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KATT»U»«H MIIIWIIFUBUCAN^IATUIIOAY, AAARCH 29. 1M§
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Tlie earliest records of the or- jCoe«fient*l Cpngress on th* day
possession of the hills on Dorches- sent to West Point as the engln*
ganization now known as the b e f o # the Batt|e of JSunKer Hill work in Bosfon. ''•.
_« .
- \ eer member of the board to report
Corps of Engineers* % S. Army,1' authorized one chief engineer and Putwa;m jjjgd seen service oh ter Meek.
are found in the "Journals of the1 two IMstjnts i a _ ' > T h e . Qran.d Lake champlsin in the French Lord Howe, the -British com- on fortification work, under way
a a i Indian,W§r, and had had ex- msader, apos ^.ewispgr the small
Continental O0agre^'v~ainbr lii uiif'Ai-rny,': " f *
'
"" .
and to advise on future*" work
incomplete documents: which hive "Ehe. chief's pay was set at $60 perience in building defensive temporary forttfio*U6ns built by
the engineer*, is said to have de- there.
come down to us. frdfn the period a month arid the- two assistants works.
of the Revolutionary War.
j were employed at $20 a month. In building defensive works in clared, "The rebels htv* done
the winter of t!?75-li76( Putnam
Corps Authorised
Upon tlie outbreak of the Revo- The resolution also provided: for was hampered; by frozen ground.: more in one night than my whole
lution m l.7i?6,, the country was another • chief engineer, also with Breastworks could not be thrown army whould have done it» *
month,'''
in December, 1776, Gen- Washtragically deficient in persons ac- two Assistants, to head a separate up,
Thus it was" that early . t o our ington was authorized by the Conquainte'd with the duties of jnfli-; department,
PUtnam suggested the construc- history, the military engineer
tary engineers;
CORPS LORE — These two insignia are among the most celebrated devices in the world. They both
tinental Congress "to raise a h d
; When Gen., Washington assumed tion of chandeliers — movable showed his value.
stand
for the Uv S. Army Corps of Engineers. The. circle with the motto Essayons CLfctXTs Try) was adopted
wooden
parapets
—
to
screen
bat*
A few who had seen service at command of the
collect*'
a
Corps
of
Engineers
and
continental
After the evacuation of Boston,
Louisburg, Laike- George, Ticon- forces, toe ^complained of the short- tteries on Dorchester Heights to Gen, Washington Ordered Col. Bite, to establish their pay tor a period by the War Department in 1838. It is the button design worn by every member of the corps. It dates back
deroga, ©rowi> F b i n t a n d Quebee age i>f engin^fs in the army. A- foi;ee the British' to evacuate Bos- ham to New York where h e was
as far: as $he War of 1812, The Turreted Castle is; an offleer's button and also the symbol on the corps
•
:. • .
i charged with the duty jpf Jaying of six months.
had. gained. .some pf.ptip.al exper-, w.e.ekJaftej?. hg ;askimed^;co.mmftrid ton.
flag. It vias first worn at West Point in 1839. the year it; wag approved for use on the uniform,
ience in. the construction, attack he wrote' to the Congress about
out and supervising this construc- Under this law it is probable;
A British Tribute
and defense '.of/ fpStifiect places,. .the-liqi of engineers- tb direct the * Oh the night of March 4, 1776, tion of works a t New ¥ork and on
Beauregard, Mansfield, Meade across, no-man's-land and beyond. were mobilized to fight in Korea
Aside from these, there was siege of -Boston.;
a force of 3;000 men with oyei- Long Isiatidi including jtort Lee that an organization styled a and Pope.
scarcely any engineering: skill or, While awaiting' word from COn- 300 carts loaded with tools, fas- and Port Washington, and of plac- ''Corps of Engineers" was estabThey built hundreds of essential ;in June 1960* it was readily seen
talent in trie Continental Army.
ing,
obstructions
in
t
h
e
river..
p e s s , 'Geft. Washington. >ssi'giiied cines, gabions, bales of hfy and
bridges* prepared defensive posi- -how much of a challenge the Army
lished in the Army.
Civil War
Recognizing this deficiency, the Col. Rufus Putnam to engineering similar engineering matetials took i In May, 1778, the colonel w»s
Engineers faced.
By Resolution of Congress, dat- Until the outbreak of the Civil tion^, erected obstacles, and perM Mmtih 11, 1779, * Cacps. of i5ri- War, tlie Engineer Company as- formed many other engiaseiang. To the Corps of Ejigineers fell
the assignment of taming the ruggineens was formally estsblished sisted in the survey of tlie North tasks. Much of this engineering ged KQi'ea-n countryside to t h e
with Brig. Gen. Louis du Portail Pacific Railway, accompanied the work was done close to the front, point where our highly mechanized
under fire.
troops could operate effectively
as commandant.
Utah Expedition in 1858, and asagainst the vastly superior numSea., du Portail was a disting- sisted in road a^id -bridge building The history of these regimente
on the Facino Coast.
Is intimately associated with that bers of the North Koreans,
uished officer of the French Royof their divisions, eyen in combat.
When American forces landed
a l Engineers and brought to the I n January, 1861, the company
was ordered to Washington for tlie On many ocoasions Engineers in. Korea they found a rough coun
Corps the military engineering purpose of protecting the public effectively relieved the h a r d- try, dominated by rooky, treeless
genius of the French.
pressed infantry In holding defen- mountains th&t look down on narbuildings, stores and arsenals.
sive positions, and; even took part row Valleys.
Over 20 other French engineers Throughout toe Civil War toe In offensive- actions.
Normally the smaller river beds
followed du Portail to America engineers were assigned to duty
with the Amny of the Potomac, They suffered^ their full share of are dry slnoe the water is divert
and were commissioned in the where it took part in the Siege of
the
casualties and earned a place the ed lo the rice paddies, but
.continental army, the foreign ele- Yorktown, the Battles of Malvern more secure because of this com? summer rains sometimes swell
the rivers with incredible swiftment .prevailing: almost to, ih;rs ex? Hill, Antietani, •Frederlcksbtwg, bat function',
ness, and all construction is enChancellors ville, Tlie Wilderness
elusion of the native-born engin- and Cold Harbor and the Siege of Behind the lines they repaired
dangered.
and maintained light and standM-d
eer officers.
Petersburg.
guage railroads, as well as roads The roads were generally little
This organization served w i t h In these engagements much dif- and bridges,, and even built new more than trails winding through
6hc mountains or dry river beds.
efficiency and distinction during ficult work was required oi them links of railroad.
in the way of bridgebuilding,
the Revolutionary War, and in roadm&king, sapping and- mining, Gthor important tasks included There was one double - tracked
1783, the Corps of Engineers was and other duties, was employed as general construction, in a r m y rail line running north from Pusan, and a secondary single-track
mustered out of the service.
infantry in the line of battle or in. areas, map reproduction and sup- line skirted toe eastern coast and
ply, water supply, camouflage acthe
support
of
batteries.
During the administration of
tivities, and thes operation of out across the mountains to Seoul.
Oen. Washington, when conditions Until the outbreak of the Span searchlights,
Korea was virtually bare of any
in Europe were unsettled and this ish-American. War, the battalion
country was threatened. Congress served at the Engineer School and They built new ship berths rail- of the material resources
. . .,. which
,. .
authorised the President to fortify the Ui 8. Military Academy, and road track, bridges and storage <^e engineers needed tto build their
certain coaetal harbors.
also performed such unusual dut- and bs>rraoks buildings,
structures,
Add to thi* the picture of all
There being no engineers in the iee as the suppression of illicit
World War n
1 major bridges blown by the reeervice at this time, Washington distilleries near the Brooklyn Na
-*, u
ii
treating Bouth Koreans, and one
appointed several foreign - born vy Yard in December., 1869, and „ , , . , . ,
gentlemen, mostly French, a num assistancew *t
_. the time of the dis_._ World War H brought an u n p r s - | e a a h ^ ^ to v i s u m ^ the probber of whom served in the Revo- astrous flood of Johnstown, Pa., in cendehted expansion to the Corpsl U m g f a o e d D y , „ „ troops whsn
lutionary War, to direct flu work 1880.
| o f Engineers.
^ y lanitcl in the Land of the
nln
:t
lfp rtl?r
**'* * •
'
.! Battalion.headciuartef? and m o s t ^ Following
,. ^ „ ^ _the
_ pattern
^
_.. e s t a ..b U
^ 8 h - ! ^ * Calm in July I860.
C
o
In t/his tlr*t ptiastt Of the Korean
in- 1 9 ^ OpnyreM, passert-an- # M . 8 » . troppa"_ were at WlUefsl^'P * » * * ~ f - » C6TJ^ dv
of EnriC
raising a Corps Artillerlsta a n d p 6 l n t > K ' .yf><Ss*.c(is^i.»<ttUs- period, gltieers was again, the * * *1 conflict the Army comniaaaer was
Engineers • for a term of threeP"14** o n e company a t West Point. element in each theater of opera-' M .hard-pressed for reserves that
v
L « « «
** *
* * » • - . * • *
" 'Km i i i
*
tions.
the division engineers and the half
. * * » * « i
y eft,ri J
War With Spain
This li™«- ho«»«">r- Khe en^n-l&teengSi combat battalion which
ELIZABETHTOWN ARMORY -^ W e they were working on Plattsburgh Air Force Base and floodThis organisation consisted of a Q n the outbreak of war with eei-ina «*"*' was "noVrequired" iniwas available were used repeated
regiment of four battalions, of four Spain in 1S»B, two, cornpanies were Jtist o n e .theater: of- „op>ratt«is, * u t W «* Jhfsntry.
•ontrol projects in Vermont, the U. S. Engineers had time to build this lOO^man armory in Elbabethtown.
companies each.
sent to Cubs, while1 one company in many scattered throughout the/ Much ot the engineer equipment
The $125,000 structure U situated at Water and Gross Sts. It's the home «f the 781th Engineer Company.
Oceans, T h e | W M - t o i e < j m the rear areasi-while
Oapt. Arthur E. Spaulding of Moriah Center U comm ander.
In April, 1798, a ascond regi- went to Manila and one remainedj Atlantic ! and Pacific
;
:
ment of three battalions of Artil- a t Wallet's Point enfafea in- theTengi&eei s' *a-d ia solve- ^ n t i r c l y ' L j ^ ti'dopi Med hole* iff Oi*r
*
'
lerists and, Engineers w»» author- submarine • defense of -New YoEklnew problems in military erisrln-!fcnirtiy-in»imeci iines.
' eering arising: from global oper-|
ized by Congress, and four months harbor.
- . , . , ,, ations.
later four "teachers of the Arts Later all were sent
Composite Battalion*
to Manila,
and Sciences" w'ere authorized for where they assisted in repairing The engineer of World War II
During
this fighting there w«s,
the instruction of these organiza- roads, relaying railroad trapks'putdld his compatriot of 'Bunker
of
course,
a certain minimum
tions.
and constructing f e r r ie s and Hill because, in only 170 years,
his area of operation had become amount of engineer work . which
bridges.
had to be done.
West Point
the whole world.
In 1901 Congress increased the
of the A curious composite battalion,
The Act of March 16, 1802, which number of Engineer troops to The accomplishments
Corps ot Engineers are recogniz- made up of a treadway bridge
set up a new military establish- three battalions.
company, a cvimp truck company
ee! as feats of tho first magnitude. and a water sUpiify 'cuinpaiiy v&i =
ineftt. authorized the President to
i
'
t
e
y
garrisolieu
trie
VViiiel's
organise and establish, a Corps of
These feats were accomplished ev- formed most of the' engWeer Work
Engineers further established that Point post; served at Ft, Leaven- ery day during the war all over, Which ja/Qiiifcaxetl* th'e' JTidysmsnt c£
worth,
Kaus.,
West
Point,
N.
V.,
the Corps should be stationed at
the world,
our motorized reserves' ffdrn one
West Point and should constitute and Washington Barracks, D. C,
with periodic tours in the Philip- Thus we can. appreciate that a threatened sectbr'to another.
large share of .the success of the
pines,
The peak of Engineer/activity in
This was the beginning of the
United States armed forces can
Korea
was reached in the grindIn
1916
they
w'ere
organized
inpresent Corps of Engineers and
be attributed to, the technical skill,
was also the beginning, of the Mil- to regiments, the participated In the modern eq,uip.merit< .arid the ing offensive in, the, spring of 1951.
itary Academy, which since 1812 the movement of troops to the spirit of the personnel of t, h e Ail the bridges which' had been
has provided officers for all Mexioan Border and accompanied Corps of Engineersdestroyed had to b'e 'repaired in
the Punitive Expedition of Mex
branches of the Army.
'During World War II the per t h e northward advance.' 'New
ico,
The superintendence and responsonnel strength of the Corps of bridges had to "be built to protect
sibility for the successful opera- Here they performed a great Engineers reached 700,000 officers highways against 'the summer
tion of the Military Academy was road-building task which' permit- and enlisted men, The majority of floods.
vested in, the Corps of Engineers ted the first extensive use of mot- these personnel served In over- For one extended period t h e
from its establishment until July or trucks by an army for supply seas theaters.
corps wag putting -in.an. average
1866, when the institution passed purposes.
of over 1,000 tons of bridge maAt
one
time
the
Corps
of
Enginto the Army at large.
teria.! a day,
eers
personnel
overseas
reached
World War I
Between 1802 and 1863 the Corps
a peak of 500,000 officers and en- Jsingineer demands for supplies
was charged With much construe' The record, of the Corp! •o£ En- listed men.
of ail types averaged 2,000 tons
tion work.
gineers in World War I is outPacific. ;per. day, ox seven railway trains
eas
of
the
In
some
It was responsible for the build- standing.
there -were more engineers than of 16 cars each.
ing of fortifications, lighthouses, Civilian engineers volunteered'.infantry men or any other arm or It will be years before the comand roads for the improvement of to join up. The Corps expanded to-service.
plete history of the Korean conrivers and harbors, as well as for 86,000 men and gave services in
flict will be written, but when this
This
preponderence
of
engineer
important military duties c o n - s u p p 0 r t of the Infantry and Artlltroops were necessitated by t h e job is done the Corps of Enginnected with the War of 1812, the lery.
lack o,£ roads, ports, airfields and eers will undoubtedly be credited
Mexican War, the Civil War, and
with playing a role of the first imoperations of the ATniy against Of these operations, the m o s t other facilities.
portance in this fighting,
important
had
to
do
with
routes
the Indian tribes.
of communication
in France, Thus it can be understood, read- Called upon to perform imposMany of the engineer officers where once-excelient roads were ily why World War XI was termed sible jobs in one of the most rug
who served with distinction in the .worn out after four years of in- an "engineers' war".
ged areas in the world, the
Mexioan War later became troop tensive warfare.
TOSIDELOOKINQ
GUT - This interior view glvts you an Idea of the fine workmanship which went
soldiers of the Corps of Engineers
c
commanders
of
high
ranfc
in
the
War
In
Korea
fate <*» mzabettrtown armory, It was built on contract b y * . Aft «
« ™ °°; *
£ , ? £ * £ , £
once again distinguished thtm
Engineers rebuilt and
Civil War, among them Lee, Mo- O u r
•upervWng construction of a |250,000 Plattsburgh Rsserv. Center named in honor of the late Pfe. Harold
selves as builders and fighters.
When
the
United
States
forces
maintained
the
essential
roads
CUellan, J. B. Johnston, Helleck,
P, Lynch, who was killed in the Korean War,
Plattsburgh Motor
Service, Inc.
210 E. Fayette Street
Syracuse % N* Y.
•i
•5 Iridse Street
••
•
•
ffamkurgH ftO
Serving Transportation Over
* 35 Years with Branches in
Massena, Malone, Saronac Lake
and Port Henry
m
to
«
-§..
u
r
I
y
IK
m
New York & Albany
Dispatch Co.* Inc.
Shorren Avaiwe
Ph*f*yrejh, N. Y.
PHONI 4276 sad 4277
Freight Service All Points
Between New York and Montreal
•**?•
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