'The light was rapidly failing, the combination of the sun setting and the storm clouds continuing to build up to the west Two more boats were out in the river, being jockeyed into place. Yet another boat was almost across to the island, Longstreet suggesting that they start building the bridge from both sides, something that Cruickshank knew he should have thought of, but exhaustion was completely overwhelming him.
After the shock of the first two shells coming in, the men had set to work as if the enemy fire was a goad. Watchers kept an eye on the distant ridge, and the moment they saw the flash of what were now four of the thirty-pounders, a warning went up.
Another boat had been destroyed, as it was being rolled up to be off-loaded into the river, taking a nearly direct hit and just shattering. The two boats that had washed downstream were slowly being kedged up, and were now waiting to be shifted into place.
Another shell came in, this one nearly striking the bridge at midsection, the pontoons rocking and swaying from the impact, another boat springing a leak, a man tearing his jacket off to use as a plug.
Nearly all of the pontoon train was now parked in the flat land below the canal, crews manhandling the boats off rather than waiting for each to be backed into the water, and simply dragged along and pushed in. More leaks were being sprung but the time saved was worth it, bailers would be set to work in each once they were in place.
The bridge was pushing forward. They were out to their tenth boat now well past midstream, the crews on the other side within hailing distance, one of them shouting that they only had to span seventy-five yards or so once across the island. The good news was that infantry could wade the last few yards through chest-deep water to Virginia soil once they were across the island.
Additional boatloads of men were already being sent across, armed with axes and shovels, to clear a road across the island and start work on the approach on the far side.
The eleventh boat was anchored into place, two more shells detonating over the river, more men dropping, but the work continued. Stringers were run across, planking laid. A man leapt off the boat on the far side and stood in the water, bracing against the current!
"Its getting shallower!" he shouted, a ragged cheer rising up from the makeshift engineers.