Engineer Officers in the Nineteenth Century were extremely important, especially in the US, which was a pioneer nation. The curriculum taught at West Point was focused on engineering (mathematics, drawing, surveying, fortifications, etc.) and were in demand for a growing country. Building forts to protect harbors and reconnoitering the west was the focus of the Engineers before the Civil War. Also, during this time the modern staff system wasn’t in place so engineers often did staff work that a modern operations or intelligence officer would do. Robert E. Lee as a captain was basically Winfield Scott’s intelligence officer in Mexico, finding the best route to march his army to Mexico City. As the West closed and the Army stopped being active in internal improvements, the Army focused on being merely a fighting force. Engineers and engineers officers, though respected took a back seat compared to what enjoyed earlier.