both seem to involve the volunteer Engineer Brigade and not the US Engineers Battalion. The starting point is that much of the corduroying work done in June by the Brigade and the Battalion appears to have involved approaches to the bridges constructed/being constructed at the Chickahominy. In June this ground was extremely waterlogged and in addition the view we have doesn't appear to reflect the terrain nearer the river. The volunteer Brigade also was involved in mid-June corduroying roads from the station at Fair Oaks and from HQ to Smith's division. Those seem to be better possibilities - but would not be the Engineer Battalion.

This is all rampant speculation, so don't head to the betting window with it.

 

[Lubliner]

I grew up near the lower James River, about 8 miles from the mouth at the bay (Blunt Point on old maps). We were a mile north of it with nothing but woodland, marsh and swamp until back from the bluffs the land opened to a nice farm with an old barn, a big one-story house spread, and a gazebo closer to the river. A dirt road ran behind our house through the woods and on down to the farm house. The Virginia mud along this road and all through the woodlands and banks of the river was red clay that when wet would stick like putty to shoes, tires, anything that crossed it. This was in the late 50's and early 60's, then about 1967 they came in and built James Landing Estates, and all that land was red clay under the forest and trees. The banks of the river were still clay bluffs with woods running up to the very top, and a slim beach below at mid-tide. They bulldozed them down, built Jettys and seawalls to protect the embankment and then added houses all along the river.
That mud was impossible to navigate after a heavy rain.
Lubliner.

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

When I was 15 years old, my brother and I built a corduroy "road" about 15 feet in length and 4 to 5 feet wide to use across a muddy/marshy section of trail that went to a campsite that we used for hunting. It took us a couple of hours to fill in the 15 feet of "road." We didn't even know the term "corduroy road" at the time.

 

[neyankee61]

My great-great-grandfather, Priv Charles C Davis 7th NJ, was assigned to McAlister's Brigade, 4th Div. II Corps Pioneer Corps in April, 1864. He remained with this unit until July 1864, when he injured his back and was sent to the hospital. He returned to the 7th NJ in March, 1865.

 

[Trooper "D"]

Due to the flooded nature of the countryside and the roads being almost impassable, Union engineers, pioneers, and work parties had to corduroy roads to provide a firm surface for the soldiers to march and the wagons to roll. Here, Union troops construct corduroy roads during the Peninsular Campaign in Virginia.

View attachment 544941

The railroad beds were much the same. The Forrest of Niceness Marks is up in Santa Cruz Co. CA. Its logged redwood forrest that was deeded to CA as long as they didn't log it again it would be a State Park. 1890s it was logged so ill the forrest is new growth except for a few old growth stands. There are some impressive trestles on the hiking trails which are the old N gauge train tracks. The wood was still there in the 1980s. Redwood lasts longer in dirt. Picture the trees and ferns in that one star wars movie with the wookies and that is close to what Nicene Marks looks like. Smaller trees though.

 

[ConfederateCanuck]

Usually, one working the rest standing around with their hands in their pockets

Its the same everywhere. Even here in Canad-istan. My 93 yr old father-in-law went outside the other week to berate the city workers. He told them "If you're just gonna stand around, then go to a coffee shop so I don't get aggravated seeing you".

 

[Dan Kohli]

I know that this is a WW 2 training video but it has a section on building corduroy roads.

 

[aardq]

After the logs were laid, was dirt piled on top of them, or did men and wagons have to walk on the logs?
Thanks,
Daniel

 

[Dan Kohli]

I believe so.

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

After the logs were laid, was dirt piled on top of them, or did men and wagons have to walk on the logs?
Thanks,
Daniel

They usually didn't take time to put dirt on the top, but just went right over the logs and saplings.

 

[Lubliner]

And there were instances like Grant's crossing of the James River in 1864 where it had to be done as quietly as possible. I believe wagon wheels were wrapped as well as sod covering the bridge span. Not corduroy but an attempt to conceal movement. Whether this was done on low ground after being built up, time was also a factor.
Lubliner.

 

[WestCoastSB]

Gee, that picture of the road crew looks like the county workers around here.
Some guys standing around with their hands in their pockets!

Every crew needs at least one "ideas man", or several.

 

[Lubliner]

Every crew needs at least one "ideas man", or several.

You know for every five men sitting at a drafting table, another three will be in the office with their hands tucked behind their heads, leaning back in their chairs, and gazing toward the ceiling with that vacant stare at the light fixture above.
Lubliner.