MAPS Texas Sabine Pass Canal LETTER THE SECRETARY OF WAR, FROM THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS 1898

[Ship Canal At Sabine Pass, Texas]. Letter From the Secretary of War Transmitting a Letter From the Chief of Engineers in Response to the Joint Resolution of Congress Approved May 28, 1898, Relating to a Ship Canal at Sabine Pass, Texas. [Washington]: [1898]. Removed from a bound volume, some chipping and wear; sold AS IS.
The report, dated 1898, details plans for a strategic waterway improvement project at Sabine Pass, Texas. This document would have been crucial for military logistics and naval operations, as it outlines the development of a ship canal that could enhance maritime access and naval mobility along the Gulf Coast, with large fold-out plans and maps (not collated).
The Sabine Pass area had already proven its military importance during the Civil War, and this proposed canal would further augment its strategic value. By improving navigation and allowing larger vessels to access the area, the project would strengthen coastal defenses, facilitate troop and supply movements, and potentially support naval operations in the Gulf of Mexico. This report, coming just as the Spanish-American War was beginning, underscores the U.S. military's focus on enhancing its coastal infrastructure and naval capabilities during a period of expanding American influence.