164 EULOGY ON THE LATE GENERAL JOSEPH G. TOTTEN. 



endowed him for the profession that he had chosen. His attention to the per- 

 formance of his professional duties amounted to a devotion. 



"Whilst steadily adhering to Avhat had been well settled by experience, and 

 withstanding the ill-directed efforts of that class of men of whom some are to 

 be found in all bodies, Avho seize upon every novelty and press it into the service 

 of their own crude notions, he was far from rejecting well-reasoned projects of 

 improvement, and encouraged, as his own immediate works show, every step 

 towards real progress. Although not belonging to the class of mere inventors, 

 he had that invaluable fiiculty to one holding a position of so great public re- 

 sponsibility, of detecting the fallacies with which this class too frequently de- 

 ceive themselves as well as others." 



In 1SG3, iinder the law uniting into one the two corps of engineei'S and topo- 

 graphical engineers, General Totten was advanced to the full grade of brigadier 

 general. A few days before his death the Senate unanimously confirmed his 

 nomination by the President to be "major general by brevet, for long, faithful, 

 and eminent services." Never were such distinction and such commendation 

 more fitly bestowed. 



Giving the precedence in order to duties most intimately connected with his 

 profession, I now turn to General Totten's important labors in establishing and 

 maintaining our present light-house system. 



The attention of Congress having been called to the pressing necessity for 

 introducing certain reforms, administrative and executive, into the light-house 

 system of the United States, that body, after full discussion of the subject, 

 passed an act (approved March 3, 1S5]) stipulating that from and after that 

 date, in all new light-houses and all light-houses requiring illuminating appa- 

 ratus, the lens or i resnel system should be adopted. 



Another chapter of the same act provided for the appointment of a commis- 

 sion, to be composed of two oflicers of engineers of the army, and such civil 

 officers of high scientific attainments as might be under the orders or at the dis- 

 position of the Treasury Department, and a junior oflicer of the navy as secre- 

 tary, whose duty it should be to inquire into the condition of the light-house 

 establishment of the United States, and to make a general detailed report and 

 programme to guide legislation in extending and improving oiir present system 

 of construction, illumination, inspection, and superintendence. 



The board, as constituted by the President, consisted of Commander W. B. 

 Shubrick, General J. G. Totten, Colonel James Kearney, Captain S. F. Du- 

 pont. United States navy. Professor A. Dallas Bache, superintendent United 

 States coast survey, and Thornton A. Jenkins, United States navy, as secretary. 



Its labors were directed first to demonstrating the evils, irregularities, and 

 abuses which had crept into the light-house service under the management of 

 the Fifth Auditor of the treasury, (the late venerable and highly respected 

 Stephen Pleasonton,) among Avhich were found to be those arising from de- 

 fective principles of construction, renovation, and repair of light-houses, inade- 

 quate protection to sites and badly planned and poorly constructed sea-walls. 

 It may readily be understood how the peculiarly practical mind of General Tot- 

 ten, brought to bear upon these and kindred subjects of inquiry, developed and 

 demonstrated the necessity of at once employing proper scientific systems and 

 plans of construction. His assistance in collecting data was found invaluable, 

 and his lucid, clear mind was equally to be trusted in detecting faults and in de- 

 vising the remedy. 



Without entering into a detailed account of the labors of this board of inquiry, 

 it is sufficient to state that the mass of evidence collected by it was so irresisti- 

 ble in proof of existing errors, that Congress, under date of August 31, 1852, 

 passed an act which created a permanent light-house board, to which was con- 

 fided all the duties of the establishment. General Totten was appointed to this 



