Blogging Through the Alphabet: E is for Engineering During the American Civil War

 

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Great feats of engineering took place before and during the American Civil War. According to U.S. General George G. Meade, "The art of bridge building advanced more during 1861-1865 than during the previous one thousand years." Just how did the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impact the war? 

Who Were the Engineers? 

Only a small portion of those who graduated at the top of their class at West Point would enter the Corps of Engineers. Men like Robert E. Lee, George McClellan, Henry Halleck, Joseph Johnston, George Meade, Gouverneur K. Warren, and P.G.T. Beauregard were all members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prior to the start of the American Civil War. 

Prior to the American Civil War, the engineers would build public buildings and monuments in Washington D.C., and install pipes to transport water, and bridges. They also surveyed land out west, oversaw the construction of lighthouses, maintained harbors, and managed the permanent fortifications to protect the nation. They were a permanent branch of the Army.

What Did They Do During the War? 

The top engineers would guard railroads and bridges and often never saw combat. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers mapped areas, aided in the construction of different bridges and forts, destroyed enemy supply lines, and assisted in siege warfare. 

They were vital because they built and fortified important forts, bridges, and locations to such an extent that they survived the war. For example, the bridges at Washington experienced ten times the volume expected during the war, yet they remained unarmed by all the additional traffic. In addition to the bridges around Washington D.C., they also worked on the multi-fort ring of defenses for the capital. By the end of the war, there were sixty-eight forts within a thirty-seven-mile perimeter to defend the capital. This freed up important generals and troops to enter the battlefield rather than needed to stay behind to defend the capital and White House. 

There were also men from the engineers who served on the battlefield by working as carpenters, masons, and other skilled workers. They would also help construct the pontoon bridges and direct the siege warfare during battles. And after a Confederate town or city fell to the Union, engineers would enter and rebuild the infrastructure. They would repair such things as the railroad lines to reconnect the city with the surrounding countryside. 

Herman Haupt, born in Philadelphia, PA, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1835. He would go to work as a railroad engineer and would also spend time as a mathematics and engineering professor at Pennsylvania College.  Prior to the American Civil War, he patented a portable truss technique that bears his name - Haupt Truss. Two of his Haupt truss bridges still stand in Altoona and Ardmore, PA. They were both built in 1854. He would receive the rank of colonel and be put in charge of the US Military Railroad System, but after being named a brigadier in September 1862, he turned in his commission and worked without rank or pay. He did not want any restrictions on his work which the commission brought. His organized trains kept the Union Army well-equipped and supplied. 

There are many locations that feature the engineering work of the men during the American Civil War including:  

• Washington's Long Bridge across the Potomac River 
• Trestle bridge near Whiteside, VA
• Cabin John Bridge 
• Fort Stevens 

Even with so much destruction, the American Civil War did bring with it advancements in different areas, such as engineering. 

You can read more about Herman Haupt to find out what he did, in addition to the small bit of information I included here. And you might also be interested to know how Gouverneur K. Warren impacted the battle of Gettysburg, too.