The work by Thomas William John Connolly traces the history of the military artificers, sappers, and miners from the inception of the Soldier-Artificer Company at Gibraltar in March seventeen seventy-two until the redesignation of the corps as Royal Engineers in October eighteen fifty-six. The author addresses the initial reliance on unreliable civil mechanics whose lack of discipline and order crippled the progress of fortifications at Gibraltar. To resolve this, Lieutenant-Colonel William Green proposed forming a military company of skilled tradesmen, providing a reliable force for both construction and defense. The narrative details the four-year siege of Gibraltar, highlighting the terrible privations, the devastating bombardment by Spanish battering flotillas, the grand sorties, and the extraordinary construction of subterranean galleries under the direction of Sergeant-Major Henry Ince.
The volume continues through the legislative struggles in Parliament, where the formation of the corps was debated as a dangerous innovation and an infringement on liberties, defended by the Duke of Richmond as a measure of economy and military necessity. The text expands into the organization of the companies across home dockyards and foreign stations, detailing their participation in major campaigns including Flanders, the West Indies, the Peninsula, Egypt, and North America. The narrative captures the mechanics of sieges, the construction of pontoon bridges, the terrible mortality from tropical fevers, and the internal disciplinary challenges within the corps. The history emphasizes the close connection between the royal engineer officers and the soldiers of the corps, showcasing how their technical skill and endurance contributed to the defense and strategic success of the British Empire.
