In 1824 Congress passed an act "to procure the necessary surveys, plans, and estimates on the subject of roads and canals". One of the surveys to be developed was for a National road from the nation's Capital to New Orleans. Following this, Secretary of War, the Hon. James Barbour tasked the Board of Internal Improvement to begin in the Month of March 1825 an examination and reconnaissance of different routes between Washington and New Orleans. Three routes were chosen for consideration, an Eastern route along the Atlantic, a Western Route through the Blue Ridge Valleys, and a middle route between the two.
The Eastern or Atlantic route passed through the capitals of Richmond, Raleigh, Columbia and Milledgville. This route followed a line running either south or north of the Alabama River. The Middle Route passed through Salisbury, North Carolina and stayed East of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Western route crossed the Blue Ridge at Rockfish Gap and traveled through the Valley through Fairfax and Knoxville. For each of the routes, the plan was to collect the same observations and measurements and condense them into a set of tables so that the facts of each route could be arranged and classed together for comparison. The reconnaissance mission was to follow the entire length of the road and gather geological information in order to show the nature of the materials of which each road may be constructed, capturing the nature of the soil, the length of bridges and causeways that would be needed, the gradation, and the total distance required to travel. In addition, report was to capture the population along the way, the potential cost of materials and the price of labor.
Aside from geological information, the report also considered political, military and the transportation of mail. From a political perspective, the report considered not only the operations of the federal government, but also the facilitating of intercourse between the several states. From a military consideration, the routes were reviewed with respect to the ability to concentrate forces and the marching of troops in cases of a foreign invasion. For mail, consideration was not only given to the shortest time of travel, but also to the accommodation population centers along the way.
In President John Qunicy Adam's 1825 State of the Union Report, he reported that pertaining to the 1824 act, the survey of the National Road was nearly complete, as was the surveys for other canals such as the Chesapeake and Ohio.
"The Board of Engineers for Internal Improvement, appointed for carrying into execution the act of Congress of 1824-04-30, "to procure the necessary surveys, plans, and estimates on the subject of roads and canals", have been actively engaged in that service from the close of the last session of Congress. They have completed the surveys necessary for ascertaining the practicability of a canal from the Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio River, and are preparing a full report on that subject, which, when completed, will be laid before you. The same observation is to be made with regard to the two other objects of national importance upon which the Board have been occupied, namely, the accomplishment of a national road from this city to New Orleans, and the practicability of uniting the waters of Lake Memphramagog with Connecticut River and the improvement of the navigation of that river. The surveys have been made and are nearly completed. The report may be expected at an early period during the present session of Congress."In 1826, Adams announced that the second report on the survey was now ready and would soon be laid before congress. The second report included a general plans and an initial estimate of the work needed.
"By the act of 1824-04-30, suggested and approved by my predecessor, the sum of $30K was appropriated for the purpose of causing to be made the necessary surveys, plans, and estimates of the routes of such roads and canals as the President of the United States might deem of national importance in a commercial or military point of view, or necessary for the transportation of the public mail. The surveys, plans, and estimates for each, when completed, will be laid before Congress.
In execution of this act a board of engineers was immediately instituted, and have been since most assiduously and constantly occupied in carrying it into effect. The first object to which their labors were directed, by order of the late President, was the examination of the country between the tide waters of the Potomac, the Ohio, and Lake Erie, to ascertain the practicability of a communication between them, to designate the most suitable route for the same, and to form plans and estimates in detail of the expense of execution.
On 1825-02-03, they made their first report, which was immediately communicated to Congress, and in which they declared that having maturely considered the circumstances observed by them personally, and carefully studied the results of such of the preliminary surveys as were then completed, they were decidedly of opinion that the communication was practicable.
At the last session of Congress, before the board of engineers were enabled to make up their second report containing a general plan and preparatory estimate for the work, the Committee of the House of Representatives upon Roads and Canals closed the session with a report expressing the hope that the plan and estimate of the board of engineers might at this time be prepared, and that the subject be referred to the early and favorable consideration of Congress at their present session. That expected report of the board of engineers is prepared, and will forthwith be laid before you."
References
Presidency.ucsb.edu. (2018). John Quincy Adams: First Annual Message. [online] Available at: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29467 [Accessed 12 Jan. 2018].
Presidency.ucsb.edu. (2018). John Quincy Adams: Second Annual Message. [online] Available at: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29468 [Accessed 3 Mar 2018].
House Documents, Otherwise Publ. as Executive Documents: 13th, Volume 9. (n.d.). Congress, 2d Session-49th Congress, 1st Session, Volume 9, pp.3-28.
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