Cavalry Charger
Major
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2017
I was doing some research tonight and came across this information. It might be new to some. I always find it interesting to discover what some of those who became famous during the Civil War did before the war began, and often note their close associations prior to the outbreak of the war.
BOUNDARY SURVEYS
Boundary surveying was an active form of topographical work in which details of Topographical Engineers were constantly employed. The most extensive activity of this character was the running of various national boundaries. The Texas boundary agreed upon with the Republic of Texas in a convention of 1638 was run along the Sabine River and northward in 1840-1841, engaging, the services of Maj. James D. Graham and Lieut. Thomas J. Lee and later Lt. Col. James Kearney and Lieuts. Jacob E. Blake, Joseph E. Johnston, Augustus P. Allen, and Lorenzo Sitgreaves. George G. Meade, who was later to join the Corps of Topographical Engineers, was employed as a civil assistant on this survey in 1840. The running of the northeastern boundary was undertaken in the same year and continued throughout the decade under the charge of Major Graham. Other officers engaged upon this survey were Emory, Warner. Thom, Whipple, and Meade. The survey of the Mexican boundary was undertaken in 1849 and continued to 1856. Except for a period in 1850-1851, when Colonels McClellan and Graham served, Capt. W. H. Emory acted as astronomer to the boundary commission. He was assisted by Lieuts. A. W. Whipple and Edmund L. F. Hardcastle. Captain Emory was both commissioner and astronomer for the running, of the line of the Gadsden treaty of 1853 which provided for a more southern boundary. He was assisted by Captain Thom, and Lieutenants Whipple, Hardcastle. Michler, and Turnbull. During 1857-1861 Lieut. John G. Parke acted as chief astronomer and surveyor to the commission engaged in marking the northwest boundary provided for in the treaty of 1846 with Great Britain.
The creation of new states and territories provided further boundary work for the Topographical Engineers. Capt. Washington Hood, who in 1835 had worked with Lieut. Robert E. Lee under the direction of Capt. Andrew Talcott of the Corps of Engineers, in running the Ohio-Michigan line, surveyed the western boundary of Missouri in 1838 with John McCoy. During 1843 to 1846, Capts. John McClellan, Thomas J. Cram, and William G. Williams ran the Michigan and Wisconsin Territory boundary. Farther west in 1849-1850 Lieut. John G. Parke assisted in determining, the Iowa and Minnesota Territory line. The initial point on the northern boundary of Kansas Territory was established by Capt. Thomas J. Lee in 1854. Three years later Capt. J. E. Johnston was engaged upon the southern boundary of Kansas Territory. The boundary between California and the territories on her east was run during 1860-1861 by a commission to which Lieut. Joseph C. Ives was astronomer and surveyor. Boundary surveys of various Indian reservations west of the Mississippi River were also performed after the establishment of the Indian Country in 1834.
THE CIVIL WAR
The Civil War brought to an end most of the peacetime activities of the Corps of Topographical Engineers. Most of the officers remained loyal to the Federal government and were transferred to the different fighting arms of the service for recruiting, training, and combat duty. Others were attached to the military headquarters of various armies for topographical duty. Volunteer regiments from various states were officered in part by former topographical officers. From a total of forty-five officers at the beginning of 1861, the Corps was reduced a year later to twenty-eight officers, as a result of these transfers.
The officers who resigned to take part with the Confederacy were chiefly the younger, more recently appointed ones. Joseph E. Johnston, who had become Quartermaster General of the United States Army on June 28, 1860, after serving for five years in the cavalry, resigned on April 22, 1861, and in the following month became a brigadier general of the Confederate States of America. Capt. M. L. Smith, who resigned on April 1, 1863, also became a general in the Confederate Army. Other officers were F. T. Bryan1, W. P. Smith, Joseph Dixon, W. H. Echols, C. R. Collins, and R. F. Beckham. Joseph C. Ives, after declining an appointment as captain in the 17th Infantry in May, 1861, was dismissed on December 26 for disloyalty to the government, and went South to fight with the Confederacy.
...
A number of former officers of the Topographical Engineers attained prominence during the Civil War. Meade and Fremont became major generals in the United States Army, while Abbot, Michler, and Raynolds became brigadier generals. In the volunteer service, generalships were held by Emory, Franklin, Humphreys, Parke, Poe, Pope, W. F. Smith, Thom, Warren, Wilson, and Wood. Haldemand S. Putnam, J. L. Kirby Smith, O. G. Wagner, and A. W. Whipple lost their lives during the struggle. (Topographical Engineers Appointed Generals in the Civil War)
MERGING INTO CORPS OF ENGINEERS
In "An act to promote the efficiency of the Corps of Engineers…" approved on March 3, 1863, the Corps of Topographical Engineers was abolished as a distinct branch of the Army and merged into the Corps of Engineers. The officers of the consolidated corps were to take rank according to their respective dates of commission in either corps. Experience had shown the duties of the two corps to be similar and often the same. Other nations, as the Chief of Engineers pointed out in this annual report for that year, had only one corps which performed all engineer services for the Army. The act was published to the service in General Order No. 73 of March 24, 1863. The organization of the Corps of Engineers was announced in General Order No.79 issued on March 31. Col. Stephen H. Long become the senior colonel, ranking next to Brig. Gen. Joseph G. Totten, chief Engineer, while Hartman Bache became the junior colonel. General Totten thereupon took over the affairs of the topographical bureau.
http://www.topogs.org/History2.htm
BOUNDARY SURVEYS
Boundary surveying was an active form of topographical work in which details of Topographical Engineers were constantly employed. The most extensive activity of this character was the running of various national boundaries. The Texas boundary agreed upon with the Republic of Texas in a convention of 1638 was run along the Sabine River and northward in 1840-1841, engaging, the services of Maj. James D. Graham and Lieut. Thomas J. Lee and later Lt. Col. James Kearney and Lieuts. Jacob E. Blake, Joseph E. Johnston, Augustus P. Allen, and Lorenzo Sitgreaves. George G. Meade, who was later to join the Corps of Topographical Engineers, was employed as a civil assistant on this survey in 1840. The running of the northeastern boundary was undertaken in the same year and continued throughout the decade under the charge of Major Graham. Other officers engaged upon this survey were Emory, Warner. Thom, Whipple, and Meade. The survey of the Mexican boundary was undertaken in 1849 and continued to 1856. Except for a period in 1850-1851, when Colonels McClellan and Graham served, Capt. W. H. Emory acted as astronomer to the boundary commission. He was assisted by Lieuts. A. W. Whipple and Edmund L. F. Hardcastle. Captain Emory was both commissioner and astronomer for the running, of the line of the Gadsden treaty of 1853 which provided for a more southern boundary. He was assisted by Captain Thom, and Lieutenants Whipple, Hardcastle. Michler, and Turnbull. During 1857-1861 Lieut. John G. Parke acted as chief astronomer and surveyor to the commission engaged in marking the northwest boundary provided for in the treaty of 1846 with Great Britain.
The creation of new states and territories provided further boundary work for the Topographical Engineers. Capt. Washington Hood, who in 1835 had worked with Lieut. Robert E. Lee under the direction of Capt. Andrew Talcott of the Corps of Engineers, in running the Ohio-Michigan line, surveyed the western boundary of Missouri in 1838 with John McCoy. During 1843 to 1846, Capts. John McClellan, Thomas J. Cram, and William G. Williams ran the Michigan and Wisconsin Territory boundary. Farther west in 1849-1850 Lieut. John G. Parke assisted in determining, the Iowa and Minnesota Territory line. The initial point on the northern boundary of Kansas Territory was established by Capt. Thomas J. Lee in 1854. Three years later Capt. J. E. Johnston was engaged upon the southern boundary of Kansas Territory. The boundary between California and the territories on her east was run during 1860-1861 by a commission to which Lieut. Joseph C. Ives was astronomer and surveyor. Boundary surveys of various Indian reservations west of the Mississippi River were also performed after the establishment of the Indian Country in 1834.
THE CIVIL WAR
The Civil War brought to an end most of the peacetime activities of the Corps of Topographical Engineers. Most of the officers remained loyal to the Federal government and were transferred to the different fighting arms of the service for recruiting, training, and combat duty. Others were attached to the military headquarters of various armies for topographical duty. Volunteer regiments from various states were officered in part by former topographical officers. From a total of forty-five officers at the beginning of 1861, the Corps was reduced a year later to twenty-eight officers, as a result of these transfers.
The officers who resigned to take part with the Confederacy were chiefly the younger, more recently appointed ones. Joseph E. Johnston, who had become Quartermaster General of the United States Army on June 28, 1860, after serving for five years in the cavalry, resigned on April 22, 1861, and in the following month became a brigadier general of the Confederate States of America. Capt. M. L. Smith, who resigned on April 1, 1863, also became a general in the Confederate Army. Other officers were F. T. Bryan1, W. P. Smith, Joseph Dixon, W. H. Echols, C. R. Collins, and R. F. Beckham. Joseph C. Ives, after declining an appointment as captain in the 17th Infantry in May, 1861, was dismissed on December 26 for disloyalty to the government, and went South to fight with the Confederacy.
...
A number of former officers of the Topographical Engineers attained prominence during the Civil War. Meade and Fremont became major generals in the United States Army, while Abbot, Michler, and Raynolds became brigadier generals. In the volunteer service, generalships were held by Emory, Franklin, Humphreys, Parke, Poe, Pope, W. F. Smith, Thom, Warren, Wilson, and Wood. Haldemand S. Putnam, J. L. Kirby Smith, O. G. Wagner, and A. W. Whipple lost their lives during the struggle. (Topographical Engineers Appointed Generals in the Civil War)
MERGING INTO CORPS OF ENGINEERS
In "An act to promote the efficiency of the Corps of Engineers…" approved on March 3, 1863, the Corps of Topographical Engineers was abolished as a distinct branch of the Army and merged into the Corps of Engineers. The officers of the consolidated corps were to take rank according to their respective dates of commission in either corps. Experience had shown the duties of the two corps to be similar and often the same. Other nations, as the Chief of Engineers pointed out in this annual report for that year, had only one corps which performed all engineer services for the Army. The act was published to the service in General Order No. 73 of March 24, 1863. The organization of the Corps of Engineers was announced in General Order No.79 issued on March 31. Col. Stephen H. Long become the senior colonel, ranking next to Brig. Gen. Joseph G. Totten, chief Engineer, while Hartman Bache became the junior colonel. General Totten thereupon took over the affairs of the topographical bureau.
http://www.topogs.org/History2.htm
Bringing the