Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/126

114 After giving a short history of the bridge and telling of the erasure of Jefferson Davis' name. Major Cosby summarized his report as follows:

"While I have been able to find nothing in the official records as to the erasure of this name, it is understood that it was cut out in 1862, at the order of the Secretary of the Interior, under whose department the aqueduct had at that time been placed.

"In view of the name given the arch and inscribed on the corresponding panel of the opposite abutment, the replacing of the name of Mr. Davis at this time would partake of a certain grim irony which would mar what otherwise might seem a gracious act. The policy of such an act is not thought to be a proper matter for discussion in this report.

"The argument of Mr. Phillips for the restoration of the name of Jefferson Davis loses force from the fact that he is mistaken in his principal point. Jefferson Davis was not Secretary of War when 'Cabin John Bridge' was built, and I can find nothing in our records to show that he ever saw or approved the plans for that structure. He was Secretary of War when work on other parts of the aqueduct was started, in 1853, but the plans which he then recommended for approval showed a bridge of five arches over Cabin John Valley. The actual construction work on the bridge was begun in 1857, shortly after Mr. Davis ceased to be Secretary of War.

"Many of the drawings and estimates made during the early period of the construction of 'Cabin John Bridge' bear the name of Alfred L. Rives as assistant or division engineer, in addition to that of M. C. Meigs as chief engineer. It does not appear that Mr. Rives' name was ever placed on the tablet at 'Cabin John Bridge,' although it is engraved with that of five other assistant engineers in the gatehouse at Great Falls. It has been stated that it was the intention of Captain Meigs to have Mr. Rives' name placed on the bridge, but that he changed his mind when Mr. Rives left the work in 1861, when it was only partially completed.