History of the Army Corp of Engineers at West Point Essay

History of the Army Corp of Engineers at West Point - Essay Example The main responsibility delegated to these engineers was to operate the U.S Military Academy at West Point (Office of history, U.S, 2007). Thomas Jefferson established this Corps of Engineers by stating "that the said corps, when so organized, shall be stationed at West Point, and shall constitute a military academy" (U.S Army Corps of Engineers, web). It was up to 1866 that the West Point Academy Superintendent was also performing the functions of the Chief of Engineers. It was during those times that all the members of the Corps had been West Point graduates. All the construction done at the U.S Military Academy was undertaken by the Corps till 1861. This construction was resumed after a gap in 1941. Jonathon William was the Chief of Engineers and the first controller of West Point in 1807. He was held responsible for strengthening the ramparts at the doorway of New York Harbor when the risk of British attach was high subsequent to England’s trade embargo. During the 1812 wa r not a single defense built by an engineering graduate of West Point was overrun by the British. In the initial phase of the Civil War, the Corps constructed five structures, namely, the ‘Fort Hamilton, Schuyler, Totten, Tompkins and Wadsworth’ in the New York region (U.S Army Corps of Engineers, web).