The Biographical Dictionary of America/Bailey, Joseph

BAILEY, Joseph, soldier, was born at Salem, O., April 28, 1827. He joined the army during the first months of the civil war, serving as captain of a Wisconsin regiment in Maryland. His regiment served under Gen. B. F. Butler, in the capture of New Orleans, where he was made acting engineer of the defences of the city. He was promoted major, and a month after lieutenant-colonel, on the succession of Gen. N. P. Banks to the command of the army of the gulf. Colonel Bailey went with General Banks on his Red River expedition. The army with twelve gun-boats and thirty transports were ascending the river under the command of Admiral Porter, and when General Grant issued the order on April 25, 1864, to close the campaign and take the army to augment the forces of General Sherman, who was east of the Mississippi, the commanders were in a quandary. The forces were at Alexandria, whither they had retreated after the defeat at Sabine Cross Roads, and below the rapids the water was not in any place higher than six feet. Engineers were consulted, but their answers were all the same: the fleet could not be moved until the water rose, of which there was no immediate prospect. Admiral Porter could see no alternative but to remove the stores and destroy the fleet. When this course was about to be carried out, Colonel Bailey, who was an officer in a cavalry regiment, suggested to General Banks, that the river might be dammed; and though the plan seemed impracticable, still it was decided to make the attempt. "It was commenced." wrote Admiral Porter, in an official despatch to Washington, " by running out from the left bank of the river a tree-dam, made of the bodies of very large trees, brush, brick and stone, cross-tied with other heavy timber, and strengthened in every way that ingenuity could devise. This was run about three hundred feet into the river. Four large coal-barges were then filled with brick, and sunk at the end of it. From the right bank of the river, cribs built with stone were built out to meet the barges." Beginning the apparently fruitless and endless task on May 1st, in twelve days the water was sufficiently deep to allow the fleet to move down the river. He was brevetted brigadier-general and received a purse of $3000 for this service. He was commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers in November, 1864, removed to Newton county, Mo., in 1865, where he was made sheriff. He was murdered March. 21, 1867.