Captain G. W. Hughes, after important services in the duties of his corps with the army in North Mexico, and afterwards at Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo, returned to the States emaciated and broken down by the climate, his fatigues and exposures. But rapidly recovering his health, he was placed at the head of a regiment of volunteers, and immediately went back with his command to Mexico. His march from Vera Cruz to Jalapa is spoken of as one of great merit and severe trial, in which he on several occasions encountered and beat the enemy. He was then made military and civil governor of the department of Jalapa and Perote, and by his highly judicious, energetic, prompt, and well-judged measures, was mainly instrumental in keeping that extensive district quiet as well as the whole road from thence to Vera Cruz. He continued in this command until the termination of the war, when he returned to the United States, and has since resumed his duties in his corps, with the brevet of major.

First Lieutenant W. H. Emory. This officer accompanied General Kearny throughout his important and perilous march from the Missouri to the Pacific, as the chief of his engineer staff, executing also, towards the close of those operations, the duty of adjutant general to General Kearny’s command. After the fighting in California had ceased, he was ordered back to the United States with despatches for the War Department. He was soon afterwards appointed the lieutenant colonel of Colonel Hughes regiment of volunteers (the Maryland and District of Columbia volunteers), and immediately joined him at Jalapa, with a part of that regiment which had not previously marched. He continued with Colonel Hughes until the end of the war, rendering important military services, after which he returned to the United States, and resumed duties in his corps with the brevet rank of captain. He was severely wounded in the conflicts under General Kearny.

I have named these four officers because they were so fortunate as to obtain positions and exercise commands independent of and separate from their proper corps’ function, exhibiting the versatility of talent in the corps, and its ability to fulfil any military duties which it may be found necessary or proper to assign to it.

But there are other duties of the corps of less eclat, but not of less usefulness and importance, which shall now be reported.

All the interesting observations and reconnoitering made by the corps while operating with the armies in Mexico, are now being compiled in a map, under resolutions of the Senate, and will soon be completed, and be submitted to Congress. Of these examinations there has been already laid before Congress, Major Emory’s report and map of General Kearny’s march from the Missouri to the Pacific, and plans of the several engagements in which that command was involved; also Lieutenant Abert’s map of New Mexico, and the report of his examinations of that country. These two reports add much to our geographical knowledge of that region of the world, and furnish great facilities to any future operations in that quarter whether civil, military, or commercial.

There were no engineer soldiers in the United States Army after the company of Bombardiers, Sappers, and Miners was abolished in 1821, until the organization of Company A, Corps of Engineers, in 1846. At the end of the Mexican War, the Chief of Topographical Engineers suggested the advisability of an enlisted force for service with his Corps; but no legislative action was taken. Again in 1858 the venerable old Colonel renewed his recommendations, but Congress paid no heed to his request. Three years later, it became a different story; and Congress was willing to listen to proposals for the promotion of the efficiency of the Engineer and Topographical Corps, as well as of the army as a whole.

The act of August 3, 1861, to increase the military establishment added three first and three second lieutenants to each Corps. It also increased the enlisted personnel of the Corps of Engineers from one company to a battalion of four companies of one hundred and fifty non-commissioned officers and privates each. Another act, approved three days later, provided two new lieutenant-colonelcies and four majorities, in each Corps, and authorized the Topographical Corps to raise a company of soldiers.

Recruiting for the topographical company was promptly begun in Boston; but does not seem to have achieved much success, for when the two engineer corps were merged in 1863, it is said, only ten enlisted men were transferred by the Corps of Topographical Engineers to the Battalion of Engineers. The company organization, such as it was, was then lost. After the war the authority to maintain a company of topographical engineers was utilized by adding Company E to the Battalion of Engineers. This company, for sentimental purposes. May be considered as the heir of the Topographical Engineers traditions. Let us follow then its career for a moment. During the Spanish-American War it served in Cuba, together with Company C, as a part of the 5^th Army Corps. The company returned to its former station at West Point in September, 1898. It remained there until July, 1900, when it was ordered to China. En route thither the Company was diverted to Manila, where it debarked in September. It was engaged in all manner of pioneer work during the Philippine Insurrection. Under the reorganization act of February 2, 1901, by which the single battalion of Engineers was increased to three battalions, Company E became Company C of the First Battalion of Engineers. In July, 1916, the First Battalion of Engineers was expanded into the First Regiment of Engineers, and Companies C and D were split up to form the new companies D, E, and F. As the companies were still further divided in 1917 when the Sixth Engineers was formed from a portion of the First, it is hardly profitable to try to trace further the descent of the old Topographical Engineers.

Shortly after the commencement of the War of Secession, Colonel Abert was retired, September 9, 1861, from the Bureau of Topographical Engineers, after nearly fifty years of service. He was succeeded by Colonel Stephen H. Long. Under his direction the Topographical Engineers served well in field and office; but at the end of two years of grim war, it had been conclusively demonstrated that it was not advisable in a major emergency for the engineer service to be divided into two distinct corps. This was the consensus of opinion of the officers in both corps. Congress, therefore, by act of March 3, 1863, abolished the Corps of Topographical Engineers; and directed that the fifty-two officers, who heretofore had fastened their coats with buttons bearing the old English TE, should henceforth wear Essayons.