Virginia Military Institute - Bomb Yearbook (Lexington, VA)

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THE BARRACKS.

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aca Gmic Staff Gkneral Scutt Shipp, L. L. D., Supcriutiudott. Colonel John M. Hhooke, Professor of Pliysics and Astronomy. Colonel Tiioilvs i I. Semmes Professor of Modern I.a)is;uai;os and R ic orio. Colonel V.. W . Xichols. Professor of Ma ieina ies and J ee ia z es. Colonel R. A. Mark, Professor of liiii ineerinsr and Draioim:;. Colonel IIlniek Pendleton, M, A., Ph.D., Professor of General and Applied Clieniislry. Colonel -S. L). Rcilkercoch, Tenth Cavaliy U. .S. .A., L ' ouiinandant of Cadets and Professor of Paeties and Applied tatheniaties. Secono Lt. !•:. M. I L. KE, Fifth Artilleiy, U. S. A.. Professor of Military Seienee and Instrnctor of Artillerr Taeties. ?.Pvi R X. Heveklv Tucker, C. P:., B. S., Adjtniet Professor of Chenustry, Geology and Mineralos;v. Cakl.mn .S. B. ' . lker, Jr., .Issistant J ' rofessor of !h-a7oin! . Cafiwin W. 1 ' , X ' lioRHELs tirad. U. ' a., fnstrnetor of Latin. Caftaln AL B. Cor.se, ., Assistant l rofessor of Paeties, Pl ysies and Chenustry. Captaln B. B. Mor ;.kn, C. P:., Assistant Professor of Paeties and Matheniaties. Cafi ' AIN T. W. Lewls Assistant Professor of Paeties and Modern fant nai es. CaFL.MN L. . H. I EV ' ION, Assistant Professor of Paeties and Matheniaties.

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Z K IPinjinia ni ilitar » llnC ' titutc A IIUIKI ' IllsruKILAL AM) STATISTICAL SKIiTCll. Ill the last annual message sent by General George Washington to the Congress of the United States on Dccembci 7th, 1796, he thus reeommends and advises the establishment of militaiy schools : The institution of a military academy is also recommended by cogent reasons. Houexer pacific the general polic - of a nation ma ' be, it ought never to be without an adequate stock of militaiy knowledge for emergencies. The first would impair the energ - of its character, and both would endanger its safet)-, as expose it to greater evils, when war could not be a ' oided. Besides that war might not often depend upon its own choice. In proportion as the observance of pacific maxims might exempt a nation from the necessit)- of practicing the rules of the militaiA- art, ought to be its care in preserving and transmitting, by proper establishments the knowledge of that art ' hatever argument may be drawn from particular examples, superficialK- iewed, a thorough examination of the subject will e ince that the art of war is both comprehensive and complicated ; that it demands much previous study ; and that the possession of it, in its most improved and perfect state, is always of great moment to the securit) ' of a nation. This, therefore, ought to be a serious care of every government ; and for this purpose, an academy where a regular course of instruction is gi ' en, is an obvious expedient which different nations have successfully employed. [U. S. Doc. Foreign Rel., Vol. Ill, p. 31-2.] Criticism as to the verbiage of these wise, sound words of advice may be made, and such criticism has not been lacking; but a great practical result soon followed. This result was that six years later, on March 1 6th, 1S02, the United States Militar - Academy at West Point was established by law. and the work of that great school, since its foundation, has more than abundantly prnxctl the forethought and wisdom of the great Virginian who suggested the establishment of military schools. The near approach of the war of i S I 2 proves the practical soundness of these -iews of General Washington, and shows the great wisdom of the man. Xo one can read t he introduction to General Cullums Register of West Point and the comments of the press thereon, without being impressed with the great work ]3erformed b that school and the other militaiy schools of the countn-. Cine of the important results of the war of 181 2, was that the State of ' irginia felt the necessity of establishing an arsenal in the ' alley of Virginia for the better protection of the State. Therefore, in I 8 16 and 1 81 7 tracts of land in Lexington were conveyed to Governors Nicholas and Preston for the purpose of erecting public works, and in due course of time an arsenal was erected and a company of soldiers w ' as enlisted at an annual cost of 56,000 for the purpose of Garrisoning the Western Arsenal at Lexington, in which were stored 30,000 stands of arms and a large quantity of military supplies. This company was first commanded b - Captain James Paxton and subsequently b)- Captain Da id E. Moore.