APPENDIX No. 2.

BATTALION OF ENGINEERS AND ENGINEER SCHOOL OF APPLICATION.

REPORT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL H. L. ABBOT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, BVT. DRIG. GEN., U. S. A., OFFICER IN COMMAND, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JÚNE 30, 1884.

BATTALION OF ENGINEERS AND SCHOOL OF APPLICATION,

Willets Point, New York Harbor, July 1, 1884. GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following as my annual report upon the Battalion of Engineers and the Engineer School of Application for the year ending June 30, 1884.

The law provides for a Battalion of Engineers of five companies, having an authorized strength of 752 enlisted men, and officered by details from the Corps of Engineers. At present only four companies, with a total strength of 200 enlisted men, are allowed to be recruited. During the past year Companies A, B, and C have been stationed at Willets Point; Company D exists only on paper; Company E has been stationed at West Point.

The aggregate strength of the Battalion on June 30, 1884, was 17 commissioned officers and 198 enlisted men.

ROSTER OF OFFICERS ON JUNE 30, 1884.

Lieut. Col. Henry L. Abbot, Corps of Engineers, commanding.
First Lieut. Harry F. Hodges, Corps of Engineers, adjutant.
First Lieut. James L. Lusk, Corps of Engineers, quartermaster.

Company A.

Capt. E. H. Ruffner, Corps of Engineers, commanding company.
First Lient. J. G. Warren, Corps of Engineers, with company.
First Lieut. O. T. Crosby, Corps of Engineers, with company.
Second Lieut. E. J. Spencer, Corps of Engineers, with company.
Second Lieut. H. E. Waterman, Corps of Engineers, with company.

Company B.

Capt. C. F. Palfrey, Corps of Engineers, commanding company.
First Lieut. L. H. Beach, Corps of Engineers, with company.
First Lieut. G. D. Fitch, Corps of Engineers, with company.
Second Lieut. G. A. Zinn, Corps of Engineers, with company.

Company C.

Capt. P. M. Price, Corps of Engineers, commanding company.
First Lieut. E. Burr, Corps of Engineers, with company.
Second Lieut. W. C. Langfitt, Corps of Engineers, with company.

Company E.

Capt. William S. Stanton, Corps of Engineers, commanding company.
First Lieut. William M. Black, Corps of Engineers, with company.

The companies of the Battalion are recruited partly by enlistments and re-enlistments at Willets Point and West Point, and partly by recruits assigned from the General Recruiting Service, after passing an examination for fitness to perform the special duties of the arm.

Last summer, our numbers having fallen considerably below the authorized strength, a rendezvous was opened in New York City, upon my recommendation, under charge of Lieut. John Millis. Battalion adjutant, and the desired number of men was soon secured.

This rendezvous was opened on August 9, 1883, and closed on October 20, 1883.

The following is a summary statement of the recruiting, desertions, and other changes among the enlisted men of the Battalion during the past year:

Enlisted at the Engineer rendezvous in New York, 16; at Willets Point, 11; re-enlisted at Willets Point, 23; enlisted at West Point, 7; re-enlisted at West Point, 1; recruits from David's Island, 11; by transfer, 1; deserters apprehended, 2; discharged by expiration of term of service, 36; for disability, 2; by sentence of general court martial, 2; by order, 1; transferred to other arms of service, 1; died of disease, 1; desertions, 12.

MILLITARY DUTIES OF THE BATTALION.

The duty of guarding the public property at the Willets Point Depot is no sinecure; but with an electrical system of communication with the guard house, and the reputation for marksmanship enjoyed by the Battalion, no robberies have been attempted for several years.

The companies are equipped and well drilled as infantry, and when called upon are always ready with the other troops in the harbor to maintain lawful authority or suppress rioting in this or neighboring States.

The companies at Willets Point have carried out extensive and dangerous experiments with new explosives, and have performed all the labor needed in developing the torpedo system of defense for the seacoast of the United States. They have done good service in remodeling the ponton trains, printing confidential Engineer documents, with the necessary photographic or lithographic illustrations, and also in constructing and repairing the public buildings of the post.

The company at West Point has performed ordinary garrison duties and aided in the instruction of the cadets of the Military Academy in field fortifications, military bridge-building, and military signaling.

As heretofore, two enlisted men of Company A have served in the Military Division of the Missouri, on reconnaissance duty.

It is much to be regretted that the reduced strength of the Battalion has rendered it impossible to spare larger details for this useful work.

THE ENGINEER SCHOOL OF APPLICATION.

In my last annual report I explained so fully the present organization and methods of the School of Application that it is needless to cover the same ground again. The following statement of what has been accomplished during the past year will suffice:

The class of artillery officers, which under existing orders of the War Department has taken a six-months course of instruction in submarine mining to qualify them for detail in this branch of Engineer duty, has consisted of the following members: First Lieut. Isaac T. Webster, First Artillery; Second Lieut. Warren P. Newcomb, Fifth Artillery; Second Lieut. Ormond M. Lissak, Fourth Artillery; Second Lieut. John T. Thompson, Second Artillery. These officers reported early in January, and were relieved on July 1. They have exhibited much interest throughout, and they all passed the required examinations with credit, as has already been reported to the Adjutant-General.

I append copies of my Orders No. 9, of 1883, and No. 4, of 1884, which define the course of instruction for Engineer officers and enlisted men during winter and summer of the current year; also copies of my Orders No. 8, of 1883, Nos. 1, 6, 3, 2, and 5, of 1884, which exhibit, respectively, the results attained in target practice, in meteorology, in astronomy, and in the theoretical instruction of the non-commissioned officers.

The course in military photography has been under the charge of First Lieut. James L. Lusk, of my staff, and I respectfully refer to his report, appended and marked A, for details. He has given much attention to the work, and has accomplished good results. His predecessor, First Lient. Eugene Griffin, when relieved last summer, had in preparation a Photographic Manual for the use of Officers of the Corps on Military and Civil Works, and although burdened with the duties of his new station, he has given since he left us much labor to its completion. The text has been already printed here, and as soon as a few illustrations are prepared the book will be distributed. I desire to express strongly my appreciation of the energy and good judgment displayed by Lieutenant Griffin in this work, which will fill a need long felt.

The instruction in geodesy, practical surveying, tidal and current measurements, &c., for the season of 1883 was under the charge of

Captain Mallery, and for this year is under that of Captain Ruffner. The prescribed course was fairly covered. The country in the near vicinity of Willets Point having all been surveyed, the officers, with the enlisted men acting as rodmen, were encamped this spring at a distance from the post. The new plan has proved a decided success.

The summer course in pontoniering, military mining, submarine mining, &c., was under the charge of Captain Willard for the season of 1883, and is under that of Captain Palfrey for the present season. All has been accomplished which the available force of enlisted men has permitted, but it should be understood that until our numbers are increased but little can be done to keep pace with the progress of the age in these important duties of engineer troops.

The Astronomical Observatory in 1883 was in charge of Captain Ruffner, and for the present season is under Captain Price. This work is confined to officers exclusively, and the instruments and course of instruction leave nothing to be desired. Any young officer on leaving should be qualified for appointment as chief astronomer of an international boundary survey.

For the instruction of his own company in sapping and battery construction on a reduced scale, in military field reconnaissance, in infantry drills, and in target practice, each company commander is held responsible.

Captain Mallery acted as the captain of the Battalion team in the autumn matches at Creedmoor with his habitual skill and good judgment, and his company (C) also had the honor of winning for the third time, and thus becoming the owners of, the handsome flag offered as the prize in the short-range military match open to teams from the National Guard, the Army, the Navy, and the Marine Corps. This match had been sharply contested for eleven years.

The winter course of theoretical instruction is sufficiently defined in the appended order. The system inaugurated in 1882-83 of detailing the captains weekly in turn to take charge of the torpedo instruction, and of constituting them, with the commanding officer, a Board to conduct four stated examinations (two each year) of the Engineer officers taking the course, has more than fulfilled my expectations. The general supervision which experience had proved necessary is thus supplied, and that, too, without imposing the irksome labor of daily recitations or of taking notes of lectures. In my judgment a broad distinction should be drawn between the administration of a school of application for officers and a school like West Point for young cadets, and this idea has been kept steadily in view in the gradual development at Willets Point. So long as the commanding officer is cordially assisted by the captains, nearly all of whom have now served as lieutenants with one of the companies here, and who are thus familiar with the needful details, the present system can hardly fail to prove a success in the future as in the past.

In conclusion, I desire to again urge, in the strongest language at my command, the necessity of increasing the size of the companies to their legal maximum (150 men).

The arguments have been so often repeated that it is needless to rehearse them, and I can only wish that those having the requisite authority could appreciate as fully as I do on the spot how great an advance in efficiency would be the result. It is a fatal mistake to suppose that skeleton companies can be kept ready for the responsible duties which at the outbreak of war will at once devolve on the only soldiers in the service of the United States who are trained to perform

themselves, or to instruct volunteers in performing, the duties of sapping, mining, pontoniering, battery construction, military map-making, and the application of torpedoes to the defense of the coasts. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

HENRY L. ABBOT,
Lieutenant-Colonel of Engineers,

General JOHN NEWTON,

Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army.

A.

Bvt. Brig. Gen., U. S. A.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report upon the work of the photographic laboratory during the year ending June 30, 1884:

I took charge of the laboratory on July 1, 1883, at which time the new building had been occupied about two months. It has proved to be comfortable and convenient, and in all respects well arranged for instruction and practice.

During the past winter eight officers were on the roster for instruction. Seven of these received the prescribed course, while one, Lieutenant Crosby, received only a small part of it, owing to his sickness and absence from the post. A number of noncommissioned officers also had instruction and practice.

The officers and non-commissioned officers all showed commendable zeal in their work, and the results attained by the season's practice are, in my judgment, satisfactory.

The laboratory has also done valuable work in preparing copies of plans and maps by various processes.

I would suggest the advisability of not detailing more than two officers per week in the future. A larger number than two is not favorable to rapid progress or to economy in use of materials.

Sergeant Von Sothen, assistant instructor, has been throughout the year faithful and efficient in the performance of his duties.

SIR: I have the honor to make the following report of part of the work assigned to my charge by Printed Orders No. 1, 1883:

Surveys. Certains portious of the peninsula of Great Neck were assigned for survey to Lieutenants Burr, Crosby, and Beach. The maps of these surveys have been completed in accordance with the prescribed orders. These maps connect with the instrumental surveys of the previous year, and embrace the northwestern portion of the peninsula of Great Neck, and extend to the east of Great Neck Lauding.

Military map-making. The lieutenants, non-commissioned officers, and 5 privates of Company C have made the required foot reconnaissance. The maps are not quite ready for submittal.

The maps of the reconnaissances made in 1882 have been embodied in the general reconnaissance map of the neighborhood. This general map has also been revised and corrected to date, and tracings of it have been made with a view to issuing a new photographic map.

A hydrographic survey and triangulation of the bay between the post and Bryder's Point were made. The triangulation was continued to connect with a line of the triangulation made of Little Neck Bay in 1882. The notes of this survey have been worked up, but the map is not finished at this date.