Navigator
Peter Smith Michie
The Dutch Gap Canal
In Britain the word "navvie" is a slang term for a labourer. The term derives from the name given to the thousands of labourers who built the inland waterways system in the United Kingdom during the 18th and 19th centuaries, they were called "Navigators" presumably because the navigated the canals through all sorts of terrain.
Peter Smith Michie was in charge of the construction of the Dutch Gap canal, an attempt to outflank the Confederate obstructions and gunboats on the James River.
Although he didn't graduate from West Point until the Civil War was half over, Scottish born Peter, still emerged from the conflict with the regular army brevet of Brigadier General.
Having settled as a child in Ohio, he received his appointment from that state and was number two in the class of 1863 at the military academy. Accordingly he was assigned to the engineers and his assignments included:- 1st Lieutenant, Engineers (June 11 1863), Lieutenant Colonel and Assistant Adjutant General (March 23 - June 6 1865) and Captain, Engineers (November 23 1865). His early service came in operations against Charleston and in Florida.
Joining Butler's command in Virginia, he was soon placed in charge of the Dutch Gap canal. Using mainly coloured troops for digging, the project was not completed in time to affect the security of Richmond, the city having already fallen. However Michie was brevetted Brigadier General for his work in front of Richmond and Petersburg in 1864.
After the war he performed routine engineering duties until 1871 when he became professor in philosophy at his alma mater. He served for the three decades until his death. He also engaged in writing Military History and was the author of biographies on Emory Upton, George B McClellan and a collective work on coastal defences. He also wrote on scientific subjects.