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

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Rt 4 'S .fa , 212' i my :mane - ' ' 5535-vi... , as - ,,A H . fu .. - ... ...1.. -..-- f....... ...... .,......-- --,-. 'fvi N4,,'. i 1 - .. .-- ' - ,I .S . T ,gg 12' . -t V NES' A -5 31 'Elf 231: f ? f A-..,4 ....Q - ' I M5 Il . TEI. A :Ss . .A fl, Z .- zgjags -L-fi. - ?z ?:i, Fi-f -A' A .-. 4 I yt -- . . , u lllll my nasa:inm1maaummnmxumiiu5'.1 ' F' , n ei , ,, , , '- H ,un ,sus 1-Fltui r fa 12? ES- 3:-' 'f A - i :gf...T+ -,.: '- of-LE 4 - ::.:.1:.I 8'--1 '?--- '-1 im' . THE SOUTH BARRACKS QLOOKING SOUTHWEST5 1815-1849 The Court of Inquiry above mentioned marked the end of this regime. It reported in full to Congressg and Congress, intelli- gently perceiving that something was wrong, at last, in 1817, created the Military Academy. The act was not so worded, but that is what it amounted to. It provided for the abolition of Capt. Partridge, and appointed as Superin- tendent the Chief of the Engineer Corps, Major Sylvanus Thayer. JK all 254 24 if It is difficult to give an adequate idea of all that Major Thayer did for the Academy. Considering the Corps as it is now, its organization and training, its spirit and customs and traditions, there is little which is fundamental that cannot be traced back to that great man. He found a school in which was no organization nor hope of progress, a comic opera school. He left substantially the lfVest Point that has ofhcered our Army for three-quarters of a eenturyg substantially His arrival found of the cadets, as has Half a dozen of the Two professors were ridge, who had gone the West Point of to-day. the Academy in a characteristic condition. About three-fourths been said, were off on furlough, no one knew exactly where. student body were in arrest for disagreeing with a professor. in arrest for disagreeing with Captain Partridge. Captain Part- away in a temper when his dictatorship was done away with, turned up in a day or two and got into arrest him- self for disagreeing with Major Thayer. Everyone appears to have been happily released except Captain Partridge, who was court- martialed and forced to resign. VVith him out of the way, the new Superintendent could begin his Work in earnest. A A bare list of his constructive orders in the years 1817 and 1818 would ill a good sized volume. The cadets on furlough were adver- tised for in the newspapers of the country, those not returning before a certain date being considered dismissed. Those who returned, to- gether with the men at the Point, were promptly subjected to a mental and physical examination, which resulted in the dismissal of a number and the conditioning of many others. The Corps was organized into a two-company battalion, with ea et officers, super- vised by tactical officers and a Commandant of Ca ets. The division into four Academic classes was defined more accurately, and the pres- ent system of small sections and weekly posting of marks intro- duced. The Academic Board was reorganized and enlargedg new departments were added, new courses laid out, and a large quantity of text-books and technical instruments purchased. Bi-yearly exam- inations were to be held, in January and June, and entrance examina- tions in june and September. Summer vacations were superseded by a permanent encampment, with tactical exercisesg all cadets were required to pass through two of these before graduating. The present second-class furlough was introduced, and all others-except short mam ,L -od ,f 3.13 1 A tgp. ft -. P . -' 1 'ifffffq lfiiff - ff9 21354. ' ' it - I-f L EQ., f: -- I if it - . 'S ' 'yi .- , C i 'E i ri ,ir 5' ' . If . is - 4 1 X. .' l M I ' .-.' 1 1 Hr -. leaves in emergencies-abolished. The present regulation as to dis- S' charged cadets not entering the service so as to rank their class, was passed on Major Thayer's recommendation, as was the system of graduation, and selection of arms of the service, according to class rank. Concurently with these administrative advances, the internal condition of the Corps suffered a swift and severe change. Never before, and probably never since, have the bonds of discipline cut quite so deep as they did on the cadets of the twen- ties. The demerit system had, it is true, existed for some yearsg but it had been 10 1837 X H

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il'li ?E1l1t. ll'I5 E?illallI y , ig:es'3r.fP'f'T'!'vf- awp, I I' ill, 1, - -1, -f 4??li5??2n , , ,.g P - 95351 -V .. -- .. I will 541 , ,V ,Q ,, W , .. ,vw ,gg rg LJ V t 1 .1 'is 1 I ' H ' Q I . 4 v ummm :ei ' :fff 1 :1 . .. .. 1 1 .--. . Y w t .r .N v L- . , QL f .3-:5i ',ij-'- l ,1 - ' fl: 1 ' if 3- ' 5 ,F 1 Q:1'5j ?91.1 it ll ,g a g .QQL fy- Eigy jiqfj r psi , :A if 'i k iss' f '- 1+:f-1-ef --1 ft f.:',:-I I LJ: - 'ter-4-'- 1. ' ,133 init' I' 5 igQcl f.'-we .. .. '- .,.. . .. -. - Y ll A, ...,,. .. ,.,.Jf.L5Ei1? 7 4 gf..-1 ii ii tl T M K2 :Y : .I J L' l. ' EE V , f -1 i illiillfelwl X , , 1 ,551 .X i I U fl t L -A :I 'I Professor of everything, chaplain, and artillery instructor. They were the years of stagnation. Partridge, in spite of considerable efficiency as a drill master, was a singular mislitg weak, irritable, and inconsistent, without theability to organize. There was no system nor discipline in the Corps. There was no uniform course of studies, nor eveh a division into classes. Men desiring to attend a recitation or lec- ture, did sog when they did not, they stayed away. The uniforms were at the wearers' discretion, and had a pleasing variety. One of the more brilliantvincluded a seven- inch dress hat with a red, white and blue pompon, pink duck sherry-valleys with buttons down the sides, a white satin vest, and a music sword. Punishments con- sisted in coniinements Csometimes on bread and waterj and in sitting astride a,cannon in the sun. One very mutinous cadet was given a commission in the First Artillery, as an examplef, And when a man really got sick of the place he went off on.fur- lough. to come back when he was rested. Strange to say, this quaint arrangement did not work well. In 1814 there were thirty-one graduates: in 1816 there weren't any. Most of the Corps was on furlough, resting. Those at the Point were in all stages of military inefficiency. Some of them lived in Highland- Falls, never coming to the Academy. There were two married cadets, who had families in barracks: one who had only one armg one who was a mid- shipman as well as a cadet: and many other undesirable citizens. The Plain was cov- ered with retired soldiers' huts, which afforded asylum for all manner of people, and supplied quantities of whiskey. Benny Havens' place was also established and flour- ishing. A Court of Inquiry appointed in 13816 reported a general spirit ofjnsubordina- tion, due to lack of organization and of adequate punishments. At that time cadets could not be court-martialed, while direct dismissal by the Superintendent, though authorized, appears to have been rare. And even sitting astride those cannon in the sun did not prevent such little practical jokes as an attempt to blow. up barracks by a bomb with a time fuse, or to bombard the Superintendenfs house with a held battery and service ammunition. A ---' -, - -:-- -as-rf- --rr -- vvsnsgv-r.. ' scifi 'fr pm I e A. - - - . -..-.-q,4f6V' ?I.--l',s- mi., --,.fef,.9.,.- is., riitfsm- M , . -I . -1' A .L .aiirfaszr-1fsaee':.gf?fffkgfilfsstqtefrfe A if '. I - ,. 34u '? '1 ' ' ' ref?-5.f:9,if.?3' -12 if 11 a fiili ' 'fRE ?. 'E-l , ' - 1 ,.--,J-' x '.ss.q,, 3. i,5,,'g -33.-I a.-4.4, V- - . ' ' --1 - w'-.,1,, s.-7 --fy-' -I --'-s1.1.f,,g:+'w' .. f: f - .:- M Wmevi ,,., .. ...,,.,,LT..,,4:, i,4.s,,- , ,..g.f.a,At,v.,, - : ...M . ,V ., .- . K'-fi.---.1. rv:-,s.v:.e.'.,sJ.+ .gy .-:,.. -- -2 . -. 11 ' i VSIEST POINT IN 1835. LOOKING SOUTHI5AS'l' - 9 x

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.A- .Vi El 'Xb , ll 2 :fn fit ' llali ilillilll A -eiz jzn, Q H 1 I gfj H H , ggggpggyfrl f Qle nunn 1 'A ' ' 1' 1' if - llf- A, . 51 3 if il . lf, ,S if- ' '-L - Ulf 1. 'E - - dr, -Q L?-1 ffl , ' I.' 3f 4:-1, V - gf' 4 H 'I' , ., I H . ' j-QP' ' ,5gf5.ff ' 'K ,,, , 'A - ,,.., if 5' E.- ' ' 4,-'--w..-. .... .,.. . ti... E I Till. .... l.:,,.Q 4,,, ,......, , , j,,,'ia5gFr , f '- 1 'gs :tl I K '--R Us 'A l i .M - 1 ' L' fi mf fA X , eu' . ' I 'I 1 gliffei i ir ' ii t. ts'.1mu1:1.:ur,m 9 H 'it gglgfllflfz ent? D 1 'Q ,Za , . f- 12 If 'i1.: i5fet .fEff'if, i ll g get f?- fi-fsgisjf-421 .QL isifizf L 11 1 fs? pE?'Tr '-s iii? giz1:jaY?Ei' ree! H flag ef- if ' 559 5 -fi f'M7?ff ?T:5T 1.5-r trier :EE -: -i-A f f-fl f ' -7 -2-MPS-2-, ..f '?ff..' Y - '-R ' f Eff- -- rg..- ' - 1- THE PLAIN, snowmo THE NORTH AND SOUTH BARRACKS, THE CSECONDD ACADEMY AND THE MESS ' HALL. XVITH wooirs MONUMENT IN THE CENTER or THE P1,A1N 1 largely disregarded by Partridge, punishments being generally summary. Moreover, it had been the tradition that members of the hrst class received no demerits, and were not reported for ordinary offenses. Thayer established a maximum yearly limit in demerits, which was strictly enforced, and gave discipline a very appreciable 'weight in class standing. The list of reportable offenses and the strictness with which they were reported was greatly increased. ln every way the Corps was made to feel the presence of a strong hand. YVritten explanations for reports had to be submittedg written permits to obtain leaves and privileges, to receive packages, even to obtain letters from the mail. The Superintendent kept a personal record of every man in the Corps, and made it a point to know his appearance and habits. He had the cadet officer of the day dine with him daily, accompanying the meal with a cross-exan'1ina- tion as to affairs in barracks. He was acquainted with and exercised a supervision over the smallest details of cadet life. And under this system West Point throve. Year by year saw an increase in the thoroughness of its curriculum, and the number and efficiency of its graduates, year by year were strengthened its traditions of personal honor and professional pride. Professional pride-that was the essence of it all, the greatest part of Thayerfs great Work. The men of those days were proud of the Academy and of everything connected with S'- flic i - itg proud to march well, and drill well, and study .251 'T -5 :Ei well, proud of the four years' grind that taught 5, them these things, They were on probation to the nationg and they knew it, and Workedl fa g! Ei Q gg' g n! There is in existencela copy of a letter Writ- E55 5 E LE E E Q E !!! ten by a cadet of this early period, describing a E ' summer practice hike from Garrison to Hud- 'gr' T ' ' q 7 ' 41, son. It appears to have been one long tri- urnphal march. The cadets marched in dress ' A ' 'T NT -- ' UUif01'1T1, fOf the H103 D9-ft 111 Column of SCC- T!-IE NORTH BARRACKSKLOOKING NORTHEAST, tions and at attention, and the inhabitants 1817-1851 ll '