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

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alligwll I ll T ..1:Ja,. :..,. :ta-L ,,..1 .... Q ' ..... Fl boxes, pails-anything that would promote trouble, and noise, and unlimited blasphemy when the Corps, startled from sleep by the roar of the alarm drum, would come rush- ing from their rooms and down the dimly-lighted stairs. The perpetrators, of course, would be snoring in their blankets by the time the officer-of-the-day could get out. So through a winter and spring to the summer that should have been our furlough summer-to second class camp. It was not the happiest of camps for us-that of '64, but it was far more gay than its predecessor. The First and Third classes were full of dancing men-society men-and the Point was hlled with pretty girls. When the list of officers was announced I had had quite a raise, being assigned as first duty sergeant of Company B, Adams, head of the class, being named our Top, but he left for furlough the very next day, I therefore became acting lirst sergeant of the company, held it until july 28th, went home to a household of womenfolk and wounded kinsmen for three wonderful weeks, and the night after our return, when the list was revised, was astonished to hear the adjutant read out my name as first sergeant, and Adams as second. Adams was the first man-indeed, the only man- to say he was glad of it. VVe were pinched on our pay again all the winter of '64, for gold had soared to 290, prices had risen in proportion, our board bills were the highest when our fare was the worst, and the war seemed as endless as ever. The election had gone for our great President as against McClellan. Sheridan had won some success in the Shenan- doah, but Grant was still held in front of the goal. Heavens, how at last we cheered the news of Nashville, the first really great and decisive victory. General Cullum ordered the held battery manned, and, most unusual thing, a salute fired long after dark. Lancaster trotted the yearlings out over the glistening, snow-covered plain, and waked the echoes of the Highlands with the roar of the light twelves. It was the hrst note of hope or rejoicing that I can remember hearing from our cannon since the outbreak in '61. But it was a mere whisper as compared with the thunderous uproar that bellowed along the Hudson the soft April day that brought us the tidings of the close of the cam- paign. It seems to me now that every shootable gun of every size was manned, and at a given signal tthe hring of a lield piece away up on Fort Putnamj, all the batteries turned loose at once, and presently the gray battlements of the beautiful old Point were wreathed and shrouded in sulphur smoke. VVe of the Second Class had been detailed to the old siege guns of Battery Knox. The seniors had been sent to the huge Columbiads and Parrots at the Sea Coast, while the third and fourth classes handled the Napoleons and 'fthree-inch ordnance. Fancy the uproar when all got going together. NfVe were still aglow with rejoicing when, live days thereafter, we were suddenly stricken dumb. It was another soft April morning. The tower clock had tolled offthe hour of nine, when a drum boy orderly brought to my room a paper referred for remark and return. It took a few minutes to write thejnecessary reply, and just about 9.20 I had started with it over to the CO11111119.I'1ClE11lt,S office across the area of barracks. meeting big john Rodman of the 'third class, going in his white gloves, as etiquette then required, to see the Supef' Something, I've forgotten what, detained me a moment or two at the guardhouse. The area of barracks at the moment was empty, and all of a sudden Rodman came running back-running in from round the east end of barracks-his line face as White as his gloves. My God! he panted, the President is murdered-and so is Secretary Seward-and so is,- but then his voice broke, and for a few seconds I don't know just what happened. Out from the west door of the Academic building, section affter section came presently pouring, elattering speechless down the wooden stairway and surging over toward the guardhouse. No bugle had sounded. The Superintendent had sent orders to dismiss at once, and, bewildered and troubled, members of all four classes came crowding about us. An officer, hurrying up from the mess hall, his face a picture of dismay, thrust a copy of the New Y-ork Q0 'sc--s - ..,ti.a5 f2- Q afstze. ' . . Sei ' Ili ssllil 1 n ag: . . .-... .... HE li .,,... ,, .... . .-f ir' .... -.,. . .,, .. I . ,,, M, ,.,, .,f., , , ,,. ,, 5. ' ' ' ' ' I 'T l1U.U 'll ' - ' 'C ' . , 1 ' 1 ---------1,- ' f'ff'f-1,541-rf F ff, 'N -2 11 3, F, . if , , 1 . fl I , ,. 1 1 , fr J , 1 ,... .1,. . .... . - ---v-1 ....-...--:c a..: Mg.. 1 . . 2 L 33. A ffl 1

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i tgirl: . ummm fl 'QF HAZ xXx :gg 9 .. - EE V-lilg. j'l::em:.ta'g: IQ va -' 4 1 lil. wsllil , 1 1- 2, 1 ' ' Pl. .. . .f. re' .. . ...W Y lv M f . 1 4 V ., . '51, , ,- . fs' 1 wr ' ' 't ,f x-Z V I .. 54x ,E F3 . . ,. .,,, gi f. X 1 1 I Y x 'til ' i.ff'l E, ' ' 'Z . 2 HY. . Y . L ff , ,, gtg! T i-J A N 9- I N I r .X - 1 ffm' . ,e 15 U .i r 'wily if ala: a-Q, ,, r g w 1 5- 5 331-:1.-. 'A EP , ,c fiiagiff., ' '1 1 i W z: -f , . 1-I ' lf H t i -. , vii.:-s 'llll T, - 1 . . . .,,,. .-.. -. ,.,. ... ..,,, ....,, , ..,,,. L W, ,. . ,,A,,, .,.,.,,,, ,.... .. . . , -, Ili I K a w . 4 ' South, addressed us: Pardon me, gentlemen, I have only just come from the army, and am ordered to report here as a new cadet. Then, one November day, came the worst stroke that Fate ever dealt the Class of 'G6. Wfithout warning appeared an order from Secretary of Wai' Stanton, that no cadet should leave on furlough unless he could certify that he had never harrassed nor molested a fourth classman. This was the original orderg it was later modihed so that any man might receive his furlough by making a written statement of all he knew concerning hazing cases. This was worse, for i-t split the class. There were men who had done little or no hazing, and who were determined to spend their fur- lough with the armies in the field. On the other hand, there were seventeen men who had agreed to sign no statement, under any conditions. So the class arrayed itself in two factions, there were misunderstandings and recriminations, a bitter fight or two, and then the inevitable breach. But that was laterz In the meantime, we settled down to' an utterly cheerless winter. War prices had soared steadily higher and higher. WVhen we entered in '62 our shoes cost less than three dollars the pair, and our uniform coats of durable Char- lottesville cadet gray cost less than twelve dollars. In '64 the shoes were six dollars, the Charlottesville cloth couldn't be had for love or money, outside of the Confederate army. VVe,rvere paying treble rates for inferior goods. The whole Corps was in debt. Out of his dollar a day, every cent he then received, the cadet had to pay for his board, barber, bath, bedding, belts, bootblack, band, books, clothing of every kind, gas, stationery, etc., etc. In fact he got nothing free but his arms, his room, his tuition and medicine. Now, the authorities had to shut down on the issue of items for which the Corps could no longer pay, and for the hrst time in VVest Point history the cadets were bidden to seek help from home. But many had no one to aid, and as a consequence, that dreary winter and until mid-spring, by which time Congress had come to the rescue, more than one-third of our membership were excused from all militaryduty as being shoeless and in rags. Men made caps by utilizing discarded shakoes, cutting them down and roofing the frame with oilskin. Pillow cases were made to do duty as shirts, armless, of course, but cadet collars and cuffs were then attachments of the coat, not of the under garment. Some men, indeed, Wore no shirt except the woollen undervest. The food at the mess hall, previously abundant, though never'good. had gone from bad to worse. The purveyor swore it was the best he could get with the money allowed, and though we did not believe, we submitted. But, take it by and large, conditions at the Academy that winter of the war were more lamentable than ever we heard of in its past. It was probably in- sympathy with conditions generally throughout the land. Q And still the grind of study, the routine of call to quarters, taps, and reveille, went remorselessly on, and in the general depression there resulted someof the wildest pranks ever played in the shadow of barracks. Night after night the spirit of devilment found vent in unearthly clamor and uproar. A favorite scheme was to lug big bucketsful of six and twelve-pound cannon shot and lignumvitae bowling balls, and send them thundering down the iron stairs and through the resounding corridors. Another was to raid what there was of a gymnasium, and blockade the hallways with wooden horses, desks and benches from the recitation rooms-empty 19

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