Bridge over Salt River

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The Salt River Bridge
Engineering Feat of the 9th Michigan Infantry

One of the most remarkable achievements of the 9th Michigan Infantry at West Point was the rapid construction of the Salt River bridge in early 1862. This bridge became a critical link in the Louisville & Nashville Railroad system, carrying troops, supplies, and communication between Louisville and the advancing Union armies in Tennessee.

In just two and a half days, the men of the 9th Michigan built a 650‑foot bridge strong enough for a heavy government supply train — a feat of speed and discipline rarely matched during the war.

On Sunday evening, Major D. M. Fox received orders to construct the bridge. By Monday morning, he had secured 50,000 feet of lumber and set every able man to work. Despite rain, mud, and miserable conditions at Camp Blair, the regiment labored without pause.

The Detroit Tribune correspondent wrote proudly of the accomplishment, noting that the men could “fight just as well as they can build bridges.” Their work ensured that the vital supply line remained open and protected — one of the primary reasons Fort Duffield had been constructed on Muldraugh’s Hill.

From the fort’s commanding height, Union soldiers could watch over the river crossing and detect any attempt at sabotage. The bridge, the railroad, and the fort together formed a defensive triangle that safeguarded the Union’s advance into Tennessee.

Today, the story of the Salt River bridge stands as a testament to the ingenuity, determination, and engineering skill of the young volunteers who served at Fort Duffield.

Detroit Tribune Correspondence
March 1st, 1862 — Camp Blair, Muldraugh Hill

A firsthand newspaper account describing the 9th Michigan Infantry’s drill, hardships, engineering feats, and daily life at West Point, Kentucky.

“Never since my enlistment in the 9th Regiment Michigan Infantry, which composes a part of the Great American Army, have the boys so taken hold of drills and parades as within the past few days. The weather here has been horrible — rain and snow coming at the same time — which causes our camp to be a complete slosh and mud.”

The correspondent describes the men turning out with their old Belgian rifles for target practice under Major D. M. Fox, who assured them that if the enemy ever crossed their sights, “farewell to poor Secesh.” The soldiers joked that they intended to bore through the rebels just as they did the wooden boards used for marks.

For two weeks, the men saw nothing but soldiers and heard nothing but steamboat whistles on the Ohio River, carrying troops southward. “Something is going to be dead,” the writer remarked, noting the momentum of Union victories in Kentucky.

The Bridge Order

On Sunday evening, Major Fox received orders to build a bridge across Salt River. By Monday morning he had taken a steamer upriver, purchased 50,000 feet of lumber, and set every able man to work. In only two and a half days, the regiment completed a 650‑foot bridge strong enough for a heavy government train.

“That’s the way the Michigan 9th work,” the correspondent wrote. “And the boys say they can fight just as well as they can build bridges.”

Rumors circulated that General Buell ordered the next regiment arriving at Louisville to relieve the 9th Michigan, sending them forward into Tennessee. The men hoped the paymaster would arrive soon, for their families needed bread and the soldiers needed money “to make him feel like a man.”

— SHAILER, Detroit Tribune

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