United States Military Academy West Point - Howitzer Yearbook (West Point, NY)

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G. I. Fiebeger, Corps of Engineers. Professor Fiebeger had served for Eve years as assistant professor of engineering before his appointment as professor, and also served in the department of philosophy immediately after his graduation. In the early history of the Academy, instruction in practical mili- tary engineering seems to have been consolidated with the department of engineering under the title of Actual Operations on the Groundf' However, in August, I842, Captain A. J. Swift, Corps of Engineers, was assigned to duty as instructor in practical military engineering. About one year after this department was inaugurated, the head of the department became a member of the Academic Board, and since then the department has been distinct and separate in itself. From its inauguration in 1842 to the present time, IQOS, there have been twenty-five heads of the Department of Practical Military Engineer- ing, all of whom have been officers of the Corps of Engineers. Colonel Michie, afterwards professor of philosophy, and Colonel Goethals, at present in charge of the Panama Canal, were each at the head of As most comes into element of department. the department. ' of the work of the department is out of doors, there the number of recitations or drill days the uncertain weather. This, of course, is very inconvenient-to the A detachment of engineers is stationed at West Point, Whose chief duty, except guard duty, is to assist the cadets in this practical work. During the summer encampment, the instruction is given to the hrst class and surveying to the third class. In the fall the first and second classes receive the instruction, and in the spring the First class alone. Q- .

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DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING -- OME time during the years 1795 to l7QS, while the regi- gg. ment of Artillerists and Engineers was stationed at West Point, Colonel Rochefontaine and Captain Riverdi, . -. '1g formerly of the French Army, constructed a small model ' -3---1 front of a fortification. Upon the establishment of the Military Academy, in 1802, instruction in military engineering began at once, and the ele- ments of fortihcation were taught by the use of this model. Until 1818 this instruction was carried on by means of lectures illustrated by the model above mentioned and by field exercises in practical engineering. The lectures were delivered by the Super- intendent until ISO8, by the teacher of French, Francois O. Masson, from ISGS to 1813, and after that by the professor of engineering. The text-book then in use was a small pamphlet of fifty pages, translated from the French by Colonel Jonathan Williains, Corps of Engineers, the first Superintendent. The Department of Engineering was established by an act of Con- gress dated April 29, 1812. Under this act, Captain Alden Partridge, Corps of Engineers, was appointed professor of engineering. Captain Partridge graduated from the Academy October 30, 1806. He served as assistant professor of mathematics at the Academy from 1806 to 1811, and as principal assistant of the same department from 1812 until he was appointed professor of engineering. Much of the time while he was professor of engineering he was also Su- perintendent of the Academy, and therefore was little occupied with the work of his department. Professor Claude Crozet, who had been assistant professor of en- gineering since October, 1816, succeeded Professor Partridge. Professor Crozet made radical changes in his department, and at the same time Major Sylvanus Thayer, the new Superintendent, instituted many reforms in the other departments. Professor Crozet was, on May 1, 1823, succeeded by Professor David B. Douglass. Professor Douglass was appointed to the Corps of Engineers in 1813, and had served at the Academy as assistant professor of nat- ural and experimental philosophy for five years, and as professor of mathematics for three years before his appointment as professor of engineering, which office he held for eight years. Professor Douglass resigned March 1, 1831, and was succeeded by Professor Dennis H. Mahan in January, 1832. Professor Mahan graduated from the Academy in 1824, and served then as assistant professor of mathematics for one year after his graduation, and as acting professor of engineering from 1830 to 1832. Between 1825 and 1830 he studied in Europe, and after his appointment as professor he prepared the hrst satisfactory set of text-books for this department. Professor Mahan died September 16, 1871, and was succeeded by Professor Julius B. VVheeler, after a successful administration of thirty-nine years. Professor 'Wheeler graduated from the Academy in the class of 1855, he was hrst assigned to the Cavalry and afterwards trans- ferred to the Engineers. He had served two terms of two years each as assistant professor of mathematics before his appointment as professor of engineering. Professor Wheeler made no extensive changes in the course of instruction, and retired in September, 1884, being succeeded by Professor James Mercur. Professor Mercur graduated in the class of 1866, and was assigned to the Corps of Engineers. Before his appointment as professor of engineering he had served two terms at the Academy as as- sistant professor of natural and experimental philosophy. Pro- fessor Mercur died in April, 1896, and was succeeded by Captain

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DEPARTMENT OF LAW AND HISTORY 28