United States Naval Academy - Lucky Bag Yearbook (Annapolis, MD)

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-ix- grounds they would frequently confiscate all the oil lamps on the city lamp-posts and pile them up in front of the Academy gate. They organized a theatrical group which presented its talent at one of the disused city theaters. The quality of the productions was such that the civilian populace had the playhouse demolished and erected a church on the premise. Thus was founded the Presbyterian Church on Duke of Gloucester Street. The same Edward Simpson, later Rear Admiral, concludes therefrom that the Academy was an instrumentality for the wholesome spread of religious influences in the life of the community, and shall be commended for its contribution. % ATTENDANCE OF MIDSHIPMEN at the Academy was irregular because only those on shore duty could be sent for instruction. Consequently some men came up for their final examinations with only six months of preparation. The schedule origi- nally called for a five year course, the first and last years to be spent at the Academy, while the intervening three years were to be at sea. Failure in seamanship or navigation automatically rejected a midshipman; deficiency in other subjects was often permitted; however, a failure for two successive years constituted grounds for dismissal. Any midshipman who had contracted a debt he could not pay was considered to have failed. At that time the yearly pay was $350, so debts were quite customary. The difficulties the instructors met in trying to teach the young midshipmen are j)erhaps most clearly illustrated by the following incident which occurred during the annual examinations. Professor Girault with great patience had prepared one Midshipman Nelson, so that he could speak something resembling French. Nelson, however, was well aware that he could do nothing of the kind, so he memorized a series of stock phrases out of the grammer. In due season, with a half a dozen commodores present, Girault began the conversation in French: Mr. Nelson, which is your native state? Thank you, I am very well, replied Nelson, enunciating one of his memorized phrases and not understanding a word of the query. Girault glared at him and continued. What course have you just finished? I am twenty-four years of age, replied Nelson in naive rejoinder not changing a muscle of his countenance. When the conversation had reached an impasse. Commodore Matthew C. Perry, who

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YOUNG ACADEMY BEGINS SOCIAL LIFE fViUiam Chauvenet and Professor Henry H. Lockwood— had notable records at the Naval Asylum. Lockwood a graduate of West Pointy became instructor of natural phi- losophy. His all-round experience in previous years paid rich dividends when he was placed in charge of infantry and artillery drills. Lieutenant Ward was appointed execu- tive officer and instructor in steam and gunnery. Ward Hall owes its name to this pioneering gentleman. It took a man of great ability to keep the Academy from being tossed around the halls of Congress until it no longer resembled the plans of its origina- tors. In the matter of funds, Bancroft side-stepped Congress. He had at his disposal twenty-eight thousand dollars which had been ear-marked for instruction. By putting most of the school ' s professors on waiting orders, he was able to use the money appro- priated for the new institution. ON AUGUST 15, 1845, Fort Severn a nine acre neck of land called Windmill Pointy was transferred from the War Department to the Navy. During the morning of October 10, 1845, Commander Buchanan assembled the officers, professors, and midshipmen in one of the recitation rooms and read to them the official letter from the Secretary of the Navy authorizing the opening of the school. After a short address he declared the school open and ready to receive its first class. Midshipmen of 1845 found no spacious Bancroft Hall in which to reside; instead they occupied several small buildings that were scattered about the yard. Brandywine Cottage housed those midshipmen who had come from the frigate Brandywine. Apollo Row derived its title from the god of the same name — the personification of manly strength and beauty. Rowdy Row needs no explanation; the Gas House received its nickname from the unrestrained garrulity of its inmates. The Abbey occupied a rather secluded spot along the northwest wall of the Academy. As might be surmised from the name, the midshipmen of the Abbey led exemplary lives; no disturbances were created, lights went out at the proper time, and everything seemed regulation. One night, how- ever, the Officer of the Day entered the Abbey only to find it deserted. Instead of slum- bering midshipmen, he found an intriguing tunnel that led underneath the wall and out into the city of Annapolis. So fell the Abbey, and the next day Rowdy Row welcomed its erstwhile dwellers with open arms to cooperative wickedness. !k Com- mander Buchanan lost no time in putting the school in running order. Midshipmen were formed into two classes: the junior class, nicknamed Youngsters, included those who had been admitted but had not been to sea, and the senior class, the so called Oldsters, who had but one year to go before their final examinations. The studies were hard and not a few succumbed. Cyrus H. Oakley of New York claims the dubious honor of being the first midshipman returned to his friends, or in the vernacular, bilged. He lasted three short days, from October 10 to 13. IN JANUARY 1846, the first naval ball was held in the Lyceum above the mess- hall. Liberty was granted every evening from four o ' clock to ten, but that was too tame for the midshipmen and especially for the Spirit ' s Club, led by their Grand- Master, Edward Simpson. The members selected some spot where the punch and oysters were especially good and duly chanted their Song of the Spirits. On their return to the

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-x- did not understand a word of French, arose and formally congratulated Girault upon his success in imparting the French language with such facile fluency and rapidity, A THREE MONTH VACATION was granted midshipmen from July 10 to October 10, 1846, during which time many needed repairs were made at the Academy. Bancroft persuaded Congress to give him another twenty-eight thousand dollars for the forthcoming year. The Academy received its first Congressional recognition when the Secretary ' s request was granted for repairs, improvements, and instruction at the Naval School in Annapolis. A new dining hall was constructed, the dormitories were refitted to accommodate one hundred students, a hospital foundation was laid, and the chaplain ' s quarters were enlarged. IN 1846 the Mexican War broke out. Midshipmen who had been to sea requested immediate active duty. Fifty-six were sent to the front at the end of the term. Even Commander Buchanan finally succeeded in getting into the war; he left the Academy on March 16, 1847 to command the frigate Germantown. His successor. Commander George P. Upshur was a congenial and quiet man, but midshipmen were midshipmen and hilarity and boisterousness continued to rule. They organized supper clubs which operated until all hours of the night. The nocturnal revels of the Owls and the Crickets stirred Annapolis to the very depths. Frequently evenings ended in pitched battles between the midshipmen, armed with pokers, and the usually amiable townspeople, who made use of assorted weapons. Liberty expired at ten p.m., but the Owls found Frenching out much more interesting. They surreptitiously scaled the walls and held their rendezvous at a popular saloon run by one Rosenthal a proverbial gentleman rivaling the Benny Havens oiWest Point. In fact, the military cadets sang a traditional song Benny Havens, Oh in his honor. The midshipmen not to be outdone, gave Rosey due recognition in the spirited lyric called Roseygo. This incident seems to be the first time a parallel was struck between the two academies. ' LIEUTENANT DAHLGREN attempted to give the Youngsters a few lessons on practical gunnery, but he soon gave the job up as a lost cause. Lockwood, the old reliable, already teaching mathematics and natural philosophy, delivering lectures on astronomy, and arranging the general program, immediately took over the gunnery department. He obtained several field pieces from the Army and started to drill the midshipmen in light artillery. However they didn ' t give in that easily. They stole the linch pins and threw them in the Severn; they dismantled the guns and hid the parts; they ignored the drills and heckled the instructor. Finally, on St. Patrick ' s day, the students hanged Lockwood in effigy from the Academy flagstaff. This was the last straw. The ring-leaders were ordered to court-martial for insulting a superior officer. The de- fense declared that the professors were not superior to the students since they weren ' t officers at all. Congress acted on the absurd situation in which the students were superior to their teachers by raising the instructors to the rank of officers and increasing their pay by $400 a year. The Youngsters claimed that for such an increase in pay Lockwood could afford to be hanged in effigy every year and they continued to harass and trouble the old gentleman in more subtle, but less serious ways, for several years thereafter. - .-• ' N—