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the military art under a father, that in forty years service, has been present at two hundred sieges, and who had himself passed through all the military grades, and arrived from an inferior to a superior rank, but after having deserved each successive promotion by some distinguished action.

A slight attention to the circumstances, and the actual position of our country, must lead to the conviction, that a well connected series of fortifications, is an object of the highest importance to the United States, not only as these will be conducive to the general security, but as a means of lessening the necessity, and consequently the expense of a large military establishment.

By strongly fortifying our harbours and frontiers, we may reasonably expect, either to keep at a distance the calamities of war, or render it less injurious when it shall happen. It is behind these ponderous masses only, that a small number of men can maintain themselves for length of time against superior forces. Imposing therefore upon an enemy, who may have every thing to transport across the Atlantic, the necessity of undertaking long and hazardous seizures, encreases the chances against his undertaking them at all, or if he does, in despite of such circumstances, ensures to us the time he must consume in his operations, to rally our means to a point and unite our efforts to resist him.

We must not conclude from these brief observations, that the services of the Engineer is limited to constructing, connecting, consolidating, and keeping in repair fortifications. This is but a single branch of their profession, though indeed a most important one. Their utility extends to almost every department of war, and every description of general officers, besides embracing whatever respects public buildings, roads, bridges, canals and all such works of a civil nature. I consider it therefore a vast consequence to the United States, that it should form in its own bosom, and out of its own native materials, been qualified to place the