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

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Mgt X512 F29 L Y ,. 'r ., .g, , . BDU l i ' U Fl west ibuint in the iehenties By EUGENE I. SPENcER CClass of '82j ,V gz i , pi is 4' M - -E -'a ' . M FFI2 . - -- w -:ei I Ill 5 2 attllilll 2 -1 thi Dill A ,. ,A -'v-ry:-W ,A f., ..f..fer. .1 1. 1 Mfr: u -a . : SSW r 1 'Air ---- 1- r-.f:'-----e li fji, 4--f-'f.rr'::,'aF 5i .1 2.3, gr 5, 1- X '- ' ' ' - in 1.215 ' ,L : -'ay- i ff 'ig ' f ax- - t K. ' 1- - 1 'if fl . f , - a 5: ni -:Q if 1- 9 4- ,,- w - 1 V . . . . . 41 K . U -s , -i '9.'?f '1i'T - yi-1 'E' rf A 7 1 x, 1 -ex.-,J x Imax? .M ,1 ,... , , J-..,.4.a... 4. , -.9 1 . mst -' --1: . :.s..::w , '. 1, - '- 1 E ' ?5Eif'F-1, - -4 -- '- . Ei ..,. - .s---- If a-:e ' V It ' ,, ,... .. ,. X ng-'S .. . V : L if- A -Tl HE spirit of the old West Point of 1862, so well described by General Schaff, still dominated the VVest Point of 1878. The glamour of the Civil War still pervaded all departmentsg for in none, administrative, academic or tactical, were there lacking men whose high rank or titles by brevet commission had been won in that four years' struggle. Much of old VVest Point's predominance as a technical school was still in evidence in 1878. Davies, Professor of Mathematics to 1837, had been followed by Church, who held the chair of this department until his death just before our entrance tb the Academy. Bartlett, equally famous for his text books in Mechanics, had given way to Michie, but the latter had largely clung to the Bartlett text, Professor VVeir, for 42 years at the head of the Department of Drawing, had been displaced but two years before our arrival by Professor Larned. Agnel, in French since 1848, had given way to General Andrews in 18715 but Delanon continued in Spanish until after our graduation. The la-tter we remember with gratitude for not skinning us for a practical joke by his Spanish section. Immediately following the report All present, Sir by the Section Marcher, one youth asked, Professor, wh'at is :section dismissed' in Span- ish? and the instant Dejanon answered, the section arose as one man, moved out, 'was marched back to the area and broke ranks. Professor Tillman had recently taken hold as head of the Chemistry Department, and early experienced a serious fall from the dignity of his new position. He con- tinued the personal instruction of the first section. W'e were starting recitations in frictional electricity. A battery of twelve Leyden jars stood conveniently near to the plate machine. 'VVe always expected F- of our section to put his hands on everything that came along. Wliile he was up on questions the cadet required to discuss the plate machine loaded up the jars. As P- was relieved he did as had been expected- and for a moment fondled the bright brass terminal-only for a moment!-for the ground came on a circuit entirely unexpected by the section. The Professor was standing twenty feet away at the other end of the table and was leaning barehanded upon the lead-covered table top, while also standing upon the leaden floor apron. The Professor was always an optimist, and never charged us with malicious mischief. Lieber was Professor in Law and of course was proud of that monument to his father's ability, to wit: G. O. 100. It was issued to us in pamphlet -form and someway my copy went astray. For this reason I did not look once at this pamphlet before going up for nnal examination, which was then conducted orally, in the Library before the Board of Visitors. Of course, it was my luck to draw G. O. 100 for my recitation! What I did to neutrals and non-combatants, was too horrible for the lawyers on the Board of Visitors to listen to. I-Iow well I remember the moment of my arrival at the corner of the Academic Building on my way to the hotel! Adjutant's call had sounded. The companies were Q2

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rllii' J' all -2 1 UEUE 'A ,ff E, QE 'lil 5 . atsllil l X-rr . v ,. I x . - :arf . -- -. '. - '- i ': .X V --is 1-,-fi--.-1.-,rs .- : 'fav -- f n. -i s 1. tr - IE 'i, 5 fif . 431ii'17.i'. ' , - . 3 1 s ' . ' f ' 7-re. 1' V? ' . : , ' Vg .ff-'ti '- gtg : .- I -Pj: . I E 1: I, ,Q 'jg 1-g g --5 : -5, . .5 ,A 3. 1 3, . ,rf r .fr A 3 Lg ,dz 7 f f -r ig E' -j 355, l I2 ef P3 ' I 'X fivziir if W., git 5 .. ..,, ',. z ',,-.-,,.,,,L .MM r - 5 - My XX I .,.. .. .... . .. ...- as ,,,, 141 ' l I ltr 3 ' e-it Lrl e , 14,1 ,. .,..: . , , . ., -TI: ,- , lJ.'r1:,-.'Q-Ju, 2 - .'u f- - f -'-Z' V r. . ' '? '-f- ,. . 'r +--4'-'A i f -, 1' r:tsL.15.rif7-f ' w. - i Q.. . -I ?i9..raf ' 36 t just starting on their maneuvers leading to the line of parade. What inspiring music! What perfect marching! VVhat an exemplihcation of the possibilities of Upton's tactics, as each Cadet Captain moved his company to the line with' every possible dis- play of the eccentricities of close order movements by fours and by platoonsl Reporting next day to General VVl1erry was a most pleasant experience, a moment's glance at my certihcate of appointment, a pleasant smile and a wave of farewell as he turned me over to Mr. Ward. Then came the turn to the old hospital, followed by a reception at Barracks, such as every plebe before us had probably experienced and every one following us-at least in part, All entrance examinations were then carried on at West Pointf Gut of the turmoil of squad drill before 8 A. M., in our only cits clothes, we went to the Academic Building or the Library for our Exams. Due to the fact that his troop was stationed at St. Louis, an instructor sent for me and gave me a bit of advice that I feel secured my success in the entrance examination. It was to the effect that one ought not to hurryg nor get flusteredg nor stop with questions one could not answerg but go on to those one could answer and then return, and above all, that every candidate was better off sitting in the examination room looking out of the window and listening to the birds sing than he could possibly be if he, returned to barracks. .And I marvelled ,at the tales that those birds told me. Fully half of each examination paper was written after my re- freshing conferences with them. Of our plebe camp I kept no record. what pirbr ever riirn Even at this late day one has a most confused feeling of admira- tion and resentment as one thinks of those little runts of yearling Corporalsg not half our size, but setting us afire as would a burning stick of dynamite, from which we cannot flee, and which We fear to extinguish because of the increased danger of violent explosion. But one impression remains ,ever vivid-that of the first classman turned out over plebes-efficient, severe, stern-visagedg just the sort of man you would expect to go to the front after having been inspected and condemned by a retiring board, and to fight himself back upon the active list. For this is what he did at Santiago. - We heard much of the trip to the Centennial at Philadelphiag especially when '80 came back from furlough. They never tired of telling us that they came to West Point a month ahead of time, and accompanied the Corps to and, from Philadelphiag a trip such as had never been made before in the history of the Corps. Q3 ' DRAWN BY BRIG.-GEN. 1. P. FARLEY CLASS OF 1861