Virginia Military Institute - Bomb Yearbook (Lexington, VA)

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Modern Rathood. Nine o ' clock on a warm e ' eniug in the latter part of August, ' 95, a solitary figure could be seen sauntering along beneath the maples, which line the walk from the limit gate to the Cadet Barracks of the ' . M. I. He looked curiously at the line of old cannon, bisected b ' the Washington statue, which to the stranger appear so picturesque beneath the dai ' k green maple leaves of a summer evening ; and he gazed at the barracks, which stood white and ghostly in the moonlight. He passed through the arch. All was deserted. It was entirely too early in the year for man - new cadets to arri -e — to say nothing of the old men. He was met by Mr. Wintfield, who told him that five men had arrived that dav, each of whom was, like himself, one of those much-talked-about and unfortunate aninrals — Rals. He matriculated next morning, w-as introduced to the Superintendent, and then made his way, under escort, to his future lodgings for ten long months — the barracks. Up the steps he climbed until he reached the garret, so to speak, the abode of the Rats ; but, although the fourth stoop is so high above this earth, the Rats for the first few weeks have some difficulty in looking upon it either as a heaven or a ha ■en. His room was not exacth- like the one at home in its furnishings, but he was aware such would be the case, and, with the glamour of new surroundings to cheer him, he began to unpack. While so busied with two room-mates, w ' ith whom he had chosen to live for the next ten months and to bear the ills to come in one common burden, he was interrupted by a 3-oung gentleman who sauntered in, remarking, Howdy do. Rats ! This was an epoch in the Rat ' s career. From that moment he dropped his name for ten long months, and was to be known, except in his own class or in the section-room, onh ' as Rat or blister. Oh, how often and in what different tones of voice was he destined to hear that simple yet potent word — Ral . ' After some questions as to name, place of residence, and so on, the ' isitor left. He was an old hand, a first class-man, so he paid but little attention to Rat affairs. The Rat thought this a ery mild form of hazing. Alas ! no third class-men had yet arrived, and he therefore knew not the waj ' s of that greatest of all Rat disciplin- arians, the man who, with a joy beyond all others, had dropped his tail to the tune of Auld Lang Syne the year before. He blacked his shoes and got ready for dinner, and at the beat of the first drum he went down in front of barracks, where he found a number of his brother Rats. At the second drum they were formed in line by a spruce cadet Corporal, whose white trousers and close-fitting blouse contrasted strangely with the ' arious cits of the Rats. Having had the mysteries of the facings explained, and being told that left foot first was the wa - to set themselves in motion, they were marched to the Mess Hall, and on the way there and back the Corporal found faults enough with the different gaits of his awkward recruits to make them believe thev had never walked before.

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are even now rising- to Heaven for tlieir darlings ' safety. Oh, that some pitying hand would stretch out to stav them ; but, on, on, on, tliey march, right into the jaws of the black monsters. Now they enter the smoke ; they disappear. The thunder of six great gims is silenced. A juvenile shout is heard, and the sur ' ivors of that little band of heroes ha -e captured the battery. Scarcelv have we realized that they are victors, until we find that they manned the captured guns and turned them down our lines. The supporting line of rebel infantry dash across the plain, with the blood of four of these yoinig heroes. Forward moves the entire line of the enemy. The rebel yell is given as they dash towards our demoralized troops. Our right is crowded back ; the centre wavers. We run our guns forward, and by cross-firing again check the rebel advance on the centre. Back, back, swings our right ; confusion takes the place of order, and -e see our infantrx ' hurrying to recross the Shenandoah. Batteries limber up and gallop back to take a new position across the ri er. The ca -alry and our battery are ordered to cover the retreat. We move over to the pike. Dead and wounded thickl) ' strew our pathwa ' . Carefulh ' we move them to one side or pick onr wav among them. Fire in retreat ! Fix prolonge ! is the order. The trail of the gun is attached to the limber by a rope, and, as we retreat slowh ' in the direction of the bridge, we drag our guns with the muzzles pointing towards the enemy, loading as we march, halting a second to aim and fire, and so retreat, stubbornly contesting e •ery inch of our journey back. The enemy seem to have a wholesome respect for us. They have learned from bitter experience that we are an ugh ' foe to face, and they hesitate to make a dash toward our black muzzles. ;!£

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At dinner they were told that if you want anything, Rats, just ask for it, whereupon Old Sam, who was in hearing, showed his teeth in a sorrowful sort of a smile, as if he thought, Alas I ye poor gullible unfortunates I He understood it all, for he had seen too many a Rat in former times innocently tell him to bring in the fruit or the finger-bowl. In a few days the barracks began to fill up. First, the arrivals were only the writer ' s brother Rats, but soon began to arrive the old cadets — they who lavish so much tender interest and care upon the Rat ' s education — and in a few days the Rats were -ery happy. They were happ - because some ancient sage has remarked that he is the happiest man who makes the most men happy, and we must certainly, then, have had a good time, for we were giving some of the old cadets boundless enjoyment. One feature of by-gone days was absent. The ' . I. I. has a high militarv reputation, and, accordingly, teaches all drill pertaining to the bayonet ; but so thorough is the military work here that the cadets of former vears seemed to think that the bayonet drill alone was not sufficient, and accordingly they devised a Manual for the Bayonet Scabbai-d, a most irksome and painful exercise for a recruit, but which is stipposed to have many good effects. This drill continued long in use and manv a Rat learned tlie drill under a painful training, until, one year, the powei ' s that be, thought the svstem was being overdone, and a pledge was put in order two years ago which has practically done away itll the time-honored s ■stem of bucking. The writer will not endeavor to argue the merits of the system. Although a Rat, and liable to its instruction, he thinks that bucking, to a certain extent, possesses some advantages, but then again he never crawls into his bed at taps btit a feeling of thankfulness is experienced that he has not been called upon to go through a time which tried Rats ' souls. The writer, however, had a few preliminary lessons from some kindly gentlemen, who slipped into barracks before signing the pledge, and thinks that the.se few lessons are perfectly sufficient, and that his mind is fulh capable of understanding all that pertains to this exercise without further practical instruction. But, although bucking is now no more, there is many another way in which the Rat furnishes the old cadet with amusement, and acquires for himself a part of his education otherwise not to be gained. lilitary etiquette is thoroughly impressed tipon his mind, and he learns the use of the word Sir ver ' soon and of putting the handle Mr. to every old cadet ' s name. He maintains that fonnalitv for ten months at least, and it is good training for him, too. To strengthen his shoulders and to give him a graceful and erect carriage, is the old cadet ' s constant labor during the first few weeks, and to this end he has invented finning out. At first the Rat has to have it explained, but in a few days he learns what it means, and then the third class-man has onh- to make a motion with his own wrists to cause the Rat to fairly crack his shoulder-blades in the endea -or to keep his palms to the front and perpendicular to his thigh-bones. To train him for service in the field, the old cadet has taught him to forage for provisions. This is taught by requesting every Rat in sight to covertlv con e -, beneath a tight blouse, about seven ham sandwiches from the ' Mess Hall, after Stiuday