Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-16
ENGINEERS FOR THE GUARD.
What . Corps Of Sappers and Miners
Has to DO.

| Has to DO.
| MEN WHO DoS'r HAVE TINE TO prK-fnE MANY
DUTIES OF An aSerSEER SOLDIER DESCRIBED
BY Mr. GILBERT THOMPSON BUILDING
BRrDoEs AND MAKING SURVEYS.
| - PEAKING to q STAR reporter OF ths
| ~ proposition to organize an engineer
| ~ corps as part Of the National Guard
~E Of the District Mr.. Gilbert Thompson,
WASS chief geogrspher United States Geo.
logical Survey, who served throughout the
late war as an engineer. told what an engineer
corps was when he was in the service. ITO be-
gin with, ;" said Mr.. Thompson to TIE STAR re-
porter, 1.-THE different character Of the work that
| engineer officers and soldiers may be called
upon to perform is only limited by their intelli-
gence, courage and physical endurance. The
primary duties Of the engineer are principally
the construction Of permanent Notifications
and other means Of defense, the examination
| and mapping of q country as the scene Of fu-
ture military operations, and aside from this
| they take up branches OF work which are purely
scientific. Engineer officers are called upon
to perform astronomical and geodetic work,
| and as an instance of this il may be stated
that the first railroads in this country were
/ laid out by army engineers. As the methods
OF war are every year becoming more scientific
and involve greater and more exact knowledge
OF the physical sciences it is apparent that our
| engineers must keep pace with such progress.
In time of war the staff of shs commanding
| general always has upon it one or more en-
| gineer officers, whose duty il ia to
make an examination Of the country for mill
| itary operations direct the location and con-
struction OF field Notifications, the examina-
ton, opening up and keeping in order lines of
| communication for the armies, and in actual
battle selecting the positions for the troops
while they judge OF the capabilities of defense
ana possible advance. The engineers guide
troops and put them in position; very often
| they direct the location Of batteries and al
| ways make detailed examinations before any
| important enterprise. In fact. it may be said
that the list would be really too long to give in
| even a condensed way the duties engineers may
| be called upon to perform. Engineer soldiers
| are organized to. superintend and carry out the
| details Of such work. They are drilled in the
evolutions of infantry and act as such in case
of emergency, although engineer troops are
not considered as part Of the fighting force ex-
| cept in case Of absolute necessity or in their
own defense.
| AN ENGINEER SOLDIERS DUTIES
"Among the duties of the engineer soldier
| OF the present day may be mentioned torpedo
practice, signalling, teiegraphing and photo
graphing, the construction of permanent and
| field Notifications and may include the mount
ing putting in position and working Of heavy
artillery. They survey the routes Of march of
| troops; they draw, map and reproduce military
maps. Sapping and mining is also mentioned as
an important duty and construction Of advance
| works preparatory to assault. Engineers often
times make up portion of the column of
sault as whether ell masse or As a forlorn hope
and as such carrying scaling ladders and tools
| Tor clearing away distractions in front of the
enemies works. The construction of bridges
OF all kinds and make-shifts for crossing
| streams; the selection OF fords and keeping the
| same IN order. The special branch of bridge
building, known as pontoniering. also falls on
| them. This is the bridging of streams by the
| use Of boats. This, in a rough way, may be &C.
| complished by the use of boats of commerce, as
| canal boats, schooners. or any vessels of draft,
or by completely equipped train Of pontoon
boats. These trains may be styled the light
and the heavy train, one accompanying the
main army and the other the cavalry, and those
who travel lightly and move quickly. The ex-
| perience OF the late war proved thatvrhat is
| known as the wooden batteau is best adapted
| for the former purpose and the canvass boat
Tor the latter. form of trestle bridge is also
used and engineer troops required to be
| drilled in its construction. Some of the duties
above mentioned. as torpedo practice. signall-
| ing and telegraphing, in large army may each
| become a special branch of work for a special
| corps of men, while the construction of roads,
keeping them in order or obstructing the same
| iii the face of the advance of an enemy may be
| performed by the pioneer corps. Therefore, it
| Is seen that an engineer officer or soldier ia
what might be called jack at all trades and
| good at each one.
ADVISING THE CO MMANDINa OFFICER
'From the foregoing it is evident that en-
| gineer soldiers must be high grade of men
both in mental and physical capacity, because
they not only have to carry out the immediate
| orders OF their superior officers, but superin-
tend large working parties and they are often
times placed m and opsih
| positions. They must be men of character and
| will, because when in charge of such work they
| are for the time being superior to any officer
| of rank and really are amenable only to the
| commanding general Of the army. It is not
considered out Of place for a non commissioned
officer in proper way to give his opinion as to
| the carrying out or to the improving the
| method Of performing any work i'll which he is
engaged. The records of all armies will show
that great many important suggestions have
| come from non-commissoned officers of en-
| gineers.
''Ifany one will read the record of the English
engineers In the Crimea or at any period Of
their history he will find that they have occu-
| pied places OF responsibility and trust, and al
| though at times the infantry are chaffed by
| their push and enterprise yet they have their
admiration for the engineers.
1.-The question has been asked why is it
| sapper and miner mover diesT The reply is,
He never has time
! 1t was a common occurrence during the war
| to have non-commissioned officer in the after
noon lay out the lines for the field Notifications
| at dark begin its construction with q working
| party OF from 500 to 600 men and when COM
! pleted the next day make a detailed survey of
| 1t, draw the same and turn it in to the general
| headquarters that evening
| MILITARY SURVEYING.
at may be mentioned that in this country
! at least two-thirds Of the engineer soldiers
| should be accustomed to riding and the
| packing Of animals, because they may be
called upon to accompany a cavalry column.
Now another duty that is peculiar to engineer
| troops Is military surveying. Two or more
skiiful men are accompanying each column on
the march. carefully mapping the 70 ute trav-
| eled and in case the lines become engaged to
give as accurately as possible the line of battle
and the positions of the troops. 1t was not an
| uncommon occurrence to have such military
topographer surveying just behind the skir-
| mlsh line, and he was consequently often under
| fire.
THE permanent force of our engineers
should be particularly well drilled and intelli-
gent in view of possible increase Of the military
| forces, when they would be called upon to take
| the places OF officers and instructors.
THE PERSONNEL OF A COMPANY.
| my idea Of the personnel OF an ideal engi-
neer company is as follows: One captain, two
first lieutenants, two second lieutenants, one
| company clerk, who shall be a stenographer,
| kxxr<. Nl>A~- n Il