Annual Reports of the War Department – Report of the Chief of Engineers

Army engineering reports from the late 19th century.

This eclectic collection of correspondence, charts, maps, and diagrams was published in Washington, D.C. by the Government Printing Office in 1898. It was issued to members of the House of Representatives as a reference volume for the reporting of the U.S. War Department’s Chief of Engineers. As a result, the contents reflect the various surveys, infrastructure improvements, and national defense efforts that were a primary responsibility of the predecessor to the Army Corps of Engineers during the late 19th century. The table of contents at the beginning of the book provides a comprehensive overview of the various components, but a few highlights are listed below.

Removing Snags and Wrecks from Mississippi River; Improvement of Mississippi River Between the Ohio and Missouri Rivers, of Harbor at St. Louis, Missouri, and to Prevent the Mississippi from Breaking through into Cache River at Beechridge, Above Cairo, Illinois by Major Thomas H. Handbury. 35 pages of text plus 5 lithographed plates that show the surveys, dredging, and harbor upgrades.

Improvement of Falls of the Ohio River, of Wabash River, Indiana and Illinois, of White River, Indiana, and of Certain Rivers in Kentucky by Captain J.G. Warren. 89 pages of correspence and financial tables, plus numerous photographic plates and 9 folding maps and diagrams.

Improvement of Rivers and Harbors on Lake Superior by Major Clinton B. Sears. 70 pages of text accompanied by 9 fold-outs that highlight updates to the Duluth Ship Canal. Of these, the most impressive is large map that shows the harbor area around Duluth, MN and Superior, WI.