For those of you interested in "dams" across the Red River during the War, there were two near Fort DeRussy. The first, in 1863, was simply a raft that was built from one side of the river to the other. It could be untied from one side and opened up when necessary to let Confederate shipping through. Otherwise, it was covered by fire from the fort and served as a barrier to keep Union boats from running willy-nilly up the river. It worked well when
Albatross,
Arizona and
Estrella tried to get past the fort.
The
real dam was built during the winter of 1864, several miles below the fort. Bailey's Dam was nothing compared to this one. Built under much tougher circumstances, without near the manpower or supplies available to Bailey, with much higher, and colder, water. But, there were no newspapermen around to sing it's praises, and no photographers to photograph it, so no one has ever heard of it. This dam was not protected by batteries, so when the US Navy finally did arrive, they just tore it up and went on their way.
For details on these dams, get a copy of
Earthen Walls, Iron Men: Fort DeRussy, Louisiana, and the Defense of Red River, by Steve Mayeux, from The University of Tennessee Press. It's out in paperback now and should be available.