United States Military Academy West Point - Howitzer Yearbook (West Point, NY)

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every moment must bc devoted to acquiring practical pro- ficiency in the arts of war, and where mental and moral power must be gained through 1lSC'f'llf knowledge-knowl- edge that can be used at three o'clock in the morning, and on the battleheld. It is not desired to turn out specialists in mathematics or physics. The graduated officer will nearly always be called upon to act rather as an inspector than as an originator. And this is said in full recognition of the many important inventions and discoveries due to army officers of exceptional talent. Idealism.-Wfe constantly hear that idealism is inculcated in the college. The unspoken inference often is that the scientinc school, and Cl foriiori a school like VVest Point, does not make idealists. The conclusion is incorrect. I make bold to say that the graduates of NVest Point are-without knowing it-the most convinced idealists in the country. Their ideal is Duty well performed, Honor kept bright, their C01mi1'y kept safe. I never knew one of them called by Duty who did not, promptly and without talking about it, proceed to carry out'his orders intelligently, efficiently and at once, without a thought of possible discomfort or danger to himself. If this is not idealism I do not know what is. This high quality is inculcated by our methods. Our History.-The Academy has been furiously attacked at times. It has been proposed to establish other academies C1819 and laterl, and it was resolved by the Legislatures cf Tennessee, Ohio, Connecticut, New York' and Maine C1833-1842j that the U. S. M. A. ought to be abolished. I und that the source of a great part of this embittered feeling was due to the rigid exactness with which army officers ex- pended government appropriations for internal improve- ments, the national road, etc., and quite probably to a want of tact in carrying out their orders. Since ,the Mexican War, and especially since the Civil Vtfar, the usefulness and effi- ciency of the Academy have been generally recognized 'throughout the country. Une of the standard criticisms of early days charged the Academy with being Han aristocratic institution. The charge seems absurd nowadays, when cadets are appointed from all over the country-so many cadets pew' square mile, as it were. A Hazing.-I-Iazing has given the Academy much trouble at times. The practice has gone through all sorts of changes, so that the very word signified very different things at dif- ferent times. I can trace only one general principle respect- ing hazing, and that- is that when the corps of cadets has decided, in their wisdom, that, fourth classmen do not get enough attention from the authorities, they have ever been ready to make up the supposed deficit. If anyone will con- sult the library scrap-book of newspaper cuttings called Hazing in the Colleges of the U. S, he will conclude that the hazing at Vlfest Point has usually been a very mild and lady-like affair in comparison with that customary in civilian schools. i - M Early Discipline.-Something shouldibe said of the disci-

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pline of early days in order that it may be compared with the discipline of our own time. lt may be read in the Memoir tand correspondence,l of the first graduate of the Academy-,loseph Gardner Swift of 1802-tllilll soon after arriving here he had words with the Professor of Mathe- matics, and hnally' chased that functionary to the second story of the Academic building, where he locked himself safely in. From the window of the upper room the Pro- fessor bandied epithets with the angry cadet below. The matter came to the ears of the Secretary of Wfar, who wrote several letters to the cadet, insisting on an apology to the Professor. The cadet refused to apologize, and the Secre- tary again writes, reiterating his demandand regretting the tone of the cadet's letters, and concludes that if the cadet insists. on his position, the Secretary declines to carry the correspondence further! It is only fair to say that while the abilities of the Professor were undoubted, his character was less than respectable, as was soon discovered. About 1814 there were two married cadets in the Acad- emy, and a cadet with only one arm was admitted., There were drills before breakfast and after 4 P. M., and football' was regularly played, lt has been the fashion to say that discipline at West Point came in with Thayer's administration CI8I7D. It is most certainly true that the Academy, as we know it now, is based on the principles and practice of Colonel Thayer. But the 'preceding administration of Captain Alden Partridge C1814-18175 was in many respects excellent. Many of those that followed have been models of military administration. What the cadet learns from the Tactical Department of his time is apt to be the largest part of his military capital. ln September, 1817, Cadet Pinckney, of South Carolina, was notified by the Superintendent, in writing, to ,return at once to 'West Point. His father replied to Colonel Thayer that as the equinox was approaching, the return by sea was hazardous, and as the back-country was sickly, the return by land was dangerous, and requested that the young man be allowed to delay his return to duty till the middle of Octo- ber, which, in fact, was allowed. In November, 1818, the Commaudant, Captain john Bliss, of the Sixth Infantry, had trouble with the Corps. A com- mittee of five cadets preferred charges against him of throw- ing stones, at cadets, dragging them out of ranks by the col- lar, swearing at them, etc. There was another side to this matter, and the five cadets Qone of whom was a Delaware Indian named D. Moniacj were dismissed the service and ordered to leave the Post at once. They delayed their de- parture, and the Superintendent inquired why 'they did not go, to which they replied that it was rainingf, However, they finally left and went to Newburgh, where they printed a pamphlet setting forth their grievances. The Secretary of War soon reinstated these young gentlemen, but the Super- ihtendent kept them in arrest until the next November, when they all resigned, thus closing the incident-except that in