APPENDIX A A A.

EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE PLATTE.

REPORT OF LIEUTENANT DAN C. KING MAN, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1885.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE PLATTE,
ENGINEER OFFICE (IN THE FIELD),

Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyo., September 9, 1885. GENERAL: I have the honor to submit, as engineer officer of this military department, the following report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1885.

The field work that has been done under my direction has been the construction of roads and bridges in the Yellowstone National Park. Of this work a separate report has been rendered to cover the working season of 1884, and as soon as the present season closes a report will be submitted to cover the rest of the year.

In July, 1884, I organized a party at Fort Fred Steele, Wyo., and made a reconnaissance northward from Rawlins to Fort McKinney, Wyo., a distance of about 220 miles. The object of this reconnaissance was to ascertain if a suitable wagon-route between these two points could be found. The work occupied about three weeks, and a report of it was submitted to the department commander August 5, 1884. This comprises all the field work done under my direction during the year.

The work in the office has consisted in making drawings on linen of the plans of all the posts, and of the plots of all the military reservations in the department excepting Fort D. A. Russell, Wyo., which was in the course of reconstruction, and in regard to which I could obtain no accurate information. From each of these drawings from seventeen to twenty blue prints were made. Printed descriptions of each post and reservation were also prepared. Ten copies of each blue print and of each legend were, in compliance with instructions, forwarded to division headquarters, and three copies were furnished to the Chief of Engineers. The commanding officer of each military post was also furnished with a set pertaining to his post. The remaining copies were retained for use at department headquarters.

I also caused the notes of the reconnaissance heretofore described to be plotted, and prepared an itinerary of the route.

I also caused to be prepared and placed in the hands of the printer the manuscript for a new edition of the tables of distances and itineraries of routes in the Department of the Platte.

I have also commenced the construction of a map of the Department of the Platte, upon a scale suitable for publication. Good progress has been made upon this work.

In the month of March, 1885, I visited Sioux Falls, Iowa, as a member of a commission to examine and report upon the United States penitentiary building at that place, in compliance with a letter of the Adju tant-General of the Army, February 18, 1885.

As heretofore the office has been without funds during the entire year, and many of the office supplies have been exhausted. From time to time drawing and photographic materials, in limited quantities, have, by direction of the department commander, been furnished by the Quartermaster's Department for current use.

Maps, itineraries, topographical note-books, and surveying and reconnoitering instruments have been issued to officers of the department as requested, and other matter of routine pertaining to the engineer office at a department headquarters have been regularly attended to.

Topographical Assistant Robert Stone has been on duty throughout the year, and Topographical Assistant Henry Kehl was on duty until May 12, when he was honorably discharged the service at his own request. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,

U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.

DAN C. KINGMAN, First Lieutenant of Engineers.

APPENDIX B B B.

EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF DAKOTA.

REPORT OF LIEUTENANT JOHN BIDDLE, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1885.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF DAKOTA,
OFFICE CHIEF ENGINEER OFFICER,

Fort Snelling, Minn., July 13, 1885. GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations carried on in this office during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1885.

PERSONNEL.

Private Edward B. Summers, topographical assistant, has been employed throughout the year. Private Albert W. Turner, topographical assistant, was discharged at his own request on September 30, 1884. Private Ernest Rakowiez, topographical assistant, has been on duty since September 30, 1884. First-class Private Herman F. Strebe, Company A, Battalion of Engineers, has been on duty throughout the year. Two privates from the Twenty-fifth Infantry have been on daily duty in the office.

These assistants all deserve credit for their attention to duty and for their valuable services.

WORK PERFORMED.

Field work. The boundary line of the Yankton Indian Reservation was resurveyed and marked by this office during July and August, 1884. The escort was furnished from Fort Randall, Dak. Report and map of work have been submitted.

The boundary lines of the following military reservations were resurveyed and marked by this office during the summer and fall of 1884: Fort Meade, Dak., Fort Sully, Dak., and Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dak. Report and maps were submitted.

The boundary line of Fort Pembina military reservation, Dakota, was resurveyed during May, 1885. Report not yet submit:ed. In all this work the transit was used by Topographical Assistant E. B. Summers, under my supervision. The boundary line of Fort Randall (Dak.) military reservation was resurveyed and marked by First Lieut. P. F. Davis, Fifteenth Infantry, and report submitted with plat.

The post and reservation of Fort Snelling is being resurveyed and new map prepared.

The commanding officers of all the posts in the department of which there were no reliable maps have caused such surveys as were necessary to be made, and the maps to be drawn.

First Lieut. C. A. Varnum, Seventh Cavalry, submitted a report of a march made by him from Fort Meade, Dak., to the Northern Pacific Railroad and return by two routes. The object was to determine the feasibility of transporting stores from the Northern Pacific Railroad to Fort Meade.

First Lieut. J. P. Thompson submitted a report of a march through the country north of Flathead Lake, Mont., made to investigate the complaints of the settlers against the Indians of that vicinity.

Various scouts have, during this spring, been made in the northern part of the department, and reports submitted. Likewise reports of country passed over on hunting trips have been received.

Considerable work has been done on this reservation at the rifle range, setting out stakes for leveling, determining lines for the laying of water-pipes, &c.

OFFICE WORK.

A new map of the department is in course of drawing, also a large map of the Fort Snelling reservation.

Descriptions of all the military posts in the department have been compiled from data furnished by the post commanders, and plats of the post and reservations, of a size to be bound, with the descriptions, have been prepared to accompany them. Various maps of the reservations surveyed, plans for the quartermaster's department, copies of scouts, &c., have been drawn during the year. Blue-print copies of the department map, and of such other maps as were on hand, have been sent to all who desired them. Other maps, sent from the Chief of Engineers' Office, have been mounted and distributed.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

The principal need of this department is money for the repair of instruments and to obtain material. For these purposes I renew the recommendation made in the Report of 1884, that $300 be appropriated to be used in this office.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN BIDDLE, First Lieutenant, Corps of Engineers. Washington, D. C.

The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,

APPENDIX C C c.

EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CALIFORNIA.

REPORT OF LIEUTENANT THOMAS L. CASEY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1885.

ENGINEER OFFICE,

HEADQUARTERS DIVISION OF THE PACIFIC,
Presidio of San Francisco, Cal., July 20, 1885.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a report of operations in this office for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1885.

Engineer officer in charge from July 1, 1884, to October 1, 1884, Maj. W. A. Jones, Corps of Engineers; from October 1, 1884, to February 1, 1885, Maj. M. B. Adams, Corps of Engineers; from the latter date until the close of the fiscal year the office has been in my charge.

The clerical force has consisted of Topographical Assistants H. H. Price and Clement Winstanley.

At the request of the governor of California, Maj. W. A Jones was ordered to the Needles and Fort Yuma, Cal., for the purpose of making observations for the determination of the latitude and longitude of those points. The reduction of these observations was begun by Maj. M. B. Adams, and is in part completed.

This office is in constant communication with the various railroad companies, who from time to time give information concerning changes in their respective systems. These changes are recorded upon a map kept for that purpose, which is to be forwarded to the Chief of Engineers when sufficiently complete.

As inspector of rifle practice of the Department of California per paragraph 2, General Order No. 1, headquarters Department of California, and as itinerary officer of Light Battery K, First Artillery, on its annual march of instruction, per Special Order No. 33, Department of California, March 27, 1885, I have been personally enabled to gather several additional items, which will aid in the preparation of the abovementioned map. The regions inspected under the first head are those about San Diego and Fort Gaston, and under the latter an important section of country embraced by Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Marin counties. Meteorological observations were also taken at stated hours of the day during the march of instruction. Operations have also been directed to the following ends: Surveys for military purposes.

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