The Foot Bridge

The Foot Bridge. . , At this point, a crude wooden bridge spanned the cut about 90 feet above the railroad tracks. It was constructed by felling two pine trees across the cut, planking over them and adding a handrail. During the battle, Private Edwin R. Fullington of the 12th Wisconsin Artillery crossed the bridge three times with grapeshot and canister to replenish the Federal ammunition supply in the Star Fort., (sidebar) , Deadly Ammunition , Grapeshot consisted of layered iron balls held together by iron plates and a threaded bolt at the center. Called a stand, grapeshot contained fewer, usually nine, but larger iron balls than did canister shot., Canister ammunition consisted of a thin metal container loaded with layers of iron or lead balls packed in sawdust. The layering and sawdust maintained the symmetry of the ammunition during transport and its effectiveness when fired. Canister shot, only effective up to 400 yards, proved highly effective against men and horses, often becoming essential during the last moments of a defensive stand. The lethality of canister rounds resulted from their wide path of destruction and ability to be fired more rapidly than solid shot. Aiming was unnecessary. By 1863, a canister round for a 12 lb. Napoleon held 27 to 72 iron balls.