Cows ran bellowing through the streets. Chickens flew out from yards and fell in the streets with their feathers scorching them.... Crowds of people, men, women, children and soldiers, were running with all they could carry, when the heat would become unbearable and dropping all, they would flee for their lives, leaving everything but their bodies to burn. Over the levee the sights and sounds were harrowing. Thousands of people, mostly women, children and old men, were wringing their hands as they stood by the little piles of what was left of all their worldly possessions (Van Alstyne 1910:320-321). As the expedition retreated south down the Red River, Confederate cavalry did what it could to badger the Union forces at every opportunity. However, no matter how courageously the men fought, the rebel army was too small to seriously oppose the retreat of the entire expedition. At Mansura, Louisiana, Taylor attempted to stand against the Federals, but after a four-hour artillery duel, he had to withdraw. Though the campaign seemed about at an end, Banks found that he had to call on the services of Lieutenant Colonel Bailey once more. At the Atchafalaya River, Bailey directed the construction of a bridge which he promptly fashioned out of transport vessels. Around 24 transports were placed across the river and held together with large timbers. Then, long planks were laid across the prows of the transports to form a temporary bridge. Banks’s army was able to cross the river quickly and safely and continue the retreat south to Baton Rouge. By that time, every soldier knew and appreciated the frontier engineer from Wisconsin. EPILOGUE Measured against the backdrop of the entire Civil War, the results of the Red River Campaign cannot be considered critical to either side. Overall, the end of the war simply had been delayed. Some of the Federal troops on the expedition were from Sherman’s army and could have been of great help to him. Furthermore, an attack against Mobile, Alabama, which General Grant wanted, was postponed for 10 months by the Red River escapade. The campaign had also cost the Union army 5,200 men and 21 artillery pieces. The navy lost some 320 men, two pump boats, one ironclad, two tinclads, and four transports. Yet Banks still had his army relatively intact, and just as importantly, the fleet was saved, thanks to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Bailey. On the other hand, the campaign was of tremendous significance to Louisiana. The invasion brought the war home to thousands of Red River settlers, destroying their property, economy, and lives. Beyond civilian casualties, 4,000 Confederate troops were lost. On the positive side, victory at Mansfield and the failure of the Union expedition must have helped to strengthen Southern resolve.