APPENDIXES TO THE REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY. FORTIFICATIONS, ETC. APPENDIX No. 1. REPORT OF CAPTAIN W. H. BIXBY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1884. GENERAL: I have the honor to submit herewith my annual report of the work on which I have been engaged for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A. WM. H. BIXBY, Captain of Engineers, U. S. A. PREPARATION OF REPORT UPON INVESTIGATIONS IN EUROPE IN 1881-'82. From 20th August, 1881, until 10th June, 1882, I was in Europe. under orders, quoted below, to obtain information in relation to turrets, armor-plates, and the mounting and maneuvering of guns of large caliber. During that time I sent to your office various manuscript reports upon various individ: portions of the subjects investigated. After my return I submitted a preliminary report, dated 29th September, 1882, in which I stated that I hoped at an early date to present the whole information in the shape of a single comprehensive report. By directions from your office to the Board of Engineers, by your letter of date of 11th July, 1882, the Board of Engineers returned to me for revision and completion my partial reports above alluded to, amounting to about 440 pages of foolscap manuscript, 60 figures, 30 large tracings, 76 plates, and 2 large albums of photographs, without counting any of the printed matter transmitted by me from abroad. Besides this I had an almost equal amount of manuscript notes, descriptions, and tracings of English turrets and forts, which I had never submitted for want of time to put them in proper shape for transmission to your office. Progress upon my report was entirely prevented from July, 1882, until nearly August, 1883, by my more immediate duties as adjutant of the Battalion of Engineers; and from August, 1883, until January, 1884, by sickness, during two months of which time I was absent on surgeon's certificate of disability. After January, 1884, this report was again taken in hand, and as the work progressed it was deemed advisable that the report should be divided into four parts. By further directions from your office, by letter of 7th May, 1884, the separate portions of the report were to be submitted in the following order: (1) Turrets; (2) New Ordnance Material; (3) Armor Material; (4) Sea-coast Fortification in England, Belgium, and Holland. My work stands at present as follows: (1) Turrets: A report of 442 pages of type-written text and 42 plates, which is all finished except proof reading and revision of text and plates. (2) New ordnance material: Fifty-eight pages of text approximately finished, with about 20 pages and 5 plates to prepare. (3) Armor material: One hundred and twenty pages of text approximately finished, with about 30 pages and 5 plates to prepare. (4) Sea-coast fortification in England: One hundred and thirty-five pages of text and 3 plates, all finished, with about 10 pages of text and 4 plates, already half finished, to complete; in Belgium, Holland, &c., 23 pages of text approximately finished, with about 12 pages of text and 5 plates to prepare. No work has been done on Parts 2, 3, and 4 since the receipt of letter from your office of date 7th May, except by the amanuensis when he could not otherwise be employed on Part 1, "Turrets." There appears to me to be about six weeks', and not more than eight weeks', more work upon this report before it can be properly finished. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, WM. H. BIXBY, Captain of Engineers, U. S. A. WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, SIR: I have the honor to communicate to you the following orders of the Secretary of War: You will visit Belgium, Holland, Germany, Italy, and England, or such of these countries as you may find necessary, for the purpose of procuring certain information in relation to turrets, armor-plates, and the mounting and maneuvering of guns of large caliber, &c., in relation to which special instructions will be given you by the Chief of Engineers. You will draw mileage from the Pay Department for such journeys as may be made under this order. The journeys will be made promptly and without unnecessary delays, and on the completion of the duty you will make your report to the Chief of Engineers. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, First Lieut. WM. H. BIXBY, R. C. DRUM, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, SIR Referring to the letter of August 20, 1881, from this office, directing you to visit certain points in Europe on official business, I have the honor to inform you that you are authorized by the Secretary of War to remain absent from the United States on the duty specified until the 1st July, 1882. Very respectfully, First Lieut. Wм. H. BIXBY, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. |