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

Page 9 text:

-ret Ummm Pl' .. . - . . ---, ..,4 ,,,,.: 1 '6- ,- gffvffrrr 4, -34 -. 5.4 s 1 ate. -'w- as -we 1 ' .- 19' -' s, ' tg -bf fe- . 'f 1 : -- z 2- . v,- :f 2 S-.' - 1, '- 1 , a .' g' - :I f: f . 'TE - -e f : 'I '::f- if 24 in .1 1 :5 V an 11 1 -.Q ani, Q I Lef t. lg .Lf 725.5 in Q 1 .,,.. - . A 5,4 i- . V - N 4: -142 - 2:1 1.13 Q-J ' 'ig-s Q. . X 5 1 ' r ,..- , A rf3q.qg., ' , iris: V ..,.,E1,- -,ig ' i :L.'. A Ali' 365-.'-1,,.-. '.....-.l.....-.-1.41. I . ,,,f.2,... .... - 4 ng, ' Q hi F-:mf ' 1 3 fx- . R ia E X 'r Q, it i I Q I by , , X Mir If I i cavm' PRIVATE 1814 tiff ' l A Mandi iitt atila course. All arrangements as to messing, lodging, and so forth, were very crude, so much so that for some years the Academy was regularly abandoned between Decem- ber and March. Colonel Wfilliams had had command for less than a year when a disagreement with the Secretary of VVar as to the authority of an engineer officer brought about his resignation. Followed two years in which only two cadets graduated and none entered. In 1806, at the personal request of the President, Colonel VVilliams again took charge. In the succeeding three years, by hard work at home and continual hammering at Congress, he brought about relatively great improvements. In this period sixty-seven men were appointed and thirty-tive graduated. Then in 1809 all development was halted by the appointment as Secretary of War of a Dr. Eustis, who entertained a bitter hatred toward the Academy. Officially the Secretary had almost complete control over it, as he made appointments and approved grants for supplies. He used his power to full advantage. He began by detailing cadets with lield troops throughout the coun- try, generally in quite subordinate positions, where they could neither command nor learn to command. UThese young men, he wrote to Colonel VVilliams, should put the public to no expense for transportation, quarters, or any other item .... However trivial or manual the service, it holds them to their proper place, and is all they are lit forf' A large majority of the men -then at the Point were thus dispersed throughout the Army. Wfhat remained of the school was starved by lack of money and supplies, The number of instructors was reduced to two. The purchase of books is to be discouragedf, says the Secretary, hsince the advance- ment of science is so rapid as to render them useless, they become obsolete as soon as boughtf' Finally, during his three years, incumbency Dr. Eustis appointed just two cadets, one of whom never reported. His success was remarkable. By 1810 Wfest Point was dead, and for two years it stayed dead. Little instruction was given in that year, and no one was graduated. ln 1811 eighteen cadets, serving with troops in different parts of the United States, were given commissions without examination. ln March of 1812 one of the instruct- ors, Capt. Partridge, wrote that all cadets have been commissioned except Smith, who is a clerk in the VVar Department. In the same year Colonel VV'illiams, utterly discouraged, resigned his position and commission. It was not a particularly healthy policy, this of Dr. Eustis, with a war with England imminentg and the disgraceful results - of that war had a stimulating effect on the na- f - tion. The idea that to hght requires trained - soldiers began to take hold. Late in 1812, just -QQ JE : -sg befori ltheCSecretary resigned, an act was passer Jy onffress concerning the Academ U . The most impgrtant provisioi? was a 325.0370 appropriation for buildings and supplies. Wfest it .gi Q Point began to come to life. By the spring of - .. 1813 there were a dozen cadets, and one grad- 15 4' H uate, George Trescot. He obtained the engi- T -:ga-,,,ifg,I3,.,l5.g1. Q1, C ,L neers without difficulty. . THE ACADEMY KLOOKING SOUTHEAST, 'The next hve years were under the supervi- sion of Capt. Partridge, Commandant of Cadets, 1315-1333 8

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.1'f:3?T , , X -I . .cw - ss- - - . af. 5N -2-.N va em. -'t . .. t:- 7:F-'.':j-:- RW E'-A f f 'E,2fzW Lfffff'5f5?4fcf.,,,,i1.-4 . 1 F if s1-ft:s4.si-f- I f , ff we 1--f',f' vw- ,-- ff.. Lif.1:5Ty.'g1:?f ,-. yu,,g..i..g 'vw-5 .'-rg H!! . . . ir, Nr? si 711,11 ifpgirlf Htl:-1.iff'-ivax,xi-kxxig-:.uQMS.YQWS.wk f ts zffffirwr - ' Q., ritffiilw w i. ' -N .-V. if ,Ilf Q Qljlgg lgjifgj.-. ,E i I QN X hi Rl 5 sf sro c 1 xt SW' 1 . I A N t i:.- 1... '1 . DW W i ff-at K I 1' Il Uliije Qeginnings ut est uint I-IE date on the Crest is 180:23 but in truth the Academy as we know it was not born until 1817. Wlhatever it accomplished in those lirst fifteen years was the meager result of the efforts of a few far-'seeing men against the indifference or hostility of the government. At the best they were years of stagnation, at the worst-at the very worst, for a Q N P, f, ' while there was no Military Academy. The date on the Crest-the oflicial organization of a Cadet School- is 1802. The grade of Cadet had existed in our Army for some years before. There were a few stationed at lVest- Point-then a military ,post with a small garrison-in 1799, drilling in ranlcs as standard-bearers, messing with officers, and wearing a distinctive uniform. No special qualification seems to have attach'ed to the grade. In 1801 a warrant was issued to a young per- son named Lillie, ten years old, who actually served as a Cadet for some seven months. In his journal he speaks of classes in mathematics, held daily for four hours in a building the size of a country school-house with seats painted green, and of lectures given to cadets in military matters. The place was destitute of any apparatus for practical instruction. As to discipline, All order and regulation, says the journal, Uhad given place to idleness and irre- ligion. Drunkenness and Sabbath-breaking were the order of the day, and well was it for me that I left that place of ruin. On the 4th of July, 1802, shortly after the departure of the pious Lillie, this promising school was extended to include ,courses in natural philosophy, artillery practice, fortihcation and surveying, and made the headquarters of the newly-established Engineer Corps, which contained ten cadets. Forty artillery cadets were also authorized, and others for infantry and dragoons. This was to constitute a National Military Academy, at whose head was Colonel Jonathan Williams. ' 1 - In the first year twelve cadets were appointed, entered, ,and cornmenced,their 7 .

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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