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

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'l- 'Ill ,xs,.,--.MQ ,A Lb U fl ,lax f. 5523455122 -fr 'f Et i aiiim A 35 . S ,' '- 1 -- ' f f- 51'- 'X .1 ' I 'cg , V ' - , 4 o n gpg ,f-2. ' ' :A ,IQ -Z D 5 ... at . I .- T' 'lia i 3: if Ei 2 5: - 'St fit' ' .gf M 11 12? . 2' 'L f' ' il .,: . ,-df' -, X '. 55 , '75 9' A X' 517'-1 Q, 'Sf e - ' ' .. .,,. ,.,, . +L. 1 - 4 6 4 'W llali lla .A EE f 1 11 115 an .X fiiiw E. ' -- 4? i 'qiiiwi I Ti turned out to gaze in awestruck admiration. One old woman, says the writer, at whose house I got a drink, in- formed me she'd told Sallie the comet hadn't come for noth- ing. At Fishlcill and several other small towns that the coh.1mn passed, flags were hoisted and salutes fired with Revo- lutionary cannon. At Poughkeepsie the town militia turned out and drilled- a wretchedly unmilitary exhibition, although we applauded them heartily. One of the rich landholders of the vicinity, Colonel Lewis, gave the Corps a reception on his lawn, serving a collation consisting of ham, rounds of beef, sangaree, beer, cakes, rolls, bread and butter, milk, apples, pears, peaches, plums, etc. At Hudson we performed a number of military evolutions before the admiring multitude, which assembled to the number of more than five thousand to watch and applaud. VVhen the cadets marched down to the wharf, where they were to embark for the Point, they were escorted by a body of the oldest inhabitants, headed by some Revolutionary veterans. A complimentary address from the Mayor was read and a national salute tired. ' Colonel Thayer retired from the superintendency in 1833. I-le was succeeded by Colonel De Russyg in 1838 by Major Delaheldg in 18-15 by Captain Brewerton. Under these offi- cers the system originated by their great predecessor was ' amplihed, but not materially modi- , n ' 1 lied. , Then came the Mexican 3 i' -iv-- Q. Wlar. That war marks the second H CADET SERGEANT great crisis in the Academy's his- i 1817 tory. In it the system of the past ' ,N found goodg so good that any seri- W ous question of VVest Point's value was settled for all time. The sentiment of Secretary Eustis and the early Congresses, the sentiment tl1at Colonel Wfilliams had fought so hard in - ' . vain, was still to be heard in 1845. To any serious extent it If I was 11ot heard again. The Hhxed opinion of General Scott if - A - was the fixed opinion of every thinking rnan in the United V States-that this institution, and it alone, had won us the I : warg that it was worthy to be incorporated as a permanent ' ... and invaluable part of the nation's defense. Wfest Point --ig 3 Ld was proven. Ll: ax x :fi Y Lnnw-. .i ' 4 71 C 4 I -1690 1 in n 'I im Geo' munmum -jmn:g31nnun1'..1Q-1'- I' -'im V. I. I ' 5 IQ CADET CAPTAIN 1820

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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 '

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Iltl t iff ill it Q - , P 2 ei ti 1' ' 'w if K-2 .A lai-A it r' ll' - Y , if -:3 -. ref :i .' f '- fifft ti, ': . if iffiaii-13319 53 f ,'1 ,..-. .A.L .,.Q- ,..,,,,. . ' - -,fl : Ir. s. , :El 24 , , , , Zllfltlest 1Bu1nt in the Jflftmes' By M.-xNNiNcs llfl. IQTMMIEI. 1 CBrigadier-General, C. S. Class of 'STJ ENTERED the Academy in June, -1853. Ourorders were to report at any time between the lst and W 15th of June, so we dropped in by twos and 'TQ' thrces at a time until the 15th. We were sent to . , 'A Co. D barracks, under charge of a cadet lieutenant, who ,assigned us our rooms, and ordered us to the old Commissary Store Csituated about where the Confec- tioners is- nowj. Ileie we got our thing outlhtj ,- - blanket, pillow, candle-box. and so on-arranged it in a bundle. tied it to a broom-handle, and with this over our shoulders marched back past the Officers' Quar- L ters: to the huge delight of the occupants, who watched i and commented on us with a singular lack of sympathy. lVe remained in these barracks till camp. They l were oft limits to older cadetsg but we were given , ' L authority by special orders to visit upper-classments 'Q quarters if we so desired. There is humor sometimes CADET I.IEU'I'liNAN'l' even in special ordersg I doubt if any of us ever made l857 use of the permission. Wfe spent our mornings and eve- nings at squad drill. During the day we attended recitations in the Academic Building, with cadets as instructors. They gave instruction 'in the three R's, and had all the fun they Wanted in the way'of mild hazing. It was very mild, though. The year before, 1852, there had been one of the periodical investigations, and live or six first classmen had been dismissed or suspendedg though my recollection is that they all got back and eventually graduated. CAmong them was Schofield, who afterwards became Commander-in-Chief, and was at one time Superintendentg a fine man and a model soldier.D Consequently ,what hazing we received was conhned to making us ridiculous, and taking away all our new-born pride at being cadets. It was mere child's play compared to what I have heard of since leaving the.Academy.- We went into camp on the 15th. Two days later we were marched to the Academic Building to stand our simple entrance examinations. They consistedof arithmetic-especially vulgar and decimal fractions-and a little reading and writing, and lasted only three hours. The physical examination occurred next day. Out of a hundred and ten men, about seventy passedg the others returned to their homes. It is said CI do not know how trulyj, that one of the men who failed was re-examined' on account of being a Harvard graduate, and passed. The man of whom it is told stood at the top of my class throughout the course, and graduated one. I had one rather funny experience during plebe camp. I1 and my roommate, Lawrence Kipp, and a third classman, were detailed one dayito police camp. The I3 A