U.S. Military Commission to the Crimean War, 1855-1856

This study examines the U.S. Military Commission sent by the Secretary of War to observe the Crimean War in 1855 and 1856, to determine why the commission was sent, where it went, and the results achieved by the commissions efforts. A survey of the literature on the U.S. involvement in the Crimean War in general, and the Military Commission specifically, indicates that little has been written on either. It is shown that while the official policy of the United States was strict neutrality, many private citizens involved themselves in the conflict. The nation was able to use the conflict to realize one of its age-old goals: recognition of the rights of neutrals on the seas. The U.S. Military Commission was the only official involvement in the conflict. In a time of rapid national expansion and minimum military manpower resources, the three-man commission was sent to study the art of war as it was being practiced in Europe. It was to study the "new" technology in fortifications, and armaments, and the organization of European armies to see if there might be some application to improve the effectiveness and capability of the U.S. Army in defending the vast new territory. Although extensive reports were written by the commission, little was incorporated until well into the Civil War.