REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY, Washington, D. C., October 15, 1884. SIR: I have the honor to present for your information the following report upon the duties and operations of the Engineer Department for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884: OFFICERS OF THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS. The number of officers holding commissions in the Corps of Engineers, United States Army, at the end of the fiscal year was 101 on the active list, and 8 on the retired list; the latter, however, under section 1259 Revised Statutes, not being available for duty. Since the last annual report the Corps has lost by death and retirement five of its officers: Lieut. Col. Godfrey Weitzel, who died at Philadelphia, Pa., March 19, 1884; Maj. Orville E. Babcock, who was drowned at Mosquito Inlet, Fla., June 2, 1884; Maj. Francis U. Farquhar, who died at Detroit, Mich., July 3, 1883; and Brig. Gen. Horatio G. Wright, who was retired March 6, 1884, and Col. William F. Raynolds, who was retired March 17, 1884, under provisions of section 1 of the act of Congress approved June 30, 1882. On the 30th of June, 1884, the officers were distributed as follows: Fortifications, river and harbor works, and Board of Engineers.. River and harbor works.. River and harbor works, Mississippi River Commission, and light-house duty. Board of Engineers and The Mississippi River Commission Board of Engineers and light-house duty. Washington Aqueduct and Government of the District of Columbia. Washington Aqueduct Battalion of Engineers.. Leave of absence.... Sick leave 4 18213 1 14 1 22 101 Preparation of report upon investigations in Europe, 1881-82.. Detached, on duty with the Lieutenant-General of the Army, generals commanding divisions and departments, Light-House Establishment, Military Academy, Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia, The Mississippi River Commission, and construction of building for State, War, and Navy Departments, &c The officers detached were on duty as follows: Col. Thomas Lincoln Casey, in charge of the construction of the building of the State, War, and Navy Departments; of the Washington National Monument; of the improvements over the grave of Thomas Jefferson, at Monticello, Va.; of the erection of a monument at Washington's Headquarters at Newburg, N. Y.; and of the erection of a monument to mark the birthplace of George Washington; member of Advisory Board to Committee on Ventilation and Acoustics of the House of Representatives; member of the Light-House Board. Maj. David P. Heap, engineer secretary to Light-House Board. 1 1 Maj. William A. Jones, on staff of Major-General Commanding Division of the Pacific and Department of California.. 1 Maj. William R. Livermore, on staff of Commanding General, Department of Texas. 1 Maj. William S. Stanton and Lieut. William M. Black, on duty with Company E, Battalion of Engineers, and at Military Academy Capt. Francis V. Greene, assistant to Engineer Commissioner District of Columbia Maj. Thomas H. Handbury, on staff of Commanding General, Division of the Capt. James F. Gregory, on staff of the Lieutenant-General of the Army 1 1 1 1 1 1 Lieut. Smith S. Leach, secretary and disbursing officer of The Mississippi River Commission 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 Lieut. Dan C. Kingman, on staff of Commanding General, Department of the Platte Lieuts. Eugene Griffin and Gustav J. Fiebeger, on duty at the Military Academy. Lieut. George W. Goethals, on staff of Commanding General, Department of the Lieut. John Millis, on duty under the immediate orders of Colonel Duane as his SEA-COAST AND LAKE-FRONTIER DEFENSES. 22 It would doubtless be superfluous at this late day to explain the principles upon which the system of our sea-coast fortifications should be based, but for the persistent misrepresentations made by individuals whose positions unfortunately enable them to mislead public opinion. The sole object of sea-coast forts and batteries, as constructed by the Corps of Engineers, has been to prevent hostile fleets from approaching near enough to our important seaports to destroy shipping, public establishments, such as navy-yards, &c., and to lay our cities under contribution. The contribution which could be levied from New York alone would probably pay four or five fold the cost of all the fortifications of the important harbors of the country. In early periods these forts on their land sides, in certain important cases, as Fort Monroe and Fort Adams, were projected so as to resist a siege for a length of time sufficient to gather and concentrate a force to |