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

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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

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Y .-, Fiff-iii:-1:.'i'f?V 1 -. ' - V ' 1 ' ' ' 1 , 1819,'t'hC,:CQ1i'11i1ai1'da1d1I was relieved because he did ' ' d ' A to ypo'sses's 'sumcierit command of his temper. as respects rewards . . 1 3 :111 18151. Captain Partridge ' I ininianfy. ways, an excellent Commandant. as -the severest punishment for is hailed as the best reward its said in Niles' Register for i ,H up and down the plain with 1814 ,caissons and study thereg and the guard-house of the bom- ffor mutiny, found guilty and a recommendation by the I of his youth, he be dismissed 1 was taken by the . A e 's'i T -1 1 Y i here is that they should quickly p be proportionate to it. It is the ii .,i.'. Q Q' good example of conservatism at ibieihad from the history of the cadet uni- blue until ISI6, when it was changed to gray p p of, General Wiiifield Scott, whose regiment, clothed 1 r 1 fS,,.s,s.Q:-. ,L ff . V I 'lSKilffl:gi'MdNfUMENT 1 ,p ei t1 '31f6ff i