BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM The ^. SAGE ENDOWMEHT'FUND •THE GIFT OF ..&■*; ■•£: " iienrg W. Sage 1891 Cornell University Library U410.P1 H23 at West Point! I nil Hill mil mil iiiiii 3 1924 030 728 749 The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924030728749 LIFE AT WEST POINT s Panoramic View of West Point Life at West Point THE MAKING OF THE AMERICAN ARMY OFFICER : HIS STUDIES, DISCIPLINE, AND AMUSEMENTS H. Irving Hancock AUTHOR OF "what ONE MAN SAW," " TALKS FROM LUZON," ETC. With an Introduction by Albert L. Mills COLONEL U. S. ARMY, SUPERINTENDENT OP THE U, a. MILITARY ACADEMY ILLUSTRATED G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS NEW YORK AND LONDON Ube "KnicfieTbocIiet preee 1902 Copyright, 1902 BY G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS Published, June, 1902 Qbe feniclierbocliet Vress, new Kocft West Point, N. Y., April 28, 1902. The author of this volume, Mr. H. Irving Hancock, enjoys a large acquaintance in the Army, having had much experience with it in the West before the Spanish War, as a war correspondent in the Santiago Expedi- tion, and subsequently in the campaign in the Philippines, where he accompanied our troops in many of the engagements during the early hostilities with the insurgents. His observations have given him an excel- lent opportunity to express an opinion as to the value of the training at the Military Academy. In the preparation of this book he has spent much time at West Point in studying its working methods and ideals, and I have taken the greatest pleasure in giving him the fullest facilities for doing so. A. L. Mills, Colonel, United States Army, Superintendent, United States Military Academy. CONTENTS I. A Hundred Years in the His- tory OF the U. S. Military Academy i II. The New Cadet ... 29 III. A Day in the Academic Year . 43 IV. The Making of Physical Man- hood 76 V. The Drills .... 96 VI. The Examination Ordeals . 114 VII. Recreations, Social Pleasures, and Athletic Sports . -125 VIII. The Moral Training of the Cadet 144 IX. The Medical Care OF THE Cadet, 156 X. The Reservation, Buildings, and Landmarks . . .174 XI. The Work and Play op the Summer Encampment . . 193 vni Contents CHAPTER PAGE XII. The West Pointer's Future in THE Army . . . .213 Appendix — Information Relative to THE Appointment and Admission of Cadets to the U. S. Military Academy 233 ILLUSTRATIONS Panoramic View of West Point Frontispiece View of the Hudson from Siege Bat- tery ...... "Policing" Quarters . . . . Colonel Mills and Adjutant Rivers in the Office of the Superintendent "Boning" .... A Class in Drawing at Work Marching to Mess At Dinner .... Walking "Punishment Tours" Dumb-Bell Drill . Horizontal-Bar Drill Parallel-Bar Drill "Horse" Drill in the Gymnasium Infantry Skirmish Drill Cavalry Scouting Cavalry Skirmishers Charging 4 34 40 5° 54 60 63 66 76* 84 90 94 100 104 108 Illustrations Cavalry Drill .... Field-Battery Drill Bending Exercises in the Saddle A Glimpse op Flirtation Walk Y. M. C. A. Room in the Cadet Bar racks The Hospital Inspection of Quarters Cadet Chapel CuLLUM Memorial Hall PAGB no 112 I20 132 152 168 178 180 186 The illustrations in this volume are from photo- graphs by Pach Bros., New York. LIFE AT WEST POINT LIFE AT WEST POINT CHAPTER I A HUNDRED YEARS IN THE HISTORY OP THE U. 8. MILITARY ACADEMY In theory, though not in fact, the United States Military Academy is exactly as old as the country itself. In 1776, Congress di- rected the Board of War, which was charged with the conduct of the military operations of oxor Revolution against England, to estab- lish a military school. Then, having given the order. Congress apparerttly straightway forgot the subject. As far as results went, the Board of War also forgot. In September of the same year. Colonel Henry Knox, then aide to General 2 Life at West Point Washington, and later on Secretary of War imder Washington, advised the foiinding of an institution along lines similar to those of the military school in Woolwich, England. Great as the need then was for trained army officers, nothing came of the recommenda- tion. At the termination of the war in 1783, and during the whole of his life, Washington ad- vocated the establishment of such a school. He was firmly convinced of the great need of it, for during the trying years of war he fotmd himself dependent largely upon Euro- pean soldiers of fortune for the technical ser- vices of artillerists and engineers. In his annual message to Congress in 1793, President Washington advised the founding of a military academy. In the following year, Congress provided for the creation of a corps of engineers and artillerists to be com- posed of thirty-two cadets, and since that time the grade of cadet has existed in our Army. The Academy was actually founded in the same year, the cadets occupying a A Hundred Years 3 stone building at West Point on a site near what is known as Trophy Point. Two years later, this building was destroyed by fire and the cadet school was closed. When, in 1798, the Second Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers was created by act of Congress,' it was provided that fifty-six cadets should be instructed with their regi- ments, and four teachers of the arts and sciences were allowed. The next step came in 1800, when President Adams sent to Con- gress an elaborate scheme for a military acad- emy, in which not only army but naval cadets were to be trained. Washin gton, in his last annual message to Cpn^rgss„had said : j "A thorough examination of the subject will evince that the. art of war is., both -compre- hensive and complicated ; that it demands much previous study; and that the posses- "siDn"of it in its most improved and perfect state is always of great moment to the, se- curity of a nation." But the second Presi- dent's" urgings, supported by the words of Washington, bore no fruit at the time. 4 Life at West Point In 1 80 1, Secretary of War Dearborn di- rected all artillerist cadets to report at West Point. Lieutenant - Colonel Tousard was ordered to West Point to direct the organi- zation, and Major Jonathan WilUams was de- tailed as Superintendent. For purposes of instruction two ofl&cers and a civilian were assigned. This school was opened on the first of September. An act of Congress, approved March 16, 1802, established a corps of engineers to con- sist of seven ofl&cers and ten cadets "to con- stitute a military academy." The corps was stationed at West Point. The United States Military Academy dates from 1802. Major Jonathan Williams, of the Engineer Corps, appointed April 15, 1802, was the first Superintendent of the United States Military Academy. The first academic year opened on July 4, 1802, with ten cadets present. At that time an examination in the elements of mathematics, including a knowledge of vul- gar and decimal fractions, constituted the sum total in that branch of study. Nor was I- < 01 £ O e a 3 X 111 X I- u. o A Hundred Years 5 proficiency in arithmetic insisted upon, since, up to 1 801, cadets were admitted to the Academy without either real mental or physi- cal examination, and were allowed to begin their studies at any time of the year. Cadets at that time were permitted to enter at any age between twelve and thirty-four. The term ended in November. During the winter months the Academy was closed. In 1805, the study and recitation hours were from 8 A.M. to i p.m., from 2 to 4 p.m., and in the evening. Elementary algebra and geome- try, with the use of surveying instruments, comprised the mathematical training, while the rest of the course was far from thorough. Secretary of War William Eustis, in 1809, did aU that lay in his power to discredit the Academy. In that year, Lieutenant Alden Partridge, afterwards Superintendent, but then only temporarily in command, stated, in an official report: "On Monday last there was a very thin mathematical academy. . . . Yesterday there was a still less number, and some of 6 Life at West Point those who did attend did not come into the academy until about lo o'clock." In these days absence from a recitation is a very se- rious offence, and the slightest tardiness, even, is punished. Owing to the opposition of Secretary of War Eustis, nearly all means of instruction were denied the cadets in 1810. Both officers and cadets had trouble in drawing their pay. Dtiring the year, it was provided that no cadet should be admitted to the Academy under the age of fifteen, or above that of twenty, and vacations were granted annu- ally from the middle of December to the middle of March. Matters went from bad to worse. In 1 8 1 1 , and during a part of the following year, though it was patent that we were on the eve of our second war with Great Britain, there were no cadets at all at the Academy. At no time during the ten years before this second war had the need of special training been really recognized, since the national Govern- ment had paid very little attention to the A Hundred Years 7 subject. During these ten years, the maxi- mum number of cadets at any one time was thirty-six, while the average number per year did not exceed twenty. War-time, however, brought the country finally to a realization of the predicament that Washington had ever foreseen. In 1812, Congress hastily passed an act reor- ganizing the Academy, and the main theories gf that reorganization have been followed ever since. The number of professors was increased and the number of cadets was fixed at two hundred and fifty. Heretofore mental requirements for the admittance of a cadet had never been seriously considered; they were now decreed, though the examination of that time called for hardly a tithe of the knowledge that is demanded of a new cadet nowadays. Nor were these requirements strictly insisted upon. Thus the United States Military Academy, planned and advocated by Washington, sec- onded by Adams, actually founded by Jeffer- son, became, during the administration of 8 Life at West Point Madison, a firmly established institution. It promised at last to answer all the require- ments conceived by the military mind by which cadets could be trained for special arms of the service ; instruction was now so provided that each cadet became proficient in every branch of military service. This ultimate conception, adhered to ever since, has resulted in the fact that in no other army in the world is there so large a percentage of officers thoroughly competent in all the re- quirements of army work. The infantry officer who is a graduate of West Point is at home in the work of the cavalry, the artillery, the engineers, or the ordnance department. He is capable of being quickly transformed into an efficient staff officer. Major Sylvanus Thayer, himself a graduate of the Academy, was appointed Superintend- ent in 1 817, a position that he held for six- teen years. He reorganized the Academy practically as it exists to-day, and for this reason the title of "Father of the Military Academy" has been reverentially applied to A Hundred Years 9 him. First of all, he succeeded in having the limits of the reservation enlarged. He made "honor," "obedience," "efficiency" the stir- ring watchwords that they have continued to be ever since at the Academy. In other words. Major Thayer created the system that caused the speedy 'disappearance from our army of the careless, happy-go-lucky, and often inefficient type of officer who served in European armies during the eighteenth cen- tury. It was Major Thayer's aim to supply, in the place of the old-time officer, not only an honorable, educated man and a fearless fighter, but an officer thoroughly versed in the scientific knowledge of his profession. To the present day Major Thayer's influ- ence is potently felt in the administration of the Academy. It was he who originated the idea of giving an annual furlough to one- fourth of the cadets — a practice that is now perpetuated by granting furlough from graduation day (about June 13th) until Sep- tember ist, to the members of the new second class. Major Thayer created the Academic lo Life at West Point Board, composed of the Superintendent and the principal officers of the Academy, and originated the idea of holding the semi- annual examinations that determine each man's fitness in his studies. Realizing that classes were composed of too many men to admit of efficient individual instruction, Ma- jor Thayer ordered that each class be divided into small sections for purposes of recitation. Some seventy years have passed since Thayer let fall the reins of government at the Academy, but his impress -is yet indelibly there. The standards of the Academy have developed and increased, yet always along the paths that he opened. The Army's brightest and most loyal officers have suc- ceeded him, and each has staunchly endeav- ored to advance the curriculum and system in proportion with the increase of all knowl- edge of benefit to the military officers of the United States. During Major Thayer's administration of sixteen years, 570 cadets were graduated. These were the men who led our columns in A Hundred Years n the war with Mexico and to whose training General Winfield Scott paid this splendid tribute: "I give it as my fixed opinion that, but for our graduated cadets, the war be- tween the United States and Mexico might, and probably would, have lasted some four or five years, with, in its first half, more de- feats than victories falling to our share; whereas, in less than two campaigns, we con- quered a great country and a peace, without the loss of a single battle or skirmish." In 1822 the Chief Engineer reported: " The Military Academy may be considered as having been in its infancy until the begin- ning of 181 8, prior to which there was but little system or regularity. Cadets were ad- mitted without examination, and without the least regard to their age or qualifications, as required by the laws of 181 2. Hence the institution was filled with cadets who were more Or less unfit for their situations. It is not surprising, therefore, that a large portion of them have been under the necessity of 12 Life at West Point leaving the Academy without completing their education." Of this period Boynton writes : " The cadets were not regarded as amenable to martial law ; no class rank was established ; no register of the classes was published ; and in the assignment to positions in the Army they demanded the right to elect such corps as seemed to them most satisfactory." February 14, 1818, John C. Calhoun, then Secretary of War, wrote to the Superintend- ent of the Academy that it was the resolve of the Department to aid in elevating the sys- tem of the discipline and to originate the spirit of emulation among the cadets. Secre- tary Calhoun added: "As publishing in the Army Register the names of cadets who are most distinguished for attainments and meri- torious ■ conduct may inspire attention to study and create emulous exertion, you will report to this Department annually in No- vember for that object the names of those who have most distinguished themselves in the examinations, not exceeding five in each A Hundred Years 13 class, specifying the studies in which they may excel." The spirit of this order has been maintained ever since, five still being the number of ca- dets in each class who are annually reported for the best attainments. Upon his own request, Colonel Thayer was relieved, July i, 1833, by Major R. E. De Russy, an engineer officer. The new Super- intendent found his position anything but pleasant. So famous had the Academy be- come by this time that every appointment of a cadet by a Congressman was made a matter of partisan politics. In 1838 it was provided by Congress that the instruction, formerly confined to mathe- matics, geography, history, and a few minor branches, be augmented by the study of chemistry, mineralogy, and geology, and the appointment of a professor and assistant professor in these branches of study was authorized. It was not tintil 1839, under the superin- tendency of Major Richard Delafield, that 1 4 Life at West Point drill in riding was established at the Acad- emy, though various Boards of Visitors had recommended this training as indispensable. In this year (1839), Secretary of War Poinsett ordered the transfer of a sergeant and five dragoons from Carlisle Barracks for purposes of instruction in horsemanship. Twelve horses were at first suppKed for the use of cadets. In September of that year the Superintendent was allowed to buy thirty more horses and also the harnesses needed for a battery of light artillery. It is from this time that practical instruction of cadets in the real duties of the mounted officer dates. Up to 1842 there had been frequent con- tentions as to the rank of the Superintendent with regard to the command of the mihtary post at West Point. Previously the Super- intendent had riot been necessarily in com- mand, as the Post and the Academy were distinct. But in 1842 Congress provided that the Superintendent of the Academy should be also the commanding officer of the Post. A Hundred Years 1 5 At this time, too, there was a good deal of criticism to the effect that cadets were ap- pointed aknost altogether from families that represented wealth or influence. This en- tirely erroneous notion is prevalent even at the present day. The records from 1842 to 1863 show that only one-eighteenth of the cadets would have been able to receive in civil life more than the commonest educa- tion, while a still smaller proportion had any likelihood of income otherwise than their pay. At the present day, rather more than sixty per cent, of the cadets who enter the Acad- emy are the sons of men who toil for day's wages. Above all, since the inauguration of the present academic standards by Major Thayer, and as carried on by his successors in command, it has been the aim of the many Superintendents to create and foster a demo- cratic spirit among the cadets, while the appointing powers and the Academy au- thorities have labored together to make cadetships open only to the brightest boys in the country. 1 6 Life at West Point From 185 1 to 1861 the average number of admissions to the Academy's new fourth class was 78, while the average niimber of vacan- cies for commissions in the Army during the same period was 42, yet in not one of these years did a sufficient number of cadets grad- uate to supply the vacancies. Even fifty years ago the requirements for West Point graduates were so severe that only the most capable yoimg men of the nation could meet them. In 1843, a law was passed providing that one cadet should be appointed from each Congressional district, with one from the Dis- trict of Coltimbia, and providing that the President might appoint ten at large — ^the idea of this latter provision being to secure opportunities for the sons of army and navy officers of distinction. The spirit of the law of 1843 prevails to the present day, with the addition of two cadets to be appointed at large from each State, upon the recommen- dations of Senators and others, and by the President thirty at large from the cotmtry. A Hundred Years 17 Each delegate from a Territory is also en- titled to an appointment. From 1802 to 1845, the pay of the cadets had been sixteen dollars per month, with two rations per day added. In the latter year, Congress enacted that each cadet should re- ceive twenty-four dollars per month, and that out of this each cadet must supply his own rations. A year later, a company of en- gineer soldiers was provided for, this com- pany to be stationed at West Point and to be employed principally in the practical de- monstration of' engineering work to cadets. The outbreak of the war with Mexico found the army fully prepared with graduates skilled in all branches of the art of war. A series of campaigns that closed without one regrettable incident on our side made the United States Military Academy more re- spected than ever. In 1849, Congress, in re- sponse to the whole country's esteem for the institution, proved itself ready to grant what- ever was needed. In fact, the national demand for the most 1 8 Life at West Point advanced military instruction became so pronounced that, when Captain Henry Brew- erton, then Superintendent, was succeeded, in 1852, by Captain and Brevet Colonel Robert E. Lee, the latter became at once an advocate of furnishing the extreme of instruc- tion possible. Two years later, these efforts on the part of Colonel Lee ended in the crea- tion of a five years' course at the Academy. Declamation, military law, and practical ap- plication of academic studies were among the new subjects introduced. In 1858, Congress provided that the pay of a cadet should be increased to thirty dollars a month, and, in the next year, that the Superintendent of the Academy should have the local rank, pay, and allowances of a colonel of Engineers. This latter provision is still in force. The same act gave the Com- mandant of Cadets the rank and pay of lieutenant-colonel of Engineers, and declared that he shotild' be charged with the super- vision of the tactical instruction of cadets. October 11, 1858, the Secretary of War A Hundred Years 19 suddenly changed the academic couree of training to one of four years, though in April of the next year the five-year system was again adopted. At the outbreak of the Civil War, most of the Southern cadets resigned, leaving, in fact, but twenty-one present at the Academy out of eighty-five who had been appointed from the Southern States. Yet this large defection did not interfere with the work of the Academy. The Northern cadets and the few Soiithem ones went on with their instruction, the excellence of which was in- creased through the new problems in warfare that were being solved in the field from day to day. During the twenty years or more preceding the CivU War, the men were graduated who made that war the most notable in man- kind's history and the most imposing of modem times in the numbers of men en- gaged on each side. The Civil War was, as far as leadership went, an exhibition of the practical results of West Point training — 20 Life at West Point the greatest men on both sides were graduates of the Military Academy. Grant, a graduate of the class of 1843, served his actual apprenticeship in the war with Mexico. He was originally an officer of infantry, and so was Sheridan, who was graduated ten years later than Grant. Un- like the latter, Sheridan never went back to civil life, but remained in the Army until death mustered him out in 1888. Winfield Scott Hancock was graduated in 1844, serv- ing through the Mexican as well as the Civil War. He, too, was an infantry officer in his early service in the Army. Sherman, who was graduated in 1840, was at first in the artillery. He missed experi- ence in the Mexican War on account of serv- ice in California. In 1853, he resigned from the Army, but the outbreak of the Civil War foxmd him again in the service. George Henry Thomas, of the class of 1840, was an artillery officer who first saw service in the Seminole War, and afterwards in Mexico. Another famous corps commander, Meade, A Hundred Years 21 of the class of 1835, was also an artilleryman and an engineer. Hooker, class of 1835, after winning distinction as an artillery sub- altern in the Mexican War, became a corps commander in the Civil War. Sedgwick, class of 1837, saw service first in the artillery, but reached the grade of corps commander in the Civil War. Humphreys and Slocimi were artillery officers originally, the former becoming Chief of Engineers in the Army after the end of the war. McClellan, class of 1846, Halleck (1839), McPherson (1853), Rosecrans (1842), and Warren (1850), graduated at or near the heads of their classes and received in the Engineers their first training for the days of '6i-'65. Other famous commanders, Pleas- onton, class of 1844, and Gregg (1855), were from the dragoons. It cannot fail to be interesting to note, in this connection, the different arms or branches of service from which the leading Confeder- ate generals came. Lee (class of 1829) and Beauregard (1838) left West Point as engi- 22 Life at West Point neers. Early (1837), Jackson (1846), JoHn- ston (1826), A. P. Hill (1847), Daniel H. Hill (1842), and Longstreet (1842), were all in- fantrymen, while Ewell (1840) was of the dragoons, and Stuart (1854) of the mounted rifles. As has been said, nearly all of the general officers who commanded in the important battles of the Civil War were graduates of West Point. A glance through the following official list of principal engagements will show the proportion of graduates of the Military Academy who commanded. The names of graduates are marked by asterisks, the other generals being men appointed from civil Hfe. For this list I am indebted to the courtesy of Captain William C. Rivers, Adjutant of the Military Academy and Secretary of the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy, by whom it was compiled for Bulletin Number Two of the Association. A Hundred Years 23 o 1^ MO o o V) tn\o « 00 r*SO OOWOwWH n >o 00 mao 00 10 o n o H n i^*in« w . , _ _ _ , _ mo o Oioo moo «vo t- ^CO VI r-oO QOtJ-t-t" (*)0(OM*Ofr-MM HO n n n M DC r^ H •d- • * 1™* * * H tvk* Shfl 's. oo_BB* cdhflbA 5 ; =^ rS -m si; 3 SoJSjjEb S!J3-^ap 01 OJ3J3 00>P(*CSfaOO 24 Life at West Point M « G S « 00 !* OiO OoOMO(*)rO>owvOO*Ot-tNOiO OfOOiOtOm OOSKOOg^Tj-Ot- I^O 00 0» ^OO \0 H 00 ^ f*)0O M 00 OO oO ^ O O H w ri c3 00 VO C w H O ^ iCiO CO SO 00 « ti *^ O od 0»0 *^ t* roO & O O *0»0^J4M»O^'*M«HM HrOHeiHHMHCTnn MH^«M B B a 3 3 3 Z ■< S s o o z o o » * * # 5*,* *»»»*< ^* ^* HHMW «|WBWWW| 8 8 8 8 8 o\^W .« 8 8 t « t: tJ^-^u 1 1 1 ti'^wtcwms'* tf'< tas •g-g-g-g^w-g-g-g-g-gHOnmwmml-gl-gmm 3 V V V m S . lu u inviHUM " " n" " " M M M « " g g .^J3 g " gBggasHW^=,>^»^>^is(i>iu(i)a}ajiU(ua)viuvua}iuiu>• 0> MOO O w Mwrnw-s^ionn vi-O O O ^O O vO r- t^cO DO DD 00 Ot Oi OOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOCOCOOOCOOOOOOOOODOaOOOOOOOCO S-3^rfri B-R B-J g'SSl-l &!&&"§ g^§|| N m « ^ r~ e*joO vt M m*0 H H H ^ ^o H vo M « t^ 0» rOOO OOMMHroeO^miO iov3 *o « o \o o r~ r-00 00 00 00 o> A OOCOOOOOCOOOCOOOOOOODOOOOOOODOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSOOOD HMMMHHHHMHWMHHHHHHHMHHHHH H 00 OQOO H H > ''•S<-<^'-'-m''ia2Saii-^^^i^^ mis la S « I3BBBM « a u 5 ° £l- 8 ?«>. gosajHoog ^1 MM IP -&m O 15 * ft) CO"^ S pq CHAPTER II THE NEW CADET Strenuous life begins for the novitiate at West Point at the moment that he alights at the railway station on the Post, or steps upon the steamboat landing. Acting upon the in- structions he has received, he starts up the long, steep road that leads to the plain above. Here one of the first buildings that he reaches is the one devoted to headquarters purposes. There are few men who do not experience the full meaning of the words "fear and trem- bling" when they enter Headquarters and report either to the Superintendent or the Adjutant. It is all over in a few minutes. The new man is quickly assigned to quarters in Cadet Barracks. The new man's arrival takes 29 30 Life at West Point place about the fifteenth of Jtine, at which time the third and first classes are in camp out on the plain, while the new second class is away on furlough. After passing through the east sally port of the academic building, the novitiate finds his way to the Cadet Bar- racks, where he reports to the army officer who is in charge of the new arrivals. Having reported here, the new man is taken to his room, which he shares with one or more of the new arrivals. At this point, life at the Academy actually begins, though the new arrival is not yet a cadet. In the parlance of the Army he is termed a "candidate." Mr. Candidate is imder the direct charge of an officer of the Army, on duty in the department of tactics, assisting whom are several cadet corporals and acting corporals from the upper classes detailed for the purpose of bringing the new man into shape. Two or three cadet lieuten- ants are also detailed to exercise a general supervision over the corporals and acting corporals. The New Cadet 31 It may be that the candidate has not yet passed his examination for entrance to the Academy. If he has not, he has an ordeal before him that will test his general educa- tion to a severe limit. It has been the rule, of late years, for Congressmen to appoint their candidates a year or so before the time of entrance. Candidates so appointed have, as a rule, been ordered before a board of army ofl&cers holding its sessions at one of the larger army stations. Upon passing this board, the candidate receives a certificate that admits him to the Academy without further examination. A new rule has just been adopted by which the young man may enter without a mental examination if he can produce a certificate of sufficient pro- ficiency from the principal of a high school, or from the faculty of a college or university of recognized standing. At present, the can- didate who cannot show a school or college certificate is ordered before an army board in his own part of the country, to take his exiamination for admission to the Academy. 32 Life at West Point The examination is such as a mentally well- grotinded American boy of seventeen may be expected to pass. The precise character of the examination is specified in the appendix to this volume. Before the mental ordeal is reached, the young man must undergo a searching examination by a medical officer. If he is found to have any real physical de- fect, he does not go on to the mental examina- tion, but returns regretfully home. Without an hour's delay after the arrival, the new life of unremitting work begins. Divided into squads of about eight men each, the cadets start in upon some three weeks of preliminary work. There are five drills a day, each lasting something like an hour. For the first two or three days, the new men are drilled in the clothes that they have brought with them from home. The tailor of the Academy has prepared in advance an assortment of standard sizes of uniforms, but there are many young men who require special measurements. It takes about a week to get uniforms enough to go around The New Cadet 33 and to fit. In the meantime, even before the uniforms are issued, the novitiate goes through the "setting-up" exercises that give him the carriage of a soldier. He is trained in the facings and marchings and in the manual of arms, and then — ^glory of glories to all real soldiers! — his rifle is issued to him. Reveille comes at five o'clock every morn- ing. While the day is still young and cool, the squads receive drilling in the " setting-up" exercises under charge of the gymnastic in- structor. Later on, such drills as the manual of arms and the use and care of arms are taught to the squads in the shade under the trees bordering the plain. Not only is the work hard, but the full rigidity of military discipline is insisted upon from the first mo- ment, until the new man at West Point quickly comes to regard his cadet instructor as a personage of far more dread-inspiring qualities than Nemesis. As the new man's name is hardly apt to stick in the memory of his instructor, the latter addresses the no- vitiate simply as "Mister." 34 Life at West Point "Well, Mister," thunders the cadet cor- poral, when he notices his man looking a little bit sideways, "what are you gazing about in ranks for? Why don't you keep your eyes to the front? You 've been told times enough not to be watching me, but to keep your eyes to the front." Such lecttires continue until the new man has had all the admonition he needs. At first this incessant rebuking seems Kke bullying, but later on the novitiate realizes that he has been through needful discipline. For the first three weeks or so the new man continues to live in barracks. In addition to the variousdriUs, " policeduties " — ^which com- prise the cleanly and orderly care of quarters — ^are taught by the cadet corporals and ca- det officers. It is astonishing how little time is required to mould raw material into the out- ward semblance of a soldier. By the time that the first two weeks have gone by, every prom- ising cadet is walking hke a soldier, carries himself like one, and has mastered a wonderful amount of the drill that is imparted to him. < or The New Cadet 35 One occupation that is not down in the curriculum occupies much of the time during the first few weeks of the new man, and that is the endurance of homesickness. No mat- ter how much the new man is wrapped up in the career of the soldier, there are many days at first when he heartily wishes himself again at home. It is all so new and strange at West Point! The new arrival has no friend to turn to. Every act of his daily life is regulated by a system and a discipline that are inflexible. Implicit, unquestioning obedi- ence is a requirement that is at the outset hard upon the most promising young man. There is plenty of instruction; there are plenty of orders ; it seems to the novitiate as if there were now nothing in life but these and obedience. The new man is apt to feel that the meaning of the word "sympathy" is unknown at the Academy. It is a good training for him, but hard, very hard at first. Older cadets look on, understand, and pity, but give no sign. A dozen times a day some new cadets sigh 36 Life at West Point dolorously for home. It is a common sight foj* a cadet corporal, going into the room of a Plebe, to find the latter seated at his table, pen in hand, and a sheet of paper before him on which the first dozen words have been in- dited. The Plebe, looking utterly "blue," is staring at the paper or gazing blankly at the wall. At a glance, the cadet corporal takes in the scene before him, and queries: "Homesick, eh. Mister?" "Yes, sir," replies the Plebe, looking shamefaced. "Sure sign that a new man's homesick when he 's caught at study table writing his resignation," rejoins the corporal com- posedly. And the Plebe, wondering how it happens that the cadet corporal is such a mind-reader, flushes, looks -at the sheet before him, and next slowly tears it up. "That's right," observes the corporal. There is a momentary touch of something akin to sympathy as he goes on: "Don't get down in the mouth, Mister. The New Cadet n I 've been through the nostalgia drill myself. It 's tough on you now ; know all about it myself. But when you 've been here a little while, there 's no inducement on earth could make you leave of your own choice. Brace up, Mister; homesickness hits 'em all at first." Then the brusque tone of the instructor returns as the corporal, glancing about, sud- denly utters : "See here. Mister, 'policing' is one of the most important duties of the soldier. Your shoe-brush is out of place. Have n't I told you before where it belongs? And your cap is on your bed. Now, Mister " And so it goes on. So inexorable is every item of discipline that the cadet, ere-long, is apt to sit down and start a second letter of resignation. But always the budding soldier in him conquers. One Plebe there was who in his first month at the Point was known to have started a letter of resignation at least twenty different times. Each letter was de- stroyed before it had been a quarter written, 38 Life at West Point generally because of the chaffing of a comrade or a cadet instructor. Real cadet life begins about the Fourth of July. That is to say, the new men are let out of barracks and taken into camp. They are now assigned to companies, the entire cadet corps being organized as a battalion of six companies. The three classes present are represented in every company. On en- tering the camp, the new man has something of the sense of being "full-fledged," though his squad drills are continued until about the first of August. By this time he is considered a sufficiently good soldier to enter the bat- talion. There is an incentive to master these early driUs, for the new men are re- leased, singly, from the squads as they show their proficiency. Thereafter the men so released attend parade with their respec- tive companies and are also detailed to guard duty. A cadet who has gone satisfac- torily through his first tour of guard duty is considered as thoroughly "broken in." Dur- ing the latter part of the summer the new The New Cadet 39 man takes up company and foot-battery drills. Most impressive of all the spectacular feat- ures of the new life is the "swearing in" of the cadets. Formerly they went to the Su- perintendent's office in small detachments, there to take the oath as administered by a notary who has grown gray through some fifty years of such work. Colonel Mills made a radical change in the method of administer- ing the oath. As soon as possible after the Plebes are in uniform, the battalion of cadets is marched on to the parade ground and drawn up, the band playing. The new men march down and halt in front of the battalion. The Superintendent, the Commandant of Cadets, the Adjutant, and the tactical officers take up their positions. The summer crowd is present in all its numbers. Any foreign cadet who may be serving by consent of Con- gress is allowed to drop out. Holding up their hands as the names are read off the roll, the new men are sworn in. There is about it all the flavor of a most impressive cere- 40 Life at West Point mony., At the conclusion, the band breaks out into triumphant strains, the new men march away with swelling pride, and the bat- talion returns solemnly to camp. After camp life begins, the new man is obliged to take an hour's instruction in dan- cing every afternoon, except Saturday and Sunday. In addition, an hour of his morn- ing's time is devoted to swimming in the natatoritun in the gymnasium building. As soon as he can swim fifteen minutes without resting, the cadet is considered proficient and excused from further drill of this sort. Before the simmier is over, the novitiate finds himself entering heartily into the fine soldierly spirit of his surroundings, and no longer suffers from homesickness. He has made a fair start on his new career, and is apt to look icily at any comrade who chaffs him about those quarter-finished letters of resignation. There is another form of letter quite as useless. Candidates often come from home with letters of introduction from friends who are acquainted with officers on I- z ul I 1- < I- < The New Cadet 41 the Post. Such a letter invariably commends the bearet to the kindly services of the officer to whom it is addressed, and asks that the officer look well after the young man. Such letters had better never be written, for no officer at the Academy will or can show the slightest partiality, and all the information he has to give is dispensed to all alike. The candidate may show his letter of introduc- tion to an older cadet. If he does, he is met with the crisp advice, "Bum it!" Within the first very few days the cadet learns that at West Point every man stands solely on his merits — that he is the only one who can advance himself in any way. On the 29th of August, the Plebes, now an integral part of the corps, return to barracks with their older comrades, and on September ist the academic year begins. During the summer, it is safe to say that the new man has dreamed of drills three nights out of every four. Now, with the beginning of recitations, the Plebe's nights are at first burdened with fantastic slumbering visions 42 Life at West Point of perverted excerpts from his text-books, of mathematical problems that won't come right, of recitations on subjects in which he finds his mind a blank, and all the other torturing nocturnal phantasms that are certain to afflict a young man who is just beginning to learn how to subject his brain to the highest form and ideal of discipline. But all this goes by in time, sleep is restful, and the day itself is too full of occupation for dreams to have any place in waking hours. CHAPTER III A DAY IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR Each week-day in the academic year the "first call to reveille" ends the liight's sleep at the stroke of 6 a.m. With the first note of the call begins the long, arduous, strenuous day of sixteen hours. Reveille is, in the Army, what the alarm clock is in civil life. The cadet awakes instantly, yawns, rolls, and the roll terminates in a semi-somersault that brings him to his feet at the cot-side. The next movement, performed so quickly that it seems a part of the preceding one, is to draw on the first article of clothing. When partly dressed the cadet begins his toilet. This is necessarily rapid, but must be thorough, for personal cleanliness is one of the immutable laws at West Point. Next 43 44 Life at West Point comes "police work," which means the set- ting of the room absolutely to rights. There are generally two cadets in a room. The work is divided between them, and each per- forms his share with soldierly promptness and precision. First of all the cots must be stripped of coverings. The mattresses are rolled neatly at the head. Over these go the coverings, neatly folded, and then the pil- lows. The mattresses cannot be unrolled, or the cot occupied, until bedtime comes around again, unless the cadet is confined to his quarters on "sick report." If the studious vigil of the night before has left books and papers slightly disarranged on the study table, these must be set straight, and according to prescribed rules of order- liness. The floor must be swept. Dust, or a scrap of paper on the floor, wiU bring a de- merit if discovered, for system in barracks is another unchangeable law at the Military Academy. Every outer garment not being worn must be htmg according to strict regu- lation on its appointed hook. A Day in the Academic Year 45 Very little time is allowed for dressing, toilet, and "police work." It would not be a third enough time for the pampered boy at home, accustomed to the coaxing of a mother and the indulgence of sisters; but for the disciplined cadet, trained to make the best use of every minute, there is time enough to do well aU that is required of him. As soon as this preliminary work of the day can be properly done, the bugle sounds. From each room in Cadet Barracks young men issue hastily, some of them fastening on a collar or buttoning a blouse as they run. Out through the north sally port they speed, and, on the sidewalk just beyond, seek their places in battalion formation. . Roll is called, and then, obedient to the crisp command of a ca- det officer, the battalion marches down past the academic building to the Cadet Mess Hall. The splendid air of West Point, especially if the season be winter, gives each young man a satisfactory appetite. Those of the cadets who feel so inclined indulge in merry chatter and chaff during the meal, but it is to 46 Life at West Point be observed that many of them display an air of preoccupation. They are thinking over the coming recitations of the day and men- tally gauging their degree of preparedness. Breakfast ends at 7.20. Now follow forty minutes of recreation — ^just half the amount of time devoted to rest during the long day. The word "recreation" has different mean- ings to different cadets. Some utilize the time by taking a brisk walk; others gather about the sally-ports or in the quadrangle in little groups for social intercourse ; the young man who feels that he is behind in some par- ticular study hastens to his room to get an- other look at his books and papers. Eight o'clock brings the sound of the bugle. Promptly at the minute the sections form and march to the various class-rooms in the academic building. It being required that the instructors shall devote as much time as possible to each cadet, these sections of a class generally consist of eight men, and never of more than twelve. From eight to eleven o'clock the recitations last an hour A Day in the Academic Year 47 and a half; from eleven to one they occupy an hour each. Study and recitations alter- nate so that in the five hours' work of the morning each cadet spends two and a half hours in recitation and the same amount of time at study in quarters. No cadet, even if he is so inclined, can shirk at recitations. The excuse "Not pre- pared" is never recognized at the Military Academy. He must be ready to demon- strate his proficiency in the day's work in which he is reciting. The Academy motto is " Every cadet every day," and the standard "Every cadet proficient in everything." Professors and instructors have abundant time to draw out of each cadet all that he knows of his lesson. There is a little artifice, known to students in general, of quizzing the instructor in such manner as to draw out of him the natture of the reply desired to a ques- tion. Woe to the West Point man who at- tempts this trick! Every instructor and professor is on the alert to head off such an offender. Suppose the instructor sends a 48 Life at West Point cadet to the blackboard to write an equation showing a reaction from the tmion of two chemical compounds. The equation is writ- ten, and the instructor inquires: "Is the result of the equation acid or alkaline?" "Let me understand you, sir," begs the cadet, hesitatingly. "Do you mean " "Is the result acid or alkaline?" repeats the instructor. Catching at the emphasized word, the cadet may respond promptly:- "Acid, I should say, sir." "Decidedly alkaline!" comes the retort, and the cadet realizes that his stratagem has recoiled upon himself. A cadet who has been a little while at West Point learns that there is no hope of his es- caping unnoticed in his section. The ques- tions of the professor or the instructors are keen, searching, comprehensive, and each cadet must answer his share of interrogations in such manner as to prove that he is fully conversant with his subject. A Day in the Academic Year 49 There is one method only of escaping the ordeal of the class-room. At 7.10 a.m. sick call is sounded on the bugle, answering which stmimons every cadet who is ill, or who thinks himself so, goes to the Cadet Hospital. Here his case is inqtiired into by one of the sur- geons. If he proves to be moderately ill, he is excused from duty, supplied with medi- cines if necessary, and is ordered to keep to his quarters. Should he be seriously ill, he is taken into the Cadet Hospital for treat- ment. In either case he is excused from all duty until his name is taken off "sick re- port." Cases of shirking through pretended illness are, however, very rare, since each cadet is required to make up, on recovery, all the time lost while ill. If he fails to do so, he is either turned back to the class next below his, thus losing a year's time in gradu- ating, or else is dropped altogether for de- ficiency. Beyond question the first year of academic work is the hardest that the cadet encounters dtiring his four years of service at the Acad- 50 Life at West Point emy. In the first place, it is necessary for him to break all old habits, too often fostered by parental indulgence at home. He must learn to make every moment cotmt ; he must acquire the discipline of mind and body that makes the successful officer of the future ; he must possess himself of the habit of implicit obedience and the quality of unfailing self- confidence which alone make possible the performance of the utmost duties required of him. Yet the first year, hard though it xmdeniably is, is really a period of prepara- tion for the three years that follow. It is a fact established by all records of classes at the Military Academy, during the last fifty years or more, that the new, or fourth class, suffers most severely in the number of cadets dropped for deficiencies of one kind or an- other. Bearing in mind that the young man may enter the Military Academy at an age as early as seventeen, let us see what he is called upon to.study dtiring the first year. Through- out the course, a mastery of mathematics is A Day in the Academic Year 51 insisted upon as the most important single qualification. Our cadet, during his first year, must take up algebra, geometry, trigo- nometry, conic sections, surveying, and the English and French languages. In addition, he must go through his gymnasium course under the physical director, must master a part of the infantry drill regulations, and take a course in the "Service of Security and Information. ' ' This latter subj ect deals with the safety of an army in field against an enemy. The most advantageous uses of spies and scouts are treated extensively. The division and subdivision of a column of troops must be mastered; the uses of a "screen" of cavalry troops operating in ad- vance of the main army, the composition and disposition of advance guards of cavalry and infantry, and the uses of flankers and rear guards, of outposts, sentinels, vedettes, pa- trols, and a host of other minor but related subjects — even to the control of war corre- spondents in the field — are made absolutely clear to the cadet in his " Plebe" or first year. 52 Life at West Point In the second year, the cadet again delves into the baffling subject of conic sections. Solid and descriptive geometry and differen- tial calculus carry him still further into the domain of mathematics, while in this year also he is required to enter the useful though bewildering field of "least squares" — a sub- ject absolutely incomprehensible to the non- mathematical mind, though of the greatest value in correcting errors in problems in- volving calculations in astronomy and geod- esy. The yotmg man continues his study of French, begins that of Spanish, starts in the department of mathematical drawing, and masters photography as far as military necessities require a knowledge of the sub- ject. Yet the second year is not an ex- tremely difficult one for the cadet who has gone through the first with a good record, for he has now learned how to make the best use of the time at his disposal. So by degrees the cadet is prepared for his third year of academic work. This is a severe year, but the young man is now in A Day in the Academic Year 53 shape for the exactions that are ahead of him. Analytical mechanics, astronomy, chemistry, mineralogy, and geology must now be taken up. Then there is the study of wave motion, which is possibly the hardest of all academic subjects to master, and deficiency in this is fatal to the prospect of graduation. The course in drawing includes military landscape, ordnance drawing, mechanical and architec- tural work, engineering and building con- struction. During the fourth and last year, military and civil engineering and the building of field and permanent fortifications are taken up. So is sternotomy — ^the science of cutting solids into figures or sections. The methods of attacking fortified towns and cities are studied theoretically and practically, while the well-nigh innumerable details of that branch of military science known as "or- ganization and tactics," without which an army otherwise better equipped cannot hope to succeed against a nearly equal army in the field, is exhaustingly gone into. In this 54 Life at West Point connection, the formation of an army and every detail of the most efficient care of it, as well as actual manoeuvres in the field, are taken up. Strategy, which has to do with the planning and preliminaries of the battle, and tactics, which deal with the conduct of a battle when it is on, come under the head of this general subject. The keynote of in- struction in organization and tactics is the making of a perfect army (which is possible only in a degree) , in which each part shaU obey the will of the commander as the muscles of the body respond to the dictates of the brain. Both "grand" and "minor" tactics come under this course, and the best methods of performing the varying duties of infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineers, the medical, sig- nal, commissary, and transportation depart- ments are dwelt upon fully. Ordnance and gunnery are not dabbled in, hut mastered. History and all the principles of law that may be useful to an officer in command of troops in the field are imparted. Perhaps a clearer idea of the enormous A Day in the Academic Year 55 amount of work, physical and mental, that is accomplished may be gained from the fol- lowing summaries of the four years* work: FIRST YEAR— FOURTH CLASS. (Books marked thus * are for reference.) DEPARTMENT. Mathematics Modem Languages. DriU Regulations, U.S. Army. Use of the Sword, etc. COURSE OP STUDY, TEXT-BOOKS, AND BOOKS OF REPBRBHCB. C. Smith's Treatise on Algebra. Davies' Legendre's Geometry. Ludlow's Elements of Trigonometry. C. Smith's Conic Sections. J. B. Johnson's Theory and Practice of Surveying. *Ludlow's Logarithmic Tables. Williams' Composition and Rhetoric. Abbott's How to Write Clearly. Meiklejohn's English Language. ♦Smith's Synonyms Discriminated. Keetels' Analytical and Practical French Grammar. Castarfede's Treatise on the Conjugation of French Verbs. Roemer's Cours de Lecture et de Traduction, Vol. I. Bocher's College Series of French Plays, Vol. II. ♦Spiers' and Surenne's French Pronouncing Diction- ary. ♦Roget's Thesaurus of English Words. ♦Webster's Dictionary. De Peiffer's French Pronunciation. Practical Instruction in the Schools of the Soldier, Company and Battahon — Infantry. 'theoretical Instruction in the Schools of the Soldier and Company. Practical and Theoretical Instruction in the School of the Cannoneer — Siege and Light Artillery. Theoretical and Practical Instruction in the Service of Security and Information. Exercises in Applied Tactics, and Practice Marches — Infantry. Theoretical and Practical Instruction in Target Prac- tice. U. S. Infantry andfLight Artillery Drill Regulations. Firing Regulations for Small Arms. Manual of Security and Information, by the Depart- ment of Tactics. Instruction in Fencing with Rapier and Broad Sword, and Bayonet Exercise, and Military Gymnastics. SECOND YEAR— THIRD CLASS. DEPARTMENT. COURSE OP STUDY, TEXT-BOOKS, AND BOOKS OF RBPERBNCE. Mathematics. C. Smith's Conic Sections and Solid Geometry. Church's Descriptive Geometry, with its Application to Spherical Projections, Shades, Shadows, and Perspective. Bass' DiSerential Calculus. Johnson's Text-Book on the Method of Least Squares. D. A. Murray's Integral Calculus. Modem Borel's Grammaire Francaise. Hennequin's Lessons in Idiomatic French. B6cher's College Series of French Plays, Vol. II. Roemer's Cours de Lecture et de Traduction, Vol. II. Revue Militaire de I'Etranger. Le Figaro. Eco de Madrid. Edgren's Compendious French Grammar. *De Peifler's French Pronunciation. *Willcox's Military Technical Dictionary. ♦Spiers' and Surenne's French Pronouncing Dictionary. Monsanto and Languellier's Spanish Grammar. Knapp's Spanish Reader. Traub's Spanish Verb and Spanish Pronunciation. Ramseys's Elementary Spamsh Reader. *Seoane's Nexmiann and Baretti's Spanish Dictionary. Drawing. Constructive Problems in Plane Geometry. Point Paths. Topography and Plotting of Surveys with lead pencil, pen and ink, and colors; construction of the various problems in Descriptive Geometry, Shades and Shadows, Linear Perspective and Isometric Pro- jections; Practical Surveying in the Field. Field Reconnaissance, Contouring, and Sketching with and without instruments; Theory of Color and laying of tints; History of Cartography and Topography; Triangula- tion and large Surveys. Lectures on the foregoing. ♦Reed's Topographical Drawing and Sketching, includ- ing Photography applied to Surveying. DriU Regulations, U. S. Army. Practical Instruction in the Schools of the Soldier, Company and Battalion — Infantry. Practical Instruction in the School of the Cannoneer —Light Artillery; and School of the Troopei--Cav- alry; and Equitation. Practical Instruction in Small Arms Tareet Practice. Practical Instruction in the Service of Security and In- formation. Exercises in Applied Tactics and Practice Marches — Infantry. *U. S. Army Drill Regulations. ♦Firing Regulations %>r Small Arms. ♦Manual of Security and Information by the Depart- ment of Tactics. Practical MiHtaiy Engineering. Practical Instruction in the Construction of Pontoon, Spar, and Trestle Bridges, and Surveying. 56 THIRD YEAR— SECOND CLASS. DEPARTMENT. COURSE OP STUDY, TEXT-BOOKS, AND BOOKS OP REFERENCE. Natural and Experimental Philosophy. Michie's Analytical Mechanics. Michie and Harlow's Practical Astronomy. Young's General Astronomy. Michie's Elements of Wave-Motion relating to Sound and Light. Chemistry, Mineralogy, and Geology. Tillman's Descriptive General Chemistry (3d Edition). Tillman's Elementary Lessons in Heat (3d Edition). Tracy's Anatomy, Physiology, and Hygiene. Thompson's Elementary Lessons in Electricity and Magnetism (new and revised ed.). Tillman's Important Minerals and Rocks. LeConte's Elements of (Jeology (4th Edition). Practical Instruction in Chemistry, Electricity, and Mineralogy. Drawing. Free-hand Drawing and Landscape in black and white. Mechanical and Architectural Drawing in ink and colors; Military Landscape, Sketching in the Field; Memory Drawing; Free-hand Mechanical Drawing without instruments; Building Construction, Work- ing Drawings and Isometric Sections; Engineering and Ordnance Drawing; Lectures on all the fore- going subjects with stereopticon. *Reed's Topographical Drawing and Sketching, in- cluding Photography apphed to Surveying. DriU Regulations, U. S. Army. Practical Instruction in the Schools of the Soldier, Company and Battalion — Infantry. Theoretical Instruction in Drill Regulations — Infan- try, Light Artillery, and Cavahy. Practical Instruction in the School of the Cannoneer — Sea Coast Artillery. Practical Instruction in the Schools of the Troop and Squadron — Cavalry; and Equitation. ■►Dyer's Hand Book for Light Artillery. Practical Military- Engineering. Practical Instruction in the Construction of Pontoon Bridges, in laying Gun Platforms, and in the Con- struction of Revetments and Obstacles. Practical and Theoretical Instruction in Military Signaling. .. 57 FOURTH YEAR— FIRST CLASS. DEPARTMENT. COURSE OP STUDY, TEXT -BOOKS, AND BOOKS OP REPERENCE. Civil and Military En- gineering and Science of War. Wheeler's Civil Engineering. Fiebeger's Field Fortifications. . Fiebeger's Pamphlet on Permanent Fortifications. Mercur's Attack of Fortified Places. Wagner's Organization and Tactics and the Service of Security and Information. Mahan's Stereotomy. Law. Davis's Elements of Law. Davis's International Law (id Edition). Davis's Military Law. Flanders' Manual of the Constitution. Historical Geography. Duruy's General History. *Labberton's New Historical Atlas. Practical Military En- gineering. Demolitions. Practical Instruction in the Construction of Pontoon, Trestle, and Spar Bridges; in the preparation and application of Siege Materials; and laying out Field and Siege Works. Practical Instruction in Military Reconnaissances on foot and mounted; in Field Telegraphy, Night Signaling, and the use of the Heliograph ♦Ernst's Manual of Practical Military Engineering. Nattiral and Experimental Philosophy. Practical Instruction in Astronomy. DriU Regulations, U. S. Army. Practical Instruction in the Schools of the Soldier, Company and Battalion — Infantry; of the Troop and Squadron — Cavalry; Packing and Equitation. Theoretical Instruction U. S. Cavalry Drill Regula- tions. Practical Instruction in the School of the Battery- Light, Horse, and Mountain Artillery. Practical Instruction in the Service of Security and Information; Exercises in Applied Tactics; Prac- tical Instruction in Small Arms 'Target Practice; Practice Marches— Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery ; Lectures on Customs of Service, Mihtary Etiquette, and Equipment; Lectures on Hippology, Saddling and Harnessing. Horseshoeing, Stable Management, and Practical Work at Stables, etc. United States Army Cavaby DriU Regulations. ♦Firing Regulations for Small Arms. ♦Manual of Security and Information, by the Depart- ment of Tactics. ♦Dyer's Hand Book tor Light Artillery. Ordnance and Gunnery. ♦Ingalls' BaUistic Tables. Practical Instruction in the Use of Ballistic Instru- ments and the Determination of Velocities and Pressures. ♦Ludlow's Logarithmic Tables. 58 A Day in the Academic Year 59 In no one of the courses above described is a superficial or pxirely theoretical knowledge sxrfficient. It is ever the practical applica- tion of principles that is aimed at. No cadet can pass on a statement of rules, principles, or laws. He must show practical familiarity with every phase of every subject in which he is instructed. The summary of the day's work during the academic part of the year sliQws what is ex- pected mentally of the cadet. It must be borne in mind that, in addition, there is much driU, including a course of riding that produces graduates who would put many a cowboy to the blush. It is the aim of the authorities to vary the hard grind of study and recitation with as much of gymnasium work or driU as will serve to give needed relief from mental strain at the most desirable in- tervals. It is this admixture of intellectual and bodily work, in just the right proportions, that makes the cadet the perfect being of brains and physique that he is. After such an aU-arotmd strain, no matter 6o Life at West Point how enthusiastic he is for his work, the cadet is glad of the arrival of one o'clock. Now the battalion forms once more on the north side of the academic building, and again march is taken up for the Cadet Mess Hall. Dinner is served at this time of day, a meal that occupies forty minutes. Some five hun- dred cadets march in in perfect order, file to their places at the many tables and seat them- selves. A cadet officer is in charge at each table. Upon him devolves the preservation of good order. This does not mean that any cadet is under repression. Conversation is unrestrained, and usually takes the form of chaff, in which most of the young men speedily become adepts. AH that the cadet officer at each table is responsible for is that every man under his immediate notice shall observe the rules of gentlemanly con- duct. Dinner is a merry meal ; high spirits are in evidence through the great dining- room. When the meal is finished, at the signal to rise, the young men pass out and make the o A Day in the Academic Year 6i most of the twenty minutes that is allowed them for recreation. Promptly at two o'clock the sections may again be seen marching across the quadrangle inside of barracks to the various recitation rooms. The afternoon's recitations are now taken up, ending at four o'clock. The academic por- tion of the year lasts from September ist to June ist. In the seasons of milder weather drill begins at 4.10 p.m. The entire bat- talion turns out for infantry practice. As soon as dismissal comes, the cadets hurry to quarters, there to don their dress uniforms. With drill at 5.30 just time enough is given to prepare for dress parade. Nowhere in the world is this acme of military splendor and glory seen to such advantage as at West Point. It approaches nearer to the solemnity and grandeur of a religious ceremony than any other display of a secular nature could do. It is the gala time of the day at West Point. The band is out in full force; the battalion moves through its intricate figures with all the elasticity, grace, and precision 62 Life at West Point that can be expected of the cadets of the foremost military school in the world. Officers and their families line the edge of the parade grotmd; visitors to West Point are out in force, for this is the most splendid, thrilling spectacle of the day. The evening gim sounds and the Stars and Stripes flutter down, to be raised again at next sunrise over the young men to whom the glory and honor of the Flag are to be entrusted. Many a citizen beholding dress parade at the MiKtary Academy has had his first awakening to the full meaning of patriotism. In winter weather, which at West Point is especially severe, drill and dress parade are omitted, the cadets enjo5nng an additional period of recreation from 4 to 5.45 p.m. At 6.30 the battalion again forms and marches to supper, the meal lasting until 7. At this time of the day the yotmg man in civil life would consider himself badly used if called upon to do any more work. But work is the ke5niote of West Point life. At 7.20 the peal of the bugle sends every young man to A Day in the Academic Year 63 his room in barracks. Books and papers are resumed in preparation for the next day's work. Needed information in many lines must be acquired. There are difficult prob- lems to be solved in mathematics and other sciences — and the time is all too short. In addition to the next day's work, the young student must review any part of his aca- demic work in which he has found himself deficient. The silence in each room is broken only by the scratch of pen or pencil, the un- intentional rustle of paper, or the ttiming of leaves in a book. There is no time for skyr larking, not even for tinnecessary conversa- tion between the two men in the room, for incessant study and concentration afford the only hope of not being foimd deficient at the semi-annual or annual examination. College presidents, professors, and other educators who visit West Point and acquaint themselves with the methods and results em- ployed at the Military Academy confess them- selves astounded at the immense amount of work accomplished and the extent of 64 Life at West Point knowledge absorbed in a thoroughly practical manner. Outside of an acquaintance with the classics and some branches of knowledge that are generally considered as purely pe- dantic, the West Point graduate is the peer in education of any university man in the cotintry. Yet he begins, generally, with only a public-school education as a foundation. There is no mystery as to how this wonderful educational result is achieved. It is done through the principle of employing every moment of the working day in either mental or bodily discipline, and the method is work, WORK, WORK! At 9.30, tattoo is sounded by the drum and bugle corps. This is the signal to the cadet that he may, as soon as he wishes, un- roll his bedding, make up his cot, and pre- pare to retire. Few cadets, however, avail themselves of this privilege on the instant. Most of them continue to study up to the last moment. Sharp at the moment of ten o'clock, three blows are struck on a drum be- fore the Cadet Guard House. This is ' ' taps ' ' A Day in the Academic Year 65 — ^the soldier's signal, the world over, that the day's work is done. A moment before the sounds of bugle and drum, lights have been shining through every window. At first vibration of "taps," these lights, except those of the first-class men, go out with almost the unity of a perfect volley. And now a new series of lights appears, « twinkling with the rapidity and flitting of the will-o'-the-wisp. Since the close of the day's studies there has been a cadet guard on duty. At first peal of "taps," the members of this guard — subdivision inspectors, they are now styled — ^have started on the upper floors, provided with dark lanterns. There are flashes of light seen through the windows of the upper floors of the sombre gray barracks. For an instant there is a glare of light visible through the stairway window as the monitor runs down to the floor below. More flashes, more glares, and seemingly almost as soon as they have started the cadet monitors are out in the quadrangle reporting to the Cadet Officer of the Day that they have 5 66 Life at West Point found all of the cadets in their rooms and abed. On the balcony of the Cadet Guard House stands the tactical officer of the Army who is in charge of barracks for the day. As soon as the subdivision inspectors are downstairs, he re-enters his office. Crossing the quad- rangle below, the Cadet Officer of the Day goes upstairs to the office, salutes, and re- ports: "All present, sir." Then the cadet guard is dismissed, and the members scurry to their own beds. The day's work is over for the cadet. He has been up sixteen hours, undergoing all the strain that the best man- hood can endure. He is now to sleep for eight hours, preparatory to the next day's work. On Saturdays there comes a slight change. As soon as dinner is over, the cadet is given the rest of the day for himself — ^that is, un- less he has been found guilty of some delin- quency in discipline. In the latter case, he will have to walk a "pimishment tour" dur- ing the afternoon. In full uniform, and < A Day in the Academic Year 67 carrying rifle and bayonet, he must march across the quadrangle, back and forth, as many hours as the sentencing power has doomed him to. If, however, the cadet is clear of such disciplinary restraint, Saturday afternoon and evening come as a joyous res- pite from the strain of the week. During the afternoon he may, if invited, visit the families of officers living on the Post. No little attention is paid, in its place, to the social life of the Academy, for the future officer must be a man capable of properly comporting himself in any walk of life. Nor are any better exponents of the best phase of American social life to be found than among the officers' famiHes at West Point. The atmosphere of the Post supplies the graces of life as thoroughly as the Academy, and its technical appurtenances provide for the training of the soldier. On Saturday evenings, beginning with January, "cadet hops" are held in the ball- room of CuUum Memorial Hall. Here the cadet acquires a wider range of knowledge in 68 Life at West Point the social amenities. In time he becomes as finished in demeanor as any courtier of the Old World. Sattirday nights, when "hops" are held, the cadet need not pay so much attention to "taps." It is to be presumed that he has invited some young lady to the dance. He must call for her, and, at the conclusion of the "hop," he must, of course, escort her to her home or to her temporary abiding-place. In order to do this he must secure permission, and, as the Superintendent and his subordi- nate officers are familiar with the amount of time needed to walk to any particular place on the Post, the cadet is given a time-limit within which he must return to barracks. But to those who love lovers there is a dainty bit of suggestion in the fact that the cadet who escorts a young lady home from a dance is allowed double the necessary time in which to return. Sunday morning brings with it a highly prized concession — the cadet is allowed to sleep until seven o'clock. As soon as break- A Day in the Academic Year 69 fast is over, the young soldier hastens to his room and puts every one of his belongings in absolute order. Everything — even his col- lar-box, tooth-brush, and shoe-brush — has an exact place in regulations. Every book must be closed and in position according to definite regulation. Every garment must be hung on the nail assigned to it, underclothing must be folded away in precise fashion, and no dust may appear on any object in the room. Promptly at 9.30, the Commandant of Cadets and his entire staff of tactical officers begin the inspection of cadet quarters, searching most minutely for any proof of lack of orderliness, and woe to the cadet who IS found to be derelict ! There is no hope of concealment ; the inspection is too thorough. Church call is sounded in time for the young men to be in their places in chapel at 10.30. Christian teaching is a strong feature of the training at the Military Academy. Every effort is made to instil reverence into the minds of the men to whose loyal, loving care the banner of Stars and Stripes is to be 70 Life at West Point entrusted. As the cadet listens to the words of cotinsel that come from the pulpit, he may gaze about him at historic banners. On the walls, too, are tablets placed in memory of Washington's generals. One tablet there is that bears the date of birth and of death, but from which the name has been erased. It is the panel placed there to the infamous memory of Benedict Arnold, whose name would sully the fame of the West Point that he once tried to betray into the hands of an enemy. Chapel over, the cadet is soon after at din- ner. Sunday afternoon belongs to him. If he has friends visiting on the Post, or at the hotel, he may secure permission to call upon them. No cadet is ever allowed to enter the hotel without a pass. Any violation of this rule would be regarded as a serious delin- quincy. The pass is easily obtained upon statement of proper reasons for visiting the hotel, but each cadet, upon entering, must register in a book kept in the hotel office for that purpose. Tactical officers make it their A Day in the Academic Year 71 affair to see that the regulations regarding visits at the hotel are rigidly enforced. On Wednesday afternoons, after four o'clock, a brief but much-prized opportu- nity for recreation is afforded. During the severely cold weather, the time for rest and enjoyment afforded to cadets between 4 and 5.45 does not apply to those who are en- gaged in riding at the riding-hall. Nor does the word "recreation" mean much to the young soldier who finds himself threatened with a record of deficiency in any of his studies. He must spend every spare moment in study if he hopes to keep up and gradu- ate with his class. There are many lesser things that take up the time of the cadet during the day, but which belong to the prescribed routine. For instance, if the young man has any com- plaint to make, he is privileged to call at Headquarters during office hours, from 9 to 4, and state his grievance to the Superintendent. It does not in the least prejudice the cadet's standing to find fault with his treatment, 72 Life at West Point unless it is shown that he has made a false statement. Aside from the matter of com- plaint, if the cadet has any questions to ask, answers to which he prefers to receive from the Superintendent, he is at Hberty to call and state his case. There is little opportunity to spend money at West Point. Under the regulations, the cadet is not permitted to receive money from outside. If parents, guardians, or friends wish to supply the young man with funds, they are reqtoired to send the money to the Superintendent with a statement of the reasons why the cadet needs it. The Superintendent is sole judge of the vaUdity of the reasons. He either turns the money so received, or a part of it, over to the cadet, or returns the whole or the balance to the sender. Yet, as the young man is bound to require a little pocket money, there is a curious provision made. In case he has not overdrawn against his pay account for neces- sary supplies, he is privileged to draw two doUars a month for "confectionery money." A Day in the Academic Year 73 This is deemed an ample amount of pocket money, for at West Point many of the cadets are sons of people in the poorest circum- stances, and ostentation of any kind is firmly forbidden to the sons of more fortimate parents. It is, of course, essential that the future officers should develop, along with other lines, in a knowledge of the world's affairs. While he has little time for reading outside of his curriculum, it is preferred that he should take one good newspaper, and this his relatives or friends are at liberty to send him. There is no choice, on the part of the authorities, as to the paper that he reads, it being only stipulated that the newspaper shall be one that is recognized as reputable and valuable. Periodicals and magazines find their way, to some extent, into the life of the cadet. Usually once a day the young man finds the time to go to the baths on the ground floor of the Cadet Guard House. Here he can obtain a shower, plunge, or sponge in 74 Life at West Point water of the temperature that is judged as being best suited to his individual physical needs. Cleanliness is, of course, insisted on as of the greatest importance to the bodily well-being, and the favorite time for the bath is either after gymnasium work or drill. Not the least important part of a cadet's daily mental work is that performed at the library. While the West Point Library is by no means as extensive as it should be, there is yet a great wealth of military lore to be foimd on its shelves. The favorite time of the day for the cadet to visit the library, during the winter season, is in the recreation period between 4 and 5.45 p.m. There is one weekly task that is generally deferred until Sunday. That is the im- portant task of writing letters home. Even on Sundays, the cadet who finds himself backward in his studies is not always able to spare the time to write. The letters, for the most part, are brief, relating to the writer's progress — or lack of it — and a statement, as to his general health. Brevity of expression A Day in the Academic Year 75 is a trait that becomes instilled in the mind of the hard-worked young soldier. Hard and exacting as the day's work is, there is surprisingly little illness among the cadets. There is but a small fraction of the sickness that would exist among the same young men if they remained under the pa- rental roof. No college or university in the country can show as low a "sick report" as that exhibited by the medical officers at West Point. The whole system tends to thorough yet normal and equal development of mind and body. Some forty per cent, of the cadets who enter the Military Academy fail to graduate. By far the greater number of these cases are due to mental deficiency in one study or another. Breaches of disci- pline form the next most fruitful cause of dismissal, while physical disability comes in a lagging third. Cases of nervous collapse are almost unknown at the Military Academy. The night's sleep results from proper fatigue of mind and body; and sound, restful, healthful is the slumber that follows "taps." CHAPTER IV THE MAKING OF PHYSICAL MANHOOD Whoever visits West Point for the first time and observes the fine, erect carriage and perfect waist-Hne of the cadet is apt to conclude that the young man wears corsets. And it must be admitted that the young man does. Such symmetry can be pro- duced only by the use of corsets. Yet it does not occur to the average visitor to ask what kind of corsets are worn. The corsets worn by the cadets are composed solely of muscles, trained into proper shape by steady, systematic work in the gymna- sium. Such corsets may be acquired by any one who wiU tmdertake and faithfully keep up the kind of exercises that are taught at the Military Academy. 76 Making of Physical Manhood ^^ In these days it is fully understood that no man, or woman, can hope to achieve the fullest measure of success in life without sound, practicable, sensible training in physi- cal culture. The body must be made able to meet all the demands that may be im- posed upon it, or must be ready to meet the fullest exactions possible under extreme cir- cumstances. Without such strength, health — or call it what you will, — ^no person can hope to accomplish the best possibilities that are in him. Especially in the case of the soldier is the development of strength necessary. He must be made strong enough to endure all the severe fatigues that a cam- paign brings. In line with this he must know how to make the best use of such strength as he has, to the end that no por- tion of his bodily vitality be wasted when the period of strain comes. It is training along these lines that is given in the gymnasium of the Military Academy. The system has not been the growth of a day, nor of a year. Its basic 78 Life at West Point principles were conceived by Lieutenant H. J. Koehler, who has been for seventeen years the physical director at the Academy. With accumulating experience he has so developed the course that, to-day, West Point un- doubtedly turns out the finest physical speci- men of manhood to be found in the world. Average muscular fitness and power of en- durance are what are aimed at. It is not intended to make the West Point cadet a professional "strong man." He must be a man with all his normal powers developed, and this is regarded as the highest pitch of physical development. Any young man of physique good enough to pass the entrance examination can gradtially gain the strength, agility, and grace that will fit him for the fu- tture career of an army officer. Physical heroism depends upon bodily strength and the self-consciousness of power that such strength brings with it. The production of this heroic spirit, and, at the same time, the creation of the keenest mental powers, form Making of Physical Manhood 79 the keynote of all that is taught in the gynmasitun. There is not the slightest secrecy about the training. Visitors are welcome to watch all the work that is performed. It is through persistency of work that the cadet achieves his manly perfection. Discipline is a most important factor. The cadet is required to observe faithfully all the slightest require- ments of his physical instruction. Pride plays its part with the new man. He finds himself among cadets who represent the finest possible types of manhood. Even un- consciously he finds himself emulating their carriage. He determines to discover the secret — ^though there is none — of their su- periority in appearance. "Work" is a word that does not enter into the system of instruction. The system is composed of a long series of simple exer- cises that do not bring bodily strain. The light, active movements used are designed with a view to interesting the cadet. They give him pleasure, and the object of them is 8o Life at West Point so thoroughly lost sight of that the cadet aspires merely to master them for the sake of achievement. While cadets are obliged to attend gym- nasium work only during the first year of their course, the gymnasium is open in leisure time to all of the upper classmen, each of whom may add to his first year's training as much more as he desires. So fond do the cadets become of this bodily training that few upper classmen fail to avail themselves of it at all possible opportunities. "Setting-up drills" — a system of calis- thenic exercises by which the new man is most qxdckly given a proper carriage and the best use of his muscles — swimming and fen- cing are among the first things taught. For the first four months or so the new cadet is trained only in exercises that do not require the use of the "machines." All through these first months, the cadet is carried along so gradually through his gymnastic tasks that he comes to look upon them in the light of recreation. They serve as a diversion Making of Physical Manhood 8i from his studies, and yet at the same time give him a physique that enables him the better to grapple with the exactions of study. Drills last for forty-five minutes. The in- structor never allows his squad to become physically exhausted. He is equally alert to prevent mental fatigue. The aim of the drill is to change each exercise so frequently that no member of the squad finds cause to be- come tired of it. A cadet who feels himself in the least exhausted is permitted to drop out untn he feels able to resume. In the language of the instructor : " If you pant, feel faint or tired, or experience pain, stop at once, for it is Nature's way of saying 'Too much.'" First of all, utmost importance is attached to the matter of breathing properly, without which any form of exercise is likely to prove more harmful than beneficial. At each end of the drill, the men are required to devote some minutes to inflating and deflating their lungs. The breathing is slow and deep, 6 82 Life at West Point inspiration being through the nostrils, while expiration may be made through either the nose or mouth. Holding the breath until it can no longer be held is explained as being particularly harmful. Cadets, while being instructed in breathing, are told to inhale while performing such exercises as elevate and distend the thorax, such as raising the arms laterally. Parts of an exercise that tend to contract the walls of the chest should be accompanied by ex- halation. Lowering the arms laterally from the shoulders, or from overhead, is such an exercise. And it is always explained that whenever any exercise is followed by labored breathing this is sure proof that the task has been excessive. Such extremes frequently cause serious trouble with the heart or lungs. Every possible effort of the instructor is di- rected to the prevention of overtaxing of any kind. In case of sudden palpitation of the heart, or distressed breathing, the cadet is instructed to leave the squad and to recover his normal condition by lying flat on the Making of Physical Manhood 83 back, with arms and legs outstretched, re- maining in this position until the distress has ceased. Nor is exercise ever allowed just before or just after a meal. It is considered as being of far more importance that the work of di- gestion should not be interfered with by any undue strain of any part of the body. While an exercise is in course, cadets are allowed to take water, but only in small sips, and it must not be too cold. They are recom- mended to use water, while exercising, merely for the purpose of rinsing the mouth. And after exercise the body must be given time i to regain its normal condition before eating is permitted. During the exercises, cadets are required to wear clothing that is especially adapted to the requirements of gymnastic work. The shirts are somewhat heavy, and of flannel, wool next to the skin being considered as in- dispensable during the drills. Uniform tfousers of flannel are also worn, and soft canvas shoes. 84 Life at West Point Bathing is expected to follow exercise. The man who merely cleanses the skin on its outward surface cannot hope to be clean. Brisk exercises "bring out the perspiration in a way that "flushes" the millions of sweat- ducts of the body. When this has been done, a thorough bath accomplishes a real cleansing. In this connection, though it is preferred that the young men bathe after exercising, no particular temperature of bath can be laid down as a hard-and-fast rule. For healthy^ men, nowada3rs, a cold bath is generally preferred, but an inflexible rule cannot be imposed. Each individual must judge for himself. Any bath, from very hot to cold, that leaves the bather in a condition of mental depression or physical lassitude is discouraged by the physical director. For cleansing the body, a warm bath, with plenty of soap, is urged; while for stimulation a direct plunge into cold water, with a short bath and brisk' rubbing with a rough towel afterwards, is advised. Some of the cadets find the best results to come from a sponge o z Making of Physical Manhood 85 bath with tepid water, to be followed by a brisk rubbing. Along with the importance of outward bathing, the necessity of flushing out the in- terior is insisted upon. All cadets are strongly urged to accomplish this latter desideratum by drinking water freely both at rising and retiring. In the course of exercises without "ma- chines" there are more than one hundred drills that are performed. Many of these are merely variations of others. It is un- necessary to describe all that are used, but those considered as being most important, and by means of which any person of ordi- nary health may in a few weeks of persistent use place himself in a sound condition of health, are now to be described. "Thrusting" is an exercise ia which the arms are quickly and forcibly extended in the direction commanded by the instructor. One arm or both may be used. When thrusting forward or sideward, the arms are so turned that the knuckles are up. In the 86 Life at West Point upward thrust the knuckles are out, while in the downward thrust th^ are forward. The orders of the instructors are: (i) Thrust arm, or arms, forward. (2) Thrust arm, or arms, sideward. (3) Thrust arm, or arms, upward. (4) Thrust arm, or arms, downward. (5) Thrust arm, or arms, in the various oblique directions. In "striking," the hand is tightly clenched, the knuckles being turned down. Both the striking movement, which begins from the position of the arms extended sideward or forward, and the return to position, are exe- cuted with aU possible animation. The commands are: (i) Strike right, or left, arm sideward. (2) Strike both arms sideward. (3) Strike right, or left, arm forward. (4) Strike both arms forward. "Circling" is accomplished by swinging the arms around in as large circles as possible, keeping the arms fuUy extended and the hands closed. These movements are prac- tised: (i) Circle arm, or arms, forward. (2) Circle arm, or arms, backward. (3) Circle Making of Physical Manhood 87 arm, or arms, inward. (4) Circle arm, or arms, outward. (5) Circle right arm back- ward, and left arm forward. (6) Circle left arm backward and right arm forward. These exercises begin from a position in which the arms are extended horizontally to the front. In the wrist and finger exercises, the arms are extended horizontally sideward. The in- structions are: (i) Bend wrists downward. (2) Bend wrists upward. (3) Bend wrists backward. (4) Bend fingers downward. (5) Bend fingers upward. (6) Bend wrists down- ward and upward. (7) Bend fingers down- ward and upward. In order to strengthen the neck, the head is turned as ordered tmtil the chin is in each case directly over the shoulder. First the head is turned to the right, then to the left, and finally the head is turned to both the right and the left. "Neck-bending" is accomplished by bend- ing the head forward xmtil the chin rests on the chest. It is then bent backward and sideward as far as possible. The commands 88 Life at West Point are: (i) Bend head forward. (2) Bend head backward. (3) Bend head sideward, right. (4) Bend head sideward, left. (5) Bend head forward and backward. (6) Bend head sideward, right and left. In "shoulder-raising," shoulders are raised as high as possible and lowered with force, in this order: (i) Raise right shoulder. (2) Raise left shoulder. (3) Raise both shoul- ders. (4) Raise right and left shoulders alternately. "Moving shoulders." — ^They should be moved as far forward and backward and with as much vim as possible. The hands, closed, are held just over the hips, with the forearms in horizontal position. The move- ments in this exercise are: (i) Move right shoulder forward. (2) Move left shoulder forward. (3) Move left shoulder backward. (4) Move right shoulder backward. (5) Move both shoulders backward. (6) Move both shoulders forward. (7) Move both shoulders forward and backward. (8) Circle shoulders forward, or backward. Making of Physical Manhood 89 In exercises for the trunk of the body, the first are those of bending. The hands are placed on the hips, with the thumbs meeting in back, and the trunk is bent without twist- ing it, without bending the knees or without raising the heels. The head, individually, does not move. The commands are: (i) Bend trunk forward to quarter bend. (2) Bend tnmk forward to half bend. (3) Bend trunk forward to full bend. (4) Bend trunk backward. (5) Bend trunk sideward, right. (6) Bend trunk sideward, left. (7) Bend trunk obliquely forward, right. (8) Bend trunk obliquely forward, left. (9) Bend trunk obliquely backward, right. (10) Bend trunk obliquely backward, left. (11) Bend trunk forward and backward. (12) Bend trunk sideward, right and left. (13) Bend trunk obliquely forward, right, and obliquely backward, left. (14) Bend trunk obliquely forward, left, and obliquely backward, right. (15) Circle trunk, right or left. "Tnmk-tuming" is accomplished by hold- go Life at West Point ing both hands clasped at the back of the head and turning the trunk on the hips as far as possible with the knees straight and feet flat on the ground. The trunk is turned to the right, then to the left, and lastly to right and left. In "swaying," the body is moved gently forward and backward, or from side to side, the movement being continuous and not as severe as in the bending work. The first movement is to sway the trunk forward and backward; the second, sideward, right and left; third, by swaying the trunk obliquely forward, right, and backward, left; while the fotirth is the opposite of "the last. There are twenty leg exercises, the first fourteen of which are executed with the knee fuUy extended and the toes depressed. When the knee is raised waist high, the lower leg is at right angles to the thigh, and the toes de- pressed. The movements are: (i) Raise right, or left, leg, forward, anMe high. (2) Raise right, or left, leg, forward, knee high. (3) Raise right, or left, leg, forward, waist Making of Physical Manhood 9 1 high. (4) Raise right, or left, leg backward. (5) Raise right leg sideward. (6) Raise left leg sideward. (7) Raise right leg obliquely- forward, right, ankle, knee, or waist high. (8) Raise left leg obliquely forward, left, ankle, knee, or waist high. (9) Raise right leg obliquely forward, left, ankle, knee, or waist high. (10) Raise left leg obliquely for- ward, right, anlde, knee, or waist high. (11) Raise right leg obliquely backward, right. (12) Raise left leg obliquely backward, left. (13) Raise right leg obliquely backward, left. (14) Raise left leg obliquely backward, right. (15) Raise right knee forward. (16) Raise left knee forward. (17) Raise right knee sideward. (18) Raise left knee sideward. (19) Raise right heel backward. (20) Raise left heel backward. "Leg-bending" consists of three different exercises known as the quarter bend, half bend, and full bend. The forearms are at the side, hands closed, and elbows and shoulders well back. When the quarter bend is executed, the knees go slightly forward 92 Life at West Point as the body comes down; the feet re- main flatly on the floor. With the half bend, the heels are slightly raised. In the f uU bend, the entire weight of the body rests on the balls of the feet, while the body is as close as it can be brought to the heels. In aU three of the exercises, the heels are kept constantly in contact, with the knees far apart, and the head and tntnk erect. Among the most important of the exer- cises taught at West Point are the "leaning rest exercises." There is great stress laid upon their value as means of bringing the body to its best development. In the first position, with heels together, the man spreads his knees as far as possible, at the same time lowering his body to a squatting position and placing his hands outside or between his legs, as directed. At the command "Travel," he brings first his right hand forward, and then his left, until his body is fully extended. In this position it is expected that the body will be rigid and rest on the toes and on the palms of the hand. The arms must be vertical. Making of Physical Manhood 93 heels touching, and head up. From this, after a few moments, the young man re- covers to a standing position. The second exercise consists of the cadet taking the same squatting position. This time he places the weight of the body on the palms of the hands, extending his legs backward as far as he can, and then recovers. The third exercise varies from the preceding ones in that the cadet, after squatting, throws his hands forward to a leaning rest. The knees are extended, the feet remaining in position as the hands are thrown forward. When the command "Recover" is given, the arms shove the body forcibly to the rear, the knees are bent, and the squatting position is re- sumed. In the foiirth exercise, the cadet is required to bend forward as far as possible, with hands on or near the floor. The body is next slightly extended and permitted to faU forward on the hands, with arms bent, just as the hands strike, in order to diminish the force of the fall. From this position the squatting position is again resumed. 94 Life at West Point In connection with the "leaning rest" there are several splendid exercises that may be followed. Qne is to lean on the right arm and toes, and to extend the left arm horizon- tally, remaining in this position for a few moments before recovering. This can be re- peated by leaning on the left arm and holding the right arm parallel with the floor. Raise either arm, and then lower it. Or, lift either arm sideward horizontally and then lower it. Another form of the work is to lift either arm horizontally backward and lowering. Or either arm may be bent and then extended. The foregoing is a brief, curtailed descrip- tion of the physical work that is done without apparatus at the Military Academy. There are other drills with dumb-bells, with Indian clubs, on the horizontal bars, and with the wooden horses. These belong to the more advanced stage. There is fencing, and this is made one of the features of the physical instruction of the fourth-class man. Light and simple as the exercises without apparatus seem, they point the way to health, s >• a ul I I- Making of Physical Manhood 95 poise, and perfect bodily lines, not only for the cadet, but for any one who will follow them persistently. Such physical work may not produce a "strong man," but, whether followed by men or women, will bring the bodily condition to its best development. The cadets are never permitted to carry this work to the mistaken point of exhaustion. So beneficial do they find the training that cadets in the upper classes go regularly to the gymnasium to carry on the work, or else try it in their rooms. Throughout their after-career in the Army, they repeat these exercises in periods of bodily lassitude or mental depression, and there is no more per- fectly set-up man to be found in the world than the army officer who has taken the physical course at West Point. if ^*^^^^^ ^^^]^ akj^^ ^^^^ ^^ CHAPTER V THE DRILLS First place in the training of the young soldier is awarded to the "setting-up" drills. These consist of a series of simple but potent calisthenic exercises that force upon the stu- dent the proper carriage and walk of a soldier and develop his muscles to a really surprising degree. These "setting-up" drills are given by the physical director of the Academy, and, as noted in another chapter, belong to the cool of the early morning. There are about thir- teen of these driU days in each month. Squad drills in marchings and facings occupy other parts of the morning at first. In the after- noon there is instruction in the manual of arms and more marching. At convenient intervals between other 96 The Drills 97 drills, new cadets are taught to aim and point their guns, and toward the end of the first thirteen days of their work they are taken into the rifle gallery. Here, with cartridges containing reduced charges of powder and canying round bullets, they are taught to fire at targets. In other intervals they study the manual of guard duty. There is also thorough instruction in taking care of rifles and equipments, and training in drawing uniforms, bedding, and aU the clothing that a cadet needs. While the exact programme for the general drills is seldom alike in two successive years, the underlying theory changes but slowly. The description hereinafter given of the year's drills may be taken as a fair exposition of the tactical work, and, with little more than a few changes in dates, represents the work of one year as well as of another. On March isth, instruction in infantry work is resumed for each of the four classes. This instruction begins with the "school of the company" in close and extended order, 98 Life at West Point then passes on to the pitching of shelter tents and the making of shelter trenches. The shelter tent is the diminutive canvas affair occupied by two soldiers in the field, each canying his canvas rolled up with his blank- ets, poncho, and extra clothing when on the march. "Shelter trench" is the name ap- lied to an intrenchment that is hastily thrown up in the face of an enemy, and in- tended only for temporary use. Proceeding further, there are exercises in the vital branches of advance- and rear-guard work, and much tactical drill in the science of attack and defence as actually used in war. Following this work, the Corps of Cadets, a battalion of six companies, is taught the work of an army column in the field. Two companies are thrown into extended order — the formation used in skirmishing — ^two are formed in close order, and the other two com- panies are used in advance- and rear-guard work and on outpost drill. Later on, the entire six companies are combined for tacti- cal exercises in attack and defence. This The Drills 99 infantry work lasts from March 15th to April 15th, and the average is about seventeen drills. Beginning with the latter date, the bat- talion is divided up into classes which study- practically light artillery, coast artillery, siege artillery, machine-gun, and mountain- gun drills. The men are thoroughly grounded in the mechanism of artillery, and in hand- ling, loading, sighting, and firing the pieces. There is also at this period advance, rear- guard, and outpost drill, target practice, and pack-train drill. This last subject in- volves the effective packing of supplies upon mules, and the handling of mules on the march. Military engineering, such as the building temporary wooden bridges with rope and trees, pontoon bridges, and other kinds, is also arduously taken up. In the work of this month the cadets are taught in as small detachments as is practicable, in order that the work may be more thorough. For instance, while half of the senior class is engaged in military-bridge building, the men loo Life at West Point of the other half of the class are likely to be detailed as assistant instructors in the vari- ous other drills of the three lower classes. With the Plebe, or lowest class, at this time of the year, a sample day's work would be the assignment of one fourth of the class to the drill in siege artillery, one- fourth to the standing-gun drill, one-fourth to advance- and rear-guard and outpost work, and the remainder to target practice. In the third class, one-third of the men are busied with light artillery, with the remaining two-thirds divided between work at coast artillery and machine guns and advance- and rear-guard and outpost duties. There are some eighteen drills for each man in this period of tactical instruction. Nine drills fill out the time for the rest of May. Now comes the "school of the bat- talion," the six companies being divided into three battalions of two companies each. One battaUon is instructed in close-order in- fantry work, the second in extended order, and the third in the manual of arms, firing, a I The Drills loi and bayonet exercises. The battalions alter- nate in these exercises, and at the end of the nine drills the battalion consolidates for drill in close order and two tactical exercises in attack and defence. From June ist until graduation time, about June 13th, the drill time is given, over to tactical exhibitions for the benefit and information of the Board of Visitors, a board made up of members of Con- gress, of military men and civilians, which is sent by the President, the Senate, and the House of Representatives to West Point every year at this time to observe and report upon the work and needs of the Academy. After June 13th, the graduated class has left the Academy, while the members of the new second class are away on two months' furlough, the only one granted to cadets dur- ing their four years of academic life. This leaves in camp the new first class and new third class, such fourth-class men as have reported being in barracks. From the thir- teenth to the twentieth of June, the first and third classes enjoy a period of rest. On the I02 Life at West Point latter date, a new period of instruction begins. For the Plebe, there is "setting-up" work from 7.15 to 8.15 A.M. From 8.45 to 9.45 there are drills in the " school of the soldier," exercises in close and extended order, and the same again from 4.30 to 5.30 p.m. From 10.30 to 1 1. 15 A.M., the new men are taught aiming and sighting their rifles, and are given preliminary practice in target work. There are also lectures on the regulations, the care of arms and equipments, target regulations, security and advance-guard information, out- posts, and guard duty. From 2 to 3.30 p.m. there is training in swimming, and the balance of the time is given over to the care of equip- ments and the person and to the drawing of supplies. With the beginning of the new period of instruction, on June 20th, which ends on July 3d, and affords twelve driU days, the first class takes up revolver practice at tar- gets, both as motinted and dismoimted sol- diers, this part of the day's work occupying the time from 7 to g.30 a.m. The third class. The Drills 103 from 7 A.M. until noon, is busy at the rifle range, or else with surveying or riding. From 10 o'clock imtil noon, the entire first class receives instruction either in cavalry or in light or mountain artillery. On raifly days, the time from 9 o'clock until noon is given to lectures on cavalry, light, or moun- tain artillery, the duties of reconnaissance and military sketching, these lectures being given either in the academic building or at the cavalry stable. July sth brings with it a new period of twenty-six days of instruction, lasting lontil August loth, during which the first class attends in alternation as assistants to the instructor, driUs in light, mountain, and coast artillery and standing-gun work, during the time from 7 to 8.30 a.m. There are also lessons in riding. At the same time, different detach- ments of the third class are busy with light and coast artillery, standing gims, and in- struction in riding, reconnaissance, and mili- tary map-making in the open, while the Plebe class tackles the first problems in siege I04 Life at West Point artillery and standing-gun work. From 9 to 10 o'clock, the battalion attends infantry in- struction in close- and extended-order march- ings, in manual of arms, bayonet exercises, and firings. From 9.30 to 12.30, some ten members of the first class take practical in- struction in astronomy, and the remainder, from 10.15 to 12.15, ^ instruction in mili- tary engineering, principally bridge-building. From 10.15 to 12.15, the third and'fourth classes take instruction in swimming and dancing, and the same from 2 to 4 o'clock. Every summer afternoon at 4.30 there is dress parade, followed at once by guard- mounting and then by supper. And with this the busy day is over. It has all been hard work so far, but from the loth to the 28th of August comes the really dramatic part of the summer's instruc- tion. This is the period of advanced field exercises. There are tactical problems of attack and defence in which the battalion takes part first as infantry, then as cavalry, and lastly as artillery. To cap this, the The Drills 105 battalion is drilled in the three arms com- bined. The cavalry dashes ahead on its ex- citing scouting missions ; the infantry hastily throws up shelter trenches and occupies them ; the artillery takes up its place on the line, and the infantry supports and protects it. There is thvmder of horses' hoofs, the music of the bugle's peals, the roaring word of command, the thunder of field artillery, and the sharp crackling of rifles all along the line of trenches. Officers' orders ring out, increasing or diminishing the explosive racket of battle. All the problems of a fight are presented and met. It is splendid, thrilling, and the young men feel the full ardor and lust of battle. There are advances and retreats; traps are sprung upon an imaginary enemy. The trickery of ambush and of simulated defeat are here; there are daring rescues, the lead- ing of forlorn hopes, desperate bayonet charges, gallant cavalry work, and the steady, bull-dog hammering of the battery. It is real enough war, all except the terrors io6 Life at West Point of death — ^and death has seldom possessed terrors for .the American soldier! Much of this panorama of war is unfolded before the admiring gaze of the cadets' friends, thrilled spectators at a safe distance. August 30th finds thS battalion, now re- inforced by the returned second class, going back to barracks for the serious academic work that begins on September ist. During this month the first class is instructed, from 4 to 5.30 P.M., practically as assistants to the instructor, in light- and siege-artillery and mountain-gim drill, in tent-pitching and intrenching, in pack-train drill and horse- manship. While one-half of the class is tak- ing up one of these subjects, the other half goes at military engineering. The second class, on return from furlough, goes at once to light- and mountain-gun drill, tent-pitch- ing and intrenching and pack-train work — one-half taking up these subjects on the day that is devoted by the other half to practical engineering. The third class is further trained in light, coast, and siege artillery, The Drills 107 and in tent-pitching and intrenching. For the fourth class there is training in siege- artillery and standing-gun drill, with tent- pitching and target practice. Once more in October the battalion is divided into three battalions, and there is battle instruction in close and extended order, manual of arms, and bayonet work and firings. During the first half of the month, the three battalions alternate in these branches. From the isthto the 23d of October, the corps is divided into two battalions of three com- panies each for instruction in close and ex- tended order. Then to the end of the month the six companies are given the same train- ing, but as a single battalion. On the ist of _ November the open-air drill season ceases. From the beginning of September to the end of October, the corps has also turned out every afternoon, weather permitting, for dress parade immediately after drill. Horsemanship has reached the dignity of a fine art as it is now taught at West Point. During his Plebe or first year, the cadet can io8 Life at West Point merely look on at this exhilarating sport. But as soon as he becomes a third-class man and goes into the summer encampment his practical experience with the horse begins. The horses being brought out to the plain, the new third-class man is taught to fold his blanket and to saddle and bridle his mount. He is instructed as to the principal points of the horse, and is made acquainted with the nomenclature of the parts of the saddle and bridle. He is taught how to mount in the military seat, how to dismount, the use of the aids — ^that is, of the lower leg and reins — and the first principles of correct riding. He is inspired with confidence in himself at the walk and trot. At the end of two weeks, other drills monopolize the time of the new rider, and the riding work is discontinued for the time being. It is wonderful, how- ever, how much of horsemanship the cadet acquires in this brief fortnight. During this instruction members of the first class act as assistants. Cessation of outdoor driU brings the cadet n r^f.''.f 'T^ 11 ' ( 1 - "^IS M ^ -iS 1^ 1^^'^ r :>^ '"■^5 1 k, , ,|^^ • i. < I o < o The Drills 109 to a resumption of his riding work on Novem- ber ist, and the winter's course lasts four and a half months, with five drills per week. The young man is now trained in bareback mounting and dismounting at all gaits, and the use of the saddle, bridle, curb and snaffle combined. The training of horses and bend- ing lessons are a part of this winter's course. Every effort is made to give the cadets utter confidence in themselves, and combined with this a good preliminary knowledge of the horse. In spite of the limited time given to this work, there is marked improvement in the abilities of the men during the last month. Many of the men have never been on horses before coming to West Point, and it is re- markable how quickly their timidity is over- come. Equally surprising is the lack of injuries. There are many falls and some hard ones, but the cavalry instructors are alert during every moment of the drill, and no man is required to perform any feat until he has been brought up to the point where his previous training fits him to attempt it. I lo Life at West Point For the second-class men, as well, the ist of November marks the beginning of the winter's course on the tan-bark of the riding- hall. This is a year of most progressive work. The use of the sabre is taught, along with the gaititig of horses, methods of man- aging the animals under all circumstances and the picking up of objects from the tan- bark while mounted and in motion. A por- tion of the sabre instruction has to do with cutting at heads on the ground and above it, thrusting the blade through suspended rings while in motion, and cutting at heads while leaping hurdles. With the arrival of summer, when the second-class man enters the encampment as a first-class man, he is taken mounted into the double ring, which represents a miniature steeplechase course. Here the cadet rider is made to leap his horse over stone fence, hedge, water, brush fence, and rail fence of varied heights, and this without the use of reins, the object of this being to use the horse as the instructor, and not the man as the The Drills ui trainer of the animal. Previous to this drilling, the horse has been taught to take these leaps in the same manner and at the natural gaits that the animal would use in coming from the pasture. Consequently there is no flurry, no hurried action on the part pf the mount. After a while, the cadet is placed upon the McClellan saddle and the English pad saddle. StiU later on, he is made to ride bareback, depending upon his balance and his knee grip for his seat. Here again wonderfully rapid progress is made, for by this time the young man does not know what it means to be afraid of a horse. During these summer months, the cadet has to learn all the mounted work required of cavalry in scouting and patrolling, both in light- and in heavy-march- ing order. In September and October, the first-class men take up the platoon and troop work. Each man learns in rotation the duties of the private, the non-commissioned officer, the chief of platoon, and commander of troop, 1 1 2 Life at West Point and performs them. With the i st of Novem- ber begins the last winter's riding. Now the difficult feats of rough riding are taught, such as riding two or three horses at once, or three riders using two horses, and many of the other equestrian achievements that have been performed before the public for years by such troopers as those of the Third and Sixth United States Cavalry. Spring instruction for the first class is de- voted to giving the finishing touches, and in thoroughly reviewing all that has been taught during the three years. During the last two years, on Wednesday and Saturday after- noons, cadets are allowed to ride for pleasure over the surrounding country. But each man must go to the stable and saddle and bridle his mount. Upon his return he must unsaddle, unbridle, and return the animal to its stall. Complete instruction in English riding and polo is. now given, a number of ponies being kept in the stables for this pur- pose. On Wednesday and Saturday after- noons, and during all free afternoons in the < ./ . ', mm The Drills 113 open season, cadets who do not go out on the road are taught English, saddle and polo work, under an officer, on the flats north of the Post. In addition to all this, cadets are allowed to use, under the supervision of an officer, a steeplechase course of about three-quarters of a mile that extends around the polo ground. Here, with the dash, vim, patience, and courage of the soldier, the cadet rapidly acquires the most difficult feats known to the rough riders. 8 CHAPTER VI THE EXAMINATION ORDEALS Nothing in cadet life can compare with the excruciating suspense of the man who goes into one of the January or June ex- aminations without being quite certain whether he is really proficient in the subject. Upon the issue of each examination depends whether he passes or is ordered back into the class next below, or whether — grief of griefs! — he is dropped altogether. These examinations are intended to be searchingly thorough. No man who is not well groimded in the subjects he has been studying can hope to get through. The questions, while usually limited in number, are such as are sure to seek out the innermost recesses of the man's knowledge of his work. "4 The Examination Ordeals 115 Examinations are of two kinds — ^written and oral. In the written examinations the entire class is seated at desks in a large room. As a rule, the work required of the class is indicated on a large blackboard at the front of the room. Each man has on his desk the necessary stationery, drawing implements, and other materials of his work. Generally there are two or three officers present in each examination room, these officers comprising what are known as "class committees." The head of the de- partment presides, though the Superintend- ent may, at his own discretion, be present at any of the examinations, 9,nd, in that case, is the presiding officer of the committee. It may sometimes happen that a cadet wishes additional light as to the meaning of one of the questions given him. If he does, he may seek information from any of the examining officers. One of the objects in having an officer present is to preserve order and silence, so that no cadet may interfere with another who is absorbed in his work. ii6 Life at West Point The oral examinations, apart from the sus- pense attending them, are made impressive by the fact that cadets are required to at- tend in full dress uniforms. As a rule, these examinations are set for periods of three hours each, but these periods are not rigidly adhered to, an effort being made to give each man as long a time as he reasonably requires to show his proficiency. The examinations are so vital to each man taking them that even semblance of "rush" is avoided. In accordance with a recent rule, examina- tion is entirely avoided in some departments, notably in that of mathematics, which latter constitutes the severest part of the cadet's course, provided satisfactory proficiency has been shown upon the general review. So well has this system of markings during final review operated, that now not more than one- third of the classes in mathematics are re- quired to go into the semi-annual and annual examinations. Subjects the study of which finishes in mid-term bring final reviews and The Examination Ordeals 117 examinations in mid-term, with the advan- tage that the cadet who fails has another chance, as a rule, at the end of the year. In every department of the academic work each subject is given a specified amount of time. One subject, for instance, may be allotted three months ; another may receive consideration from September ist to January I St. At the end of instruction in each branch is a period of time — it may be a fort- night, or perhaps a month — devoted to what is termed the "general review," in which the subject under consideration is gone over most thoroughly. In this final review, cadets are given the most searching questions pos- sible, and receive daily fnarkings on a scale of three, with decimal gradations. Thus a man may receive an average marking of 2,6. Two is the marking that establishes a man as proficient. In general, all markings in the academic work are on a scale of three, although in examination papers the markings are frequently on a basis of thirty, in order to draw the shades of proficiency more finely. ii8 Life at West Point Still, this resolves itself into the general sys- tem of marking on a scale of three. As a sample of term and mid-term studies, it may be stated that the fourth, or " Plebe," class now starts in in September with al- gebra and plane and solid geometry, reciting in alternation in algebra and geometry up to the January semi-annual examination. By this time the work in geometry is completed. After examination in these two subjects is completed, the class starts in with the more advanced portion of algebra, alternating be- tween this and recitations in plane and spherical trigonometry. Study in these sub- jects ends in the middle of April, and only those who have failed in the final review are required to take examinations. The man who has failed through poor markings in the final review, and who is also deficient in the mid-April examination, is given another chance in June. At any examination, when a cadet has finished his paper he hands it to one of the instructors. As soon as all of the papers are The Examination Ordeals 119 in they are gone over most thoroughly. Each question in a written examination has a specified value — or "weight," as it is called at the Academy. Thus, one question, if correctly answered may have a relative weight of six-tenths, while another and sim- pler one may call for only three-tenths. A question answered or a problem solved with partial correctness brings a marking of less than the fuU weight, but in accordance with the 'degree of understanding shown. In a question or problem involving more than one idea, the question or problem is carefuUy subdivided as to proportionate weight. Each question in an examination is as- signed to a certain instructor for inspection. This is done in order that the markings may be as uniform and fair as possible, this prac- tice eliminating to the greatest degree the personal equation of the instructor in assigning to a cadet his standing in his class. Under the academic regulations, the final reviews may be conducted wholly by means I20 Life at West Point of written papers, and in any case this re- view thoroughly and severely covers the en- tire course. Whatever the subject under review, it is subdivided so that each section receives the utmost consideration. It is here that the system of marking comes in with the greatest force, and owing to the minute treat- ment which each branch of a subject receives there can be no question as to the value of the markings by the instructors. Oral examinations differ greatly from the written ones. The oral inquisition is a good deal like the old-fashioned school exhibition where each pupil rises and recites. These examinations are open to all outsiders who care to attend them. So great is the interest manifested by the public that the oral ex- aminations are often continued long past the time assigned to them. While the writtten examinations are conducted by classes, the oral examinations are always conducted by sections, generally of eight men, and never of more than twelve. Markings in the ' ' oral ' ' are on the same scale as in the written work, The Examination Ordeals 121 and there is time to find out pretty nearly all that a man knows of his subject. In such a subject as drawing, of which a great feature is made at the Academy, it is clear that neither a written nor oral examina- tion would be of any value. In this depart- ment, therefore, the examination is confined to an inspection of the daily markings of the cadets, and from these an average is struck that represents the standing of the cadet. To the general public it would seem like hard- ship to expect every cadet to pass in drawing, but the fact that each man must pass, or be dropped, develops so much talent in this line that very few men are found deficient in drawing. In cases of oral examinations, where a cadet fails to satisfy his examiners he is not pronounced deficient, except in drawing and in practical work, until after he has been subjected to, and has again failed in, a written examination on the subject. With the same exceptions as in the foregoing, no cadet whose proficiency is regarded as 122 Life at West Point doubtftil is dropped or conditioned until he has undergone a written examination. In the case of an oral examination, if there be any doubt as to the proficiency of a cadet, he may have a supplemental examination, of not more than six hours' duration, in order to finally determine whether or not he is really proficient or deficient, but this exami- nation must be at the request of a member of the Academic Board, or of the committee that is examining the class. In case of such added examination, if proficiency be estab- lished, this extra examination passes the young man along, but has no value in ar- ranging the class in its order of merit. It sometimes happens that there are facts that will affect the cadet's interests in an examination. If the yotmg man is aware of such conditions before the examination, he is privileged to submit a statement of the case to the Adjutant of the Academy before the examination. If, at the completion of an examination in any given branch, he has dis- covered any fact or condition that might un- The Examination Ordeals 123 fairly prejudice his chances, he may, within forty-eight hours after the completion of the examination, put his case in writing and send it to the Adjutant. All such state- ments are at once sent to the head of the de- partment concerned and receive immediate consideration. Reports on such matters are sent by department heads to the Superin- tendent and acted upon. Rigidly severe as the course at the Military Academy is, no cadet is found deficient on accoimt of exaggerated standards. Every possible effort is made to pull the young man through, and the fact that, on a scale of three, two — in other words, sixty-six and two-thirds per cent. — ^is considered a mark- ing showing proficiency, indicates the liberal allowance made in promotion and gradua- tion. The young men who enter the Academy as cadets are regarded, and with justice, as representing the best mental material of American youth. It is not too much to expect that such a young man wiU show 124 Life at West Point himself at least two-thirds proficient in the studies to which he is assigned. There is a great need for young officers in the Army, as is shoA\Ti by the great number of promo- tions from the ranks of enlisted men and by appointments from civil life. The cadet who cannot pass the examinations that are now in force does not possess the qualifications that are required to meet the high standard expected of the American Regular Army officer. CHAPTER VII RECREATIONS, SOCIAL PLEASURES, AND ATH- LETIC SPORTS Under a system of study that involves such well-nigh incessant attention to duty, there must be some considerable amount of pleasure provided, or the best results of training could not be achieved. The West Point cadet receives the modicum of amuse- ment — ^just enough to keep him moderately contented with his work. With such a com- plicated curriculum of academic studies and drill too much time cannot be devoted to enjoyment, or the work of the future officer would suffer. Of course, in the making of an " officer and gentleman" as much time as possible must be given to the social training of the cadet. He must be moulded into a man capable of 125 126 Life at West Point sustaining the dignity of his coiintry in any circles at home or abroad. He must be able to move creditably in diplomatic or other official circles, and must be ftdly at home in every kind of society, and must be able to show at all times the poise of the thoroughly bred man. With this object in view, the first thing to be done is to enable the cadet to associate as much as possible with the officers on the Post, and with the officers' families. The cadet is, of course, strictly a subordinate, and must salute an officer whenever he meets him. Yet there is social equality between the officers and cadets, and on Saturday afternoons, or on Simday, cadets who are not under disciplinary restraints are allowed to visit officers and their families, or to dine with them at their homes. The cadet who makes himself most agreeable is, as in life everjrwhere else, sure of a greater number of invitations. The cadet learns how to conduct himself in the society of cultivated women, and thus Recreations, Athletics 127 the fine edge of good breeding and polish is cut. Cultivated women are frequent visitors at the Post, and by contact with them the cadet acquires the ability to make the most creditable showitig in social circles outside of army life. Saturday evenings, during the greater part of the winter, there are cadet "hops" at CuUum Memorial Hall. Here officers and their families, invited guests, and cadets mingle, and the social graces are brought to their highest development. With the in- spiration of pretty feminine faces, of dainty gowns, and of lively dance music, the cadet is made to realize the charm of the ball-room. For the newer cadet there is the older cadet, even more dignified and courtly, to emulate. For all the cadets there is the example of the officers, themselves graduates of the Military Academy. There are often dis- tinguished civilian visitors, and the whole atmosphere is one in which the cadet — very likely an awkward country boy a little while ago — learns, and does it rapidly. 128 Life at West Point Many outside visitors are attracted to these Saturday-night " hops." Most of these visitors, to be sure, are feminine, and it is from these ladies that the cadet, by associat- ing with them, acquires his poise and self- possession. Yotmg ladies go to West Point with their mothers, or chaperones, on pur- pose to attend the "hops." Many a serious affair of the heart begins at a "hop," and many are the wives now in the Army who first met their husbands at a Saturday-night affair. On Saturday afternoons cadets are privi- leged to call upon ladies at the hotel. They must first secure permission, must then go to the hotel office, register in a book kept there for the purpose, and may then visit the ladies upon whom they wish to call in the hotel parlor. No cadet, however, is seen in the dining-room. Any relative or friend may be visited at the hotel on Saturday or Sunday afternoons, but at no other time during the week, except on summer evenings. In February, as nearly as possible to one Recreations, Athletics 129 hundred days before graduation, occurs the "Hundredth Night Hop." This is held in recognition of the fact that in a hundred days more the young men of the first class wiU have finished their four years of hard grind at the Academy. It is a gala occa- sion, with a large number of outside guests present. One week later comes the "Hundredth Night" dramatic performance. This takes the form of a farce, written by the cadets of the first class, and with all the r61es acted by them. Even the feminine parts are played by cadets, and great thought and care are expended upon the costuming, to which work the young lady friends of the men are invited to give their aid and even to supply gowns. The West Point band is present, playing in string, and the audience is a bril- liant one. The, farce invariably abounds in witty "hits" on Academy life. Formerly the cadets were allowed to pay their respects to their instructors in these "hits," but of late years it has been considered that such 9 I30 Life at West Point thrusts at superiors were prejudicial to the best interests of discipline, and now the farce must be censored by the authorities. It is still considered a good joke, however, to have passed in the farce some disguised allu- sion that win cause the initiated cadets to roar with laughter. Cadets are rigorously forbidden to use al- coholic beverages. In the play, therefore, a bottle is apt to be introduced a few times, simply because its use at any other time would be punished — ^but the bottle contains nothing but cold tea, or some other equally harmless beverage. And, probably because the use of tobacco is so sternly forbidden cadets, one of the characters in the farce is sure to introduce a cigarette and light it — a performance which always produces laughter. Greatest of aU the social occasions of the year is the " Graduation Hop," which takes place on the night before Graduation Day, and occurs about the nth of June. It is a scene gay in temperament, alive with music, and rich in varied coloring. For the first- Recreations, Athletics 131 class men it is particularly inspiring, for they have at last finished the long, arduous course of study and work, and are soon to receive the commissions for which they have striven for four — and, in some cases, for five — years. Between the numbers there are many strolls under the trees outside; many a courtship ends in the formal proposal and in the pledges of marriage. Then on the floor many a face is seen radiant from love assured. There are many budding courtships at West Point, but no marriages with cadets, since a cadet's marriage, under the regulations, is regarded as equivalent to a resignation. Nor is the social season during the summer any less attractive. There are greater ntun- bers of visitors present, especially of the feminine sex, for there is no possibility of denying the attractiveness of Mars to Venus. Ladies are not permitted, during the winter season, to go through the academic build- ings, but here in the summer encampment they are allowed, at some times during the day, to wander at will through the tented 132 Life at West Point village, and generally under the escort of cadets. There are saunterings about the grounds, and especially under the leafy shadows of a Uttle pathway that runs around the north end of the Point, and which is known as "Flirtation Walk." Asked why this name was given to the path, one cadet gave the apt answer : " Because, in most places, the path is only just about wide enough for two." It is a promenade that carries with it the suggestion of romantic solitude. Below are the windings of the noble Hudson. Above, all around are splendid green-crowned hiUs. Underneath is a path mossy and leaf -strewn here and rock-strewn farther on. There are tiny groves that invite one to sit down, small boulders that offer a more lofty seat, and ferns and wild flowers that await the invita- tion of a petticoated companion to make the escort climb and pick them. A wise provision was introduced a couple of years ago, and one that has been much praised by graduates, and especially by < Recreations, Athletics 133 observing civilian friends of the Academy, by which cadets are divided each month into three conduct grades according to their demerit record for the previous month, and additional social privileges are granted to the cadets of the first conduct grade, es- pecially to the first-class men. This con- sists in allowing them to accept invitations on certain Saturday or Stmday afternoons to visit in the vicinity of the Academy with friends. The time of absence must not ex- ceed six hours from the moment the intend- ing traveller makes military report of his departure to the Cadet Officer of the Day, and leaves his address, as Vassar College most probably, to the moment when the same unjdelding official records his entry again through the sally port to the barracks. During these short absences, uniform must be worn, but the result is to make the step from the cadet to the officer a little less abrupt. There is, in addition, the opportvinity of the cadet who goes on his furlough at the 134 Life at West Point end of his first two years at the Academy, and who, while at home, or elsewhere with his relatives and friends, is certain to see much of social life. The foregoing describes about all the social possibilities in cadet Jiife, but it is enough to make him a finished gen- tleman and not destroy his chances of ap- lication to the requirements of the academic course. Except while on his solitary fur- lough of the four years' course, the cadet has no other opportunity to accept social engagements away from the Academy, in which respect he differs greatly from his English military cousin at Sandhurst, who is frequently seen, in frock coat and silk hat, in Piccadilly and Hyde Park. In the matter of sport the cadet does not have a chance to devote much of his time, on accoimt of the severe requirements of the academic life; yet of late years the West Point cadets have won many notable vic- tories on the field of athletics. Football, of course, is the foremost of all games with the cadets, as it is at aU of the colleges. Up to Recreations, Athletics 135 i8go very little attention was given at the Academy to sports. At present they are encouraged in every way not incompatible with the requirements of the course, for it is recognized that the future soldier needs the best physical equipment possible to fit him for the hardships of the more serious days in the field of active service. Football is preferred, therefore, because it calls not only for the most strenuous exer- tion, but also for the greatest amount of generalship, for the ability to think and act quickly, and to carry out every action with dash and decision. In football instruction officers of the Academy act as coaches, and, as not a minute of absence is allowed from the prescribed studies and drills, the time of the men at football practice is limited. In September the liberty time is very short, and practice can be had only on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, and only an hour or so can be devoted to each practice play. This gives nine hours of actual work before West Point goes to its first game. October brings 136 Life at West Point with it the possibility of twenty to thirty minutes of signal practice by electric light during four days in the week, with, at the outside, an hour and a quarter on Wednesday afternoons. Sometimes the Academy team has been able to line up for three-quarters of an hour in addition by the time it meets Har- vard the third Satiirday in October. In all, the actual amount of time spent at practice before meeting Yale in November is some twenty-two hours. Should rain stop drill, there is opportunity for about three hours of practice, and this, with all kinds of football work in November, summing up some thirty-one hours of active practice, gives about fifty-six hours as the total of time spent during three months, and this is the limit of the season's work. There are less than five htmdred men to select from. In 1890 the first game was played between Annapolis and West Point, and re- sulted in a disastrous defeat for the Military Academy. Yet in the following year the West Point team gained a decisive victory Recreations, Athletics 137 over the Navy. The annual game between the two Academies is now played at Frank- lin Field, in Philadelphia. Fortunes .have varied, but in the last game (1901) West Point scored over its sister Academy. As far back as 1892, the Army began to realize the benefits of athletic work, not only at the Academy, but throughout the Army, as a restilt of which the Army Officers' Ath- letic Association was formed. This associa- tion has since supplied not only stimulus but ftmds, for gate money is not levied at the games between West Point and Annapolis, or at any games in which the cadets play, and all the expenses are defrayed out of the funds of the association. The same associa- tion provides the cost of contests in tennis, baseball, and in general sports. In 1893 West Point essayed a game with Yale. One minute after the call, Hinkey, of Yale, came out of the heap and scored a touchdown. The score of the game was 28 — o in favor of Yale. Princeton followed this up in the same year with a thrashing of 138 Life at West Point 36 — 4. In the next year, under an excellent coach, West Point rose to the comparative dignity of a 12 — 5 defeat at the hands of Yale. By 1897 West Paint football had reached a grade that caused none of the cadets or graduates to blush. The record was 10 — o in favor of Yale, but 6 — 6 with Harvard, and in the game with Brown, a fine team in that year, the score was 42 — o in favor of West Point. The team of that year somewhat more approximated the col- lege teams in weight. It must be borne in mind that, as a rule, the West Point team is lighter than those of its college competitors. From 1897 to 1901 West Point did not show to as good advantage against its ad- versaries, but in these intervening years the elevens were made up of light men, for men enter the Military Academy at earlier ages than at the universities. In 1901, however, came the decisive turn in the history of West Point football, the Academy scoring against the "Big Four" at the rate of thirty-five points to seventeen. Recreations, Athletics 139 Baseball, deservedly second in the list of sports, has been played with college nines in past years, but little was accomplished until the spring of 1901, when a new system of cage practice, giving excellent drill before outdoor work could be done on the plain in April, was established. Enough outdoor work was accomplished in the late spring to produce a team formidable enough to defeat the Naval cadets 3 — 2. Hereafter baseball will undoubtedly receive more zealous and skilful attention at West Point. Golf is a game that has not so far produced any champions at West Point, but it is never- theless one that affords much amusement to the cadets, and aids in building them up to the degree of physical perfection that is desired. A course of more than twenty-two hundred yards' length has been laid out, and since 1894 the "King of Games" has had a fair proportion of devotees among the young men. Since 1893 an annual field day has been held, and nowadays attracts a large attend- I40 Life at West Point ance of enthusiastic spectators. There are seldom less than seventy entries from among the cadets, with the keenest competition be- tween the best men in the various events. Field day takes place in Jtme, and embraces such contests as the dashes, a relay race, hurdling and jumping, hammer-throwing and shot-putting. Greatest of all the rivalry is that between the classes, each striving to show the best record. Indoor athletic meets were established two years later. These take place in March, in the gymnasium. These call to the mark often as many as a hundred cadets. The exercises that form the basis of competition at this time are those taught by the physical director. Here again is the keenest rivalry, especially between the champions of the respective classes. With the increased attention given in late years to all athletic sports by the cadets, wisely encouraged by the authorities, greater interest is taken also in fencing, and this year, for the first time. West Point had a fencing Recreations, Athletics 141 team entered for the intercollegiate tourna- ment. As the cadets cotild not leave home, practice games were arranged for the team by inviting the teams from the universities to come to West Point on Saturday after- noons in March. The result of this new de- parture in athletics can he but pleasing to friends of the cadets, as the team defeated suc- cessively all the visiting teams from Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Columbia, and Pennsylvania. At the end of March, 1902, the West Pointers, represented by Cadets Strong, Breckenridge, and Nichols, won the cham- pionship in the intercollegiate fencing tourna- ment at the New York Athletic Club. The score of the young soldiers was 40 victories and 14 defeats. The competing teams were from Columbia, University, the Annapolis Naval Academy, Cornell, Harvard, Yale, and the University of Pennsylvania, each academy or college being named in the order of its victories. In 1901 the Naval cadets were the victors, but in 1902 the cadets of the Military Academy decided to take up 142 Life at West Point seriously the matter of fencing, with results that speak for themselves. Some years ago polo was introduced as a sport at the Military Academy. It was then confined almost entirely to the officers, the cadets having little opportunity for work in this idealization of horsemanship. Colonel Mills, the Superintendent, and Lieutenant- Colonel Treat, Commandant of Cadets, did all in their power to interest the Government in the subject, with the result that there are now about thirty fine ponies stabled, a field has been provided on the fiats north of the plam, and cadets have been encouraged to de- velop interest in the game as soon as they have learned to ride. An army team has been formed, which both officers and cadets may join, and aU are coached by the Commandant. According to the most authentic estimate, about fifty per cent, of the cadets take active part in one or another of the athletic sports. But the other fifty per cent, are enthusiastic spectators and "rooters." Beyond the in- disputable benefit of such sports is the added Recreations, Athletics 143 fact that under the present system athletics are carried on without the least detriment to studies and tactical drills. The games give an added impetus to the formation of the physique needed by the soldier in his times of great physical efEort in the field, and they afforfl him most needed relief from the worri- ment of the limit of exactions in the way of study. Army officers, past graduates of the Acad- emy, who have realized in their subsequent careers in the field the urgent need of just such athletic sports, are the most enthusiastic subscribers to the association that now pro- vides the funds for these games, and they take the keenest delight in every victory, or even good showing, by any one of the athletic teams of the Military Academy. This recent devotion of West Point to outdoor sports, also carried as it is among the enlisted men in every branch of the service, cannot fail to make the American soldier of the future even more brave and enduring than he has been in the past. CHAPTER VIII THE MORAL TRAINING OF THE CADET " Honor" is the most emphasized word in the code of ethics at West Point. In its broadest sense this word includes the pos- session of all the virtues that go to make the ideal soldier, and comprises the observance of all the rules of morality. It follows, therefore, that the strictest honesty is the first lesson taught. The cadet learns that the officers placed in authority over him, no matter how severe, are always straightforward and truthful, and that he may accept the word of any officer as rep- resenting the truth so far as that officer knows the facts. In like manner the cadet learns to tell the truth at once whenever he is questioned about anything. In case he is 144 Moral Training of the Cadet 145 questioned about anything where a free and frank answer would incriminate him he is sometimes privileged to remain silent, but if he speaks he must state the exact truth. The conditions under which a cadet may, or may not, refuse to testify on the ground that his evidence would tend to incriminate himself are defined in the following para- graph from recent regulations: "A refusal to answer shall be reported to the Superintendent, who may proceed against the offender as in the case of disobedience of orders. If the refusal is on the ground that the answer will tend to criminate the witness, the proposed question, together with the ob- jection of the witness, shall be submitted to the Superintendent in writing, and his deci- sion thereon shall be final." There is no place for a liar at West Point! From the first day that the cadet begins his course of training at the Military Academy he is made to realize that a dis- honest man is the meanest of his kind. No matter how small and harmless the lie may 146 Life at West Point seem, he must not utter it. No room is left for sophistry. A lie is a lie, and is therefore unworthy of the "cadet and gentleman." Not only do the authorities do all in their power to prevent falsehood ; the entire corps of cadets act as monitors against this offence. Let a cadet be detected by his comrades in an untruth, and he feels the fatal force of his fault at once. He is considered by his brother cadets as being utterly unworthy of association with them. Should a detected liar address one of his comrades on a personal or social matter, the only answer is frigid silence, possibly accompanied by a raising of the eyebrows. The man who is caught in an untruth will quickly realize that the news of his offence has travelled through the bat- talion, and that he can receive recognition from his fellows only when making or asking an official communication. Of course the cadets do not carry tales. If a man were caught in a lie by his com- rades, his only punishment would be ostra- cism — but this is always so complete, Moral Training of the Cadet 147 humiliating, and severe that the oflEender is glad to resign as soon as he is made to feel his disgrace. Should the story of the lie reach the ears of any of the officers of the Academy, the matter would be at once reported to the Superintendent. Investigation would follow, and, if the uttering of the lie were proved, would result in the instant dismissal of the cadet. Every other real infraction of the moral code meets with the same penalty. Yet the fear of punishment is not the key- note of moral training at the Military Acad- emy. The cadet is made to feel that he must be honorable in everything for the sim- ple reason that it is a splendid thing to be a MAN at all times. He has before him, con- stantly, the example of his fellow cadets and of the officers who act as his instructors. It is the belief of the authorities at the Military Academy that emulation should be as power- ful a factor in the moral as in the mental or physical development of a man. Not even is evasion permitted. A cadet who is asked a question gives a direct answer. 148 Life at West Point "Yes, sir," or "No, sir." If the answer would implicate him in any delinquency, he may decline, on that ground, to answer, as far as is in accordance with the regulation given in the foregoing, and, to that extent, without prejudice to himself. Honesty is in the atmosphere of the Academy, and to such an extent that if an officer were to ques- tion a cadet and receive a denial of the com- mission of an offence it would be impossible to disbelieve the man. " Upon my honor as a cadet and a gentleman" is a formula that carries with it absolute conviction of the sin- cerity of the one under inquisition. In fact, so thoroughly is the word of a cadet taken, and with such good reason, that this formula is seldom required. A simple, "Yes, sir," or "No, sir," is considered as being worth as much as an affidavit. No code of honor can reach a higher summit. It requires but a step beyond this to attain the other virtues. The cadet has taken oath, on entering the Academy, to obey all legal orders from his superiors, and these orders Moral Training of the Cadet 149 forbid the violation of any requirement of morality. Drunkenness is a vice that would not be tolerated for a moment in the young man who is to become an army officer. The use of alcoholic beverages in any form, therefore, is forbidden, and this prohibition is rigidly enforced. The use of tobacco is equally prohibited, although in bygone years cadets were allowed, upon permission, to draw a supply of tobacco. Punctuality is firmly instilled as a virtue — indeed, as one of the first requisites of a sol- dierly character. Tardiness at recitation, formation, drill, or in response to any call, is deemed so severe an offence that a graduated scale of demerits for each offence is provided. A short series of delinquencies in this line will bring enough depierits to insure the dis- missal of the cadet from the service. The keeping of promises or appointments comes naturally under the head of honesty. Absolute observance of any engagement is therefore firmly insisted upon, and with such good effect that there are very few breaches. ISO Life at West Point Here again emulation becomes a powerful factor, since every cadet is made to feel how mean a thing it is to do anything that does not accord with the highest standards of those around him. Respect for, and respect- ful treatment of, women are inseparable from this standard, and are early instilled into any cadet who may be deficient. Upon this general basis of honor the build- ing of a thoroughly Christian character is sought for. The first chaplain at West Point was appointed in 1814, and between the years of 1834 and 1836 the present chapel was built. In olden times prayer was said by the chaplain immediately after dress parade. This custom does not obtain nowadays, but the chaplain is at all times busy among the cadets. The Protestant cadets attend ser- vice at the regular chapel. Here the prin- cipal service of the week is held at 10.30 on Sunday mornings. The chaplain. Rev. Her- bert Shipman, has, as in the line of the Army, the rank, pay, and emoluments of a captain. Cadets following the Catholic faith had no Moral Training of the Cadet 151 regular place of worship until 1856, when a small chapel near the Band Barracks was established. In 1899 and 1900, in compli- ance with a special act of Congress, a hand- some chapel was built at the intersection of the Fort Putnam and Cemetery roads, at the north end of the Post, for the benefit of officers, cadets, enlisted men, and their fami- lies who elected to attend the Catholic ser- vice. It is a very attractive edifice, built of native stone, with buff-brick and terra-cotta ornamentation. The altar is of pure white marble, while the interior finishings are of hard wood. Rev. Father C. G. O'Keeffe, of Highland Falls, officiates, and the attend- ance is large. The present number of cadet attendants is twenty-eight. In addition to the two chapels, there is a room in Cadet Barracks established and maintained by the Y. M. C. A. Here every cadet may repair during his liberty time. There is a regular Y. M. C. A. organization, with a cadet president, and a great deal of moral benefit is set on foot in this little room. 152 Life at West Point Interest in the Y. M. C. A. work grows every year. In February, 1901, the average attendance of cadets was forty-seven; in Februa:ry of t|je following year it was eighty- seven. Meetii^i^'pe held on Wednesday and Sunday evenings, arid .are frequently ad- dressed by speakers from outside, which fact, of course, serves a most useful purpose in broadening the cadet's religious horizon. Chaplain Shipman, following out an idea that he had long had in mind, has begun to hold services in the Y. M. C. A. room every morning at seven o'clock, these services lasting ten or fifteen minutes. From the start, these short services have been well attended, and the attendance is steadily growing. There are in the Corps three Bible classes conducted by the cadets themselves. In addition there is a Bible class conducted by Miss Warner, long known to the public as a delightful writer. Miss Warner occupies, in all except the summer months, a cottage just east of the hotel, and h,ere her Bible Ul Q X H Z o o cc < 6 s > Moral Training of the Cadet 153 class meets every Wednesday afternoon. In the Children's Sunday School, on the Post, the Superintendent of the Academy acts as a teacher, while many of the other classes are taught by cadets. No better idea of the moral and religious tone of the cadets can be gathered than is presented in a statement by Chaplain Ship- man, recently printed in the Evangelist: "From some cause or other which must, I believe, be a leave-over from a state of things now long since changed, there is an opinion rather widely current that, though the physical and intellectual condition of the cadets is all that could be desired, in spiritual and religious matters the standard is below that of other colleges. "As an illustration of this feeling, I re- member hearing a cadet declare that his home minister had told him that he might as well go straight to perdition as to take the less direct but no less certain path by way of West Point. However well meant this warning may have been, it certainly evi- 154 Life at West Point denced a very gross ignorance of the real condition of affairs. " I would say that in matters spiritual and religious the United States Corps of Cadets is above, rather than below, the average secu- lar college. There is very little of that crude, sophomoric agnosticism which among some young men passes as an evidence of intel- lectual keenness; little irreverence or flip- pancy as regards sacred subjects ; no ridicule for the man who has convictions and stands by them. " The influence of the Young Men's Chris- tian Association is decidedly strong, and its work has the sympathy of the entire Corps. I believe, in fact, that the gauge might safely be thrown to any college or university in this or any other country to show a body of young men among whom truth is held more sacred, where the sense of honor is more keen, where lives are cleaner, the attitude toward things sacred more reverent and manly. I speak, I know, out of a very deep affection for the Corps, but it is these very qualities in the Moral Training of the Cadet 155 men themselves which have made that affec- tion what it is. "Let any one who doubts what I have said, attend a Sunday-morning service in the Cadet Chapel, be present at the Y. M. C. A. meeting in the evening, talk with the men themselves, and he will, I feel very sure, come to the same conclusion. The Corps is not made up of saints; there are men in it, I do not doubt, who make little of religion, but the tone of the body as a whole is high, and, I do not hesitate to say, distinctly re- ligious." From all the moral environment of the Military Academy proceeds its official motto — ^"Duty, Honor, Country," — and the com- plete realization, as far as is within the power of man, of this standard. CHAPTER IX THE MEDICAL CARE OP THE CADET The physical examination is one of the earliest and by no means the least trying of the experiences of the candidate's early life at West Point. This examination is held at the Cadet Hospital by a board of army sur- geons detailed for this special duty by the Secretary of War. The majority of admissions to hospital are on account of some injury to the joints, a sprained ankle or a contusion due to some injury received either at the gymnasium or in the riding-hall. At all times the gym- nastic and cavalry instructors take the great- est care to avoid the danger of accidents, and only unpreventable mishaps occur. During the football season, it is natural 156 Medical Care of the Cadet 157 that more accidents should result. At this time injuries of joints, or from contusions or sprains, are more common. During this fall practice season there are likely to be more admissions to hospital than at any other time. Among the "Plebes" — ^they are the first- year's men — ^the prevalent trouble is sore feet. Very likely they have never been ac- customed to a great deal of walking at home. As soon as they start in on their course at the Academy, they are required to wear a uniform pattern of shoe, and they must put their feet down in a new way, in accordance with the proper way of walking, both of which causes bring a great deal of discom- fort. By the time the "Plebe" has learned to walk just as he should, his first year is over and he enters the third class. Here he begins to learn the art of riding, and this often brings with it suffering from chafing and boils. Indigestion is another trouble from which cadets newly-joined are prone to suffer. The 158 Life at West Point diet served in the Cadet Mess Hall is a hearty- one, intended for men who are doing much of their work out-of-doors. The food is much more substantial, in most cases, than the young men have been accustomed to in their home life. It takes some time, there- fore, for the " Plebe " to accustom his stomach to the new regime. In winter the weather at West Point is severe. It is an old saying, among officers stationed there, that the wind sweeps down in an unbroken line from the North Pole. At such times it is natural that bronchial and catarrhal troubles should predominate. Cadets suffering from such diseases are usually ordered to their quarters, though careful note is made of the temperature of each man so complaining, and those who show sjmiptoms of fever are ordered into hospital, and remain there until their con- ditions warrant their discharge. Yet outside of such troubles as those of a bronchial and catarrhal nature, and such injuries as occasionally result from the drills, Medical Care of the Cadet 159 there are few cadets who go upon "sick re- port." Every man is constantly under the eyes of the chief medical officer and of his assistants, and so thorough is this care that, in spite of the danger of an army officer's calling in these present days, insurance com- panies consider him a better risk than the ordinary man in private life. Generally this young man, before leaving home, has passed an examination before a local physician, and has been assured that he is physically qualified to enter the Acad- emy. Within two minutes he begins to doubt the asstirance of his home physician, and often with good reason. As soon as the cadets report at Cadet Hos- pital, they are taken into a long room on the second floor, in sections of three. At a desk in the centre of the room sits the recorder, who makes aU needful notes of each young man's examination. The candidate is made to pass, nude, from one doctor to another, each doctor having assigned to him par- ticular portions of the search of the body i6o Life at West Point for physical disabilities. If any one of the doctors is in doubt as to a particular point in the health of the candidate, he marks a "query" on the examination card, and in that case the examination must be carried on further. Every detail relating to the past and present medical history, of the can- didate is noted, along with opinions as to his ability to endure future hardships both at the Academy and in the field. In cases where questions are raised by any one of the three examiaing surgeons, the candidates must pass another examination before the whole board. The most conscientious con- sideration is given to each case. The vital importance of the decision to the candidate is fully appreciated, and at the same time the interests of the service, present and future, must be carefully protected. It is generally a short, but always a sevefe ordeal. The surgeons are required to be un- relenting — ^though with discrimination. Some years ago a candidate reported who feared that he could not pass. The only disability Medical Care of the Cadet i6i of which he was aware was a stiff thumb on his right hand. The "alternate," who was likely to secure the appointment in case his principal did not pass, was aware of this de- fect. "Hold up your hand," ordered the chief surgeon. " Wriggle yotir fingers and thumbs." The candidate did as ordered, and so suc- cessfully that the existence of the stiff thumb escaped the notice of the examiner. But the alternate called attention to the defect. "Let me see that thumb," ordered the surgeon. The candidate obeyed, at the same time pleading that his slight deformity would not prevent his using a sword or sabre as effec- tively as if his thumb were perfectly straight. "That thumb will not stop you from be- coming a very good officer," announced the surgeon. He was right. The candidate en- tered the Academy, proved one of its best men, and was graduated into the cavalry. He proved a most valuable officer, and later on gave up his life in the service of his 1 62 Life at West Point country. It is never the purpose of the ex- amining surgeons to reject candidates on trivial grounds, but they must make sure that the men they pass are physically fitted for all the exigencies of the service. It is frequently the case with home phy- sicians of the yoting candidates, excellently though the former may be grounded in their profession, that they do not take with suf- ficient seriousness all the requirements of passing the physical examination at West Point. The family physician is apt to be over-indulgent, or else to feel that the gov- ernment regulations are not meant to be as rigid as they appear. It often happens that the candidate comes away from home with the fuU assurance of his family physician, that he will pass all right at West Point. The candidate reaches the Academy, goes through the ordeal of physical examina- tion, and learns, both to his sorrow and his humiliation, that he will not "do." In the appendix to this volume the physical require- ments are fully stated, and the intending Medical Care of the Cadet 163 candidate and his parents should make sure that he is up to all the demands. Aside from the disappointment of being rejected, there is nothing humorous in the situation for the son of parents in moderate circum- stances who has to pay his expenses, perhaps for thousands of miles of travel, and then pay the same expenses for the home trip — and all without result. After the cadet is admitted, the greatest care is taken of the hygienic requirements of his life. Every heed is paid to the proper quality and quantity of his food, and every meal must be served on time to the minute. The same care is shown with his exercises and bathing, and the hours of sleep must be .absolutely regular. Every detail of a cadet's life at the Academy is a matter of super- vision. There is a considerable percentage of graduates of the Academy who have spent the whole four years of their course there without once being admitted to the hospital jis a patient. 1 64 Life at West Point The medical and sanitary supervision of the cadets is shown by the surprisingly low percentage of sickness in the Corps. For in- stance, during the three months ending March 31, 1902, the total admissions to the hospital for all causes from the entire Corps of 469 cadets were only 63. At times, less than one-fourth of one per cent, of the Corps of Cadets are upon sick report. The longer a man can keep out of hospital the more proud he is of his record, and the more anxious to keep it up along the same lines. With such men, the only times of reporting at the hospital are during entrance and graduating examinations. Indexed cards are kept that show, at a glance, the entire record of a cadet while at the Academy, and these are always available when any question comes up during the young man's future career in the Army. Pride in the matter of keeping off sick re- port is analogous to the pride of the soldier who is able to boast that he has never been in the guard-house. By undue severity, an Medical Care of the Cadet 165 officer, in his treatment of a recruit, can ruin the young soldier's whole military career. A soldier who has been in guard-house is apt to lose pride in himself, and to feel that it is not worth while to pay much attention to regulations. Thus it often happens that a man who would, Tuider other circumstances, become a good soldier, is reduced to the status of an habituS of the guard-house. The same holds true with regard to the cadet who is too easily admitted to hospital. He feels that it is a pleasant place to go to, and that, if he can spare the time from his studies, it is a nice way of taking a pleasant little vacation from work. Yet this idea is radi- cally wrong. In the first place, the cadet who reports himself as ill on slight grounds must sham symptoms that he does not pos- sess, or at least only imagines; moreover, as the officer should always be superior to his men in physical endtu^ance, the cadet who shams illness, or who allows himself to apply for excuse from duty upon trivial grounds, is certain not to make the best type of officer. 1 66 Life at West Point The habit of "going sick" may be acquired at West Point during the cadet days, and it may last through an officer's whole army life. It is no small part of the surgeon's duty to prevent the acquiring of this habit upon the part of cadets. Formerly there was a great deal of this shamming of illness, as some of the hospital reports in past years lead one to suspect at a glance. Cadets who may have been truth- ful with their tactical officers and instructors, regarded it as being really in the way of a joke to deceive — in the vernacular of the Army to " dead-beat " — ^their medical officers. Medical officers now insist that the same standard of truthfulness shall exist at the hospital as in the barracks and academic building. Any deviation from this rule, if detected, would lead to a court-martial and a probable dismissal from the Academy. "Sick call" now sounds at 7 a.m. in winter, or immediately after breakfast, and at 5.45 A.M. in summer. Every man who wishes to consult the surgeon has previously Medical Care of the Cadet 167 had his name entered on the " sick-book" of the company in the battaUon to which he belongs. Under charge of a cadet known as the " sick marcher, " he is taken to the Cadet Hospital. Here he is admitted in his turn to the surgeon's office, states his symptoms, and is examined. If in the opinion of the surgeon nothing warrants the cadet being excused from full duty, the fact is so reported upon the "sick-book." For an illness that is slight, yet such as to make it necessary for him to refrain from a part of the day's work, he is marked "quarters," which means that he must return to his room in barracks and remain there. If he is able to attend recita- tions, but is unfitted for certain drills, the fact is noted, and he is excused from those drills. Should his illness prove to be really serious, he is admitted to hospital at once, and the best of care is taken of him until he is able to return to his duties. No cadet is ever slightingly treated who shows symptoms of serious illness. But the malingerer, who is now of rare appearance, 1 68 Life at West Point has an unpleasant road before him if his shamming is detected. He is Hable to be ordered into bed, and "light" diet pre- scribed. If it appears to be a case of fla- grant malingering, the diet is made so light that the shammer quickly feels his hunger. By the end of a day or two, he is very likely to report to the surgeon that he feels much better, and to ask to be returned to full duty. A doctor at one of the frontier posts, some years ago, conceived a way of checking "dead-beating" among the soldiers that has never yet been resorted to at West Point, nor is there any likelihood that it will have to be tried there. This doctor invented a mixture called "mistura diabolicus," and it certainly merited the name. It was com- posed of assafcetida, valerian, and gum guaiac. It made a truly blood-curdling dose, though it did not injure the health of the malingerer. Cases were rare where this surgeon was ever obliged to repeat the dose. He frequently referred to it as the most powerful medicine within his knowledge, Medical Care of the Cadet 169 and the most lasting, for the gum guaiac was introduced to make the valerian and as- safoetida stick to the teeth and so retain the taste in the mouth long after the nauseous dose had been swallowed. Three record books are kept identically at the Cadet Hospital. One is retained by the Surgeon for his own guidance; another is sent every day to the Superintendent for his information ; and the third goes to the Com- mandant of Cadets, who is immediately charged with the discipline of the young men. In each book is given the diagnosis of each case, and the disposition made of the patient. Whenever a cadet is admitted to the hospital, he is first given a bath, then dressed in pajamas, and his clothes taken to a locker, after which he is assigned to a bed. The medical treatment is then begun. Yet even in hospital every cadet is subjected to the same inflexible discipline that prevails elsewhere at the Academy. Once admitted to hospital, the cadet re- ceives more skilful medical care and better I70 Life at West Point and more constant nursing than, except in rare cases, he would receive at home. The medical officers of the Academy would rather admit twenty cadets who are not really ill than turn away one man who actually needs attention. Yet it is recognized that, in many cases where a man honestly believes himself ill, he will get along all right out of hospital if convinced that there is nothing serious the matter with him. Where yotmg men so constantly use the eyes to study and recite it is natural that eye troubles should be more or less prevalent. This is a form of disability that must be frequently contended with at the Military Academy. The surgeon in charge is always required to have a good working knowledge of diseases of the eyes, ear, nose, and throat. Every facil- ity for the examination and treatment of the diseases of the special senses is provided. The position of Surgeon at the Cadet Hos- pital at West Point calls for a ready prac- titioner and one with good judgment. At morning "sick call" there is less than an Medical Care of the Cadet 171 hour in which to give consultation to all who go on sick report. There is no time for that pleasing habit of physicians in civil practice who spend a half an hour with the patient trying to cheer him up. Each cadet pre- senting himself must be handled quickly, his symptoms tmderstood, his personal equation taken, and the proper disposition of the case made. Above all, there must be no mistakes, for at the Military Academy everything is a matter of official record, and the silent sod cannot, as in civil practice, cover a profes- sional error. For men who are not ordered to light diet, the meals at the hospital are most appetizing. The food is of the best quality procurable, and is daintily cooked, in the. way that sick men enjoy it, by a chef who is serving his twenty-eighth year in the Army. Here are sample menus of one day: BREAKFAST. Oranges. Oatmeal and Cream. Chops. Creamed Potatoes. Toast and Eggs. CofEee. Milk. 172 Life at West Point DINNER. Ox-tail Soup. Lettuce and Dressing. Roast Chicken. Creamed Potatoes. Sweet Com. Jelly, with Fruit. Orange Cake. SUPPER. Sliced Cold Meat. Potato Cakes. Fruit. Cake. Tea. Milk. In addition to the surgeon and his assist- ants, who hold respectively the ranks of major and captain or first lieutenant, there are twenty-two privates of the hospital corps who act as trained nurses. There are be- sides five acting hospital stewards and two full stewards. The laboratory, wherein both chemical and bacteriological work is done, is as com- plete and as well-equipped as could be de- sired. The operating-room is a model of neatness, and it contains every appliance for modem surgical work. In every other de- partment there is the fullest equipment, for the Surgeon-General of the Army has always Medical Care of the Cadet 1 73 been most liberal toward, the Cadet Hospital when its needs have been clearly set forth. In no hospital in the cotmtry could young men receive more thorough or skilful medical attendance than they do at West Point. CHAPTER X THE RESERVATION, BUILDINGS, AND LANDMARKS There are 2336 acres in the West Point reservation, and more than 160 buildings of all kinds. These buildings give shelter to some 1600 persons. Some of the buildings date from almost the earliest days of the Military Academy; others are of compara- tively recent construction. Passenger vessels land at the south dock. The railway station is close by. From this point, where visitors land or detrain, the first building encountered is the Riding Hall, a curiousrlodking old -building with an arched roof. It was built in 1855, and is 218 feet long by 78 feet in width. Here, on the tan- bark floor, instruction in riding is given 174 Reservation, Buildings, etc. 175 during the colder months of the year. On either side of the Riding Hall are small gal- leries to which visitors are admitted. At the southeast comer of the Riding Hall is the cavalry blacksmith shop. Just north of the Hall are the cavalry stables, 301 x 38 feet, and a wing 109 x 38 feet. There are, in all, accommodations for 125 horses. A two-story addition to the . wing, containing harness-rooms, workshops, guard-rooms, and a granary, was built in 1899. Continuing along the main road the visitor finds himself between the Administration Building^known as "Headquarters" — and the Academic Building. The former, which was finished in 187 1, is a fine sample of archi- tecture, built of native granite. On the grotmd floor is the office of the Quarter- master, while on the floor above are the offices of the Superintendent and the Ad- jutant. The other rooms in the building are occupied by the clerical force attached to Headquarters. Directly opposite Headquarters is the 176 Life at West Point Academic Building. This forms one side of the Quadrangle, Cadet Barracks making the north and west sides of the Quadrangle, while the Cadet Guard House and other buildings comprise the southern boundaries. The Academic BuUding is of recent build, having been erected between 1891 and 1895. It is of Massachusetts granite, and the cost, with furniture, was about $500,000. In this building are all the recitation and lecture rooms belonging to the academic cotirse, the electrical and chemical laboratories, the mineraiogical and geological museum, the engineering model room, and the ordnance museum. In the drawing department there are drawings made by cadets who served as far back as 1820. There being little of interest in it to casual visitors, they are not admitted to the Aca- demic Btiilding tmless accompanied by an officer, or by a guide acting imder orders from an officer. The sole exception to this rule is found in the case of the ordnance mu- seum. Here visitors are welcomed from Reservation, Buildings, etc. 177 10 A.M. to 12 M., and from i to 3 p.m. They are also furnished with catalogues that ex- plain fully each article exhibited. The mu- seum contains, mainly, a collection of all manner of firearms, from the earliest days of the use of gunpowder to the present. Indian curios and models of every type of cannon are also shown, as are also relics of the Revo- lutionary, Mexican, Civil, and Spanish Wars. The museum was opened in 1854, and the exhibits have grown to such a number that the ordinary student might profitably spend three or four days in lookiag over all that is to be seen. The military student might well spend several weeks in a thorough inspection of the treasures. Stepping in under the broad arch of the East Sally Port, the visitor finds himself looking across the Quadrangle. In daylight hours he may walk about freely in the Quad- rangle. Turning from the Academic Build- ing, he wiU find himself gazing at the north wing, with a frontage of 360 feet. This con- tains the greater portion of cadet rooms — 178 Life at West Point " quarters, " — ^two htindred in all. This wing, which cost $186,000, was erected in the years between 1846 and 1851. Adjoining this is the western wing, finished in 1882, which contains more cadet quarters. Cadet rooms are supposed to be occupied by two men each, but such is the present crowded condi- tion of barracks that many of the rooms are occupied by three men each. Nothing could be more severe than the appearance of these cadet rooms. Only pre- scribed articles of furniture are allowed, and these are of the plainest pattern. No orna- mentation of any kind is allowed in the rooms. Even the simplest curios or pieces of bric-S,-brac cannot be displayed. Visitors are never allowed in Cadet Barracks. Not , even officers on duty at the Academy enter Cadet Quarters tinless their visits are in the line of duty. Just south of the Academic Building is the Cadet Mess HaU, also known as " Grant Hall." This building is of native granite and was built in 1850. The ceiling is of metal, while o I- o Reservation, Buildings, etc. 179 floor and walls are tiled. In the kitchen are all the equipments of a great hotel kitchen, and artificial refrigeration is also provided. The mess hall will seat more than five htm- dred cadets. A little south of Cadet Hospital, in the row of officers' quarters that extends along the South Road, is the small building in which is the Officers' Mess. Here the bach- elor officers of the Academy obtain their meals, while the married officers on Post are also members of the club. Congress has ap- propriated more than $100,000 for a new Officers' Mess, ground for which has already- been broken just south of Cullum Memorial Hall. This new building will contain not only dining and other club rooms, but also quarters for the bachelor officers. The next building south of the Cadet Mess Hall is the Cadet Hospital. It is of native granite, was built in 1884, is a handsome specimen of the architect's work, and stands well back from the road, a long flight of steps leading to the main entrance. Its i8o Life at West Point interior equipments are described in Chap- ter IX. Passing north, between the Administration Building and the Academic Building, and turning to the right, the visitor finds himself before the Cadet Chapel, a building that has stood practically without change since 1836. The style of architectvire is basHican. Over the chancel is a painting, " War and Peace," the work of Professor Weir, at one time pro- fessor of drawing at the Academy. There are many flags, British, Hessian, and Mexi- can, captured in battle, five of which once belonged to George Washington. Other ad- ornments of the Chapel are a number of can- non surrendered by the British at Saratoga. Ornamenting the walls are tablets erected to the memory of Washington's generals, in- cluding the one from which Benedict Arnold's name is erased. East of the Chapel is the Cadet Library, which was first built in 1841 at a cost of $50,000. It was entirely rebuilt in 1900- 1901 at a cost of $70,000, and is composed of Reservation, Buildings, etc. i8i the newest fireproof material. This Library, originally founded in 1812, now contains in the neighborhood of 45,000 volumes, and be- tween 5000 and 6000 pamphlets and manu- scripts. The average annual appropriation of Congress is $3000 — an amount decidedly inadequate to the maintenance of the library of the foremost military academy in the world. Many additions are made to the library by army officers and other friends of the Academy, and the range of reference and study along military and general lines is now fairly good, yet by no means as good as it should be. The young men who are to become officers of ^ the Army require every possible aid to their intellectual develop- ment, and additions to the library should be made by every American citizen who has books or funds to donate. One of the handsomest of the small build- ings on the Post is the Catholic Chapel, erected in 1899 and 1900, by authority of Congress, and from contributions obtained by the Reverend Father C. G. O'Keeffe. The 1 82 Life at West Point entire cost was $22,800. It is situated at the crossing of Fort Putnam and Cemetery roads, and is btult of native stone with outer ornamentation of buff brick and terra-cotta. The altar is of pure marble, and there are memorial windows contributed by soldiers on the Post. Going west along the road on which are situated the Library, Chapel, and Academic Building, one comes to the Gymnasium. The completion of this building occupied the years between 1889 and 1891, the outer ma- terial being of native granite, and the cost $90,000. In the basement there are ranges for rifle and revolver target practice. On the grotmd floor there are reception rooms, the office of the physical director, a bowling alley, and a large and good swmiming pool. The Cadet Guard House is on the south side of the Quadrangle. Here, on the ground floor, is the office of the Commandant of Cadets, while across the hallway is the guard- room of the cadets. Upstairs are the various offices in which the tactical officers have Reservation, Buildings, etc. 183 their desks. In the front of the building is the room of the particular tactical officer who is detailed as the " officer in charge" for any- given twenty-four hours. Steam-heating is supplied to the cadet barracks, Academy building, gymnasium, cadet store, mess hall, and hospital. Six 80 h.-p. boilers supply this heat. In a brick building east of the heating plant is the bath- house for cadets, in which there are thirty- five bath-tubs. Just in the rear of the gymnasium is the cadet store, where aU the cadet uniform clothing is made and repaired, and where everything required by oflficers and cadets is sold at cost prices. In this building are also the offices of the Treasurer of the Academy and of the Quartermaster and Com- missary of Cadets. This building was erected in 1874, and a wing was added in 1891. In the southwest angle of the Plain there stands a handsome white granite statue of General Sylvanus Thayer, a graduate of the class of 1808. He was Superintendent of the Academy for the sixteen years that 1 84 Life at West Point followed the year 1817. The body of the "Father of the Academy" was removed from Massachusetts to the Post cemetery in 1877. At the northwest angle of the Plain is a bronze statue of General John Sedgwick, which was unveiled in 1868, the funds having been contributed by members of the Sixth Army Corps, of which General Sedgwick was commander at the time when he was killed in action in 1864. General Sedgwick was a graduate in the class of 1837, and the statue was cast from metal of the artillery belonging to his corps. There is also a cenotaph of fine Italian marble erected to the memory of " Dade and his entire command," victims of the Seminole troubles in Florida in 1835. It was erected in front of the site of the present CuUum Hall, in 1845, ten years after the massacre. Kosciusko, also, receives recognition of his splendid services during the War of the Rev- olution in a cenotaph erected by the Corps of Cadets, in 1 828, at an expense of $5000. It Reservation, Buildings, etc. 185 stands in the northeast angle of Fort Clinton. At the foot of the flight of stairs below the Memorial Hall is the spot known as " Kosci- usko's Garden." Here there is a spring supposed to have been discovered by the famous Polish patriot, and by him walled up for future use. A marble basin now re- ceives the water of the spring, and was paid for by the funds remaining after the statue had been erected. One of the most picturesque spots, archi- tecturally, is the CuUum Memorial Hall, which stands east of the Plain and overlooks the Hudson River. It represents a pure style of Grecian architecture, and is regarded as being the best of its type in the world. The building, as provided for under the will of General Cullum, who was a graduate of the class of 1833, cost $243,000, to which Congress added $25,000 for furnishings and lighting. The building material consists wholly of pink granite. In the first place, the Memorial Hall is the home of war trophies. Flags of famous 1 86 Life at West Point regiments are hung about the walls, and there are busts, paintings, and memorials of the most distinguished graduates of the Military- Academy. At the main entrance of the Hall are cannon from Santiago de Cuba, while the inverted mortars at the comers of the build- ing are relics of the Mexican War, all of them cast in the eighteenth century. On the grotmd floor is a large room known as Assembly Hall, while one flight above is "Thayer Hall,," which contains a stage with all scenic accompaniments, while the ceiling is fltted for 340 incandescent lights. There are reception and dressing rooms for ladies who attend the various functions. In the basement of the building are forty bedrooms containing all the furniture re- quired by graduates attending the annual meetings of the Association of Graduates, which take place in June. Graduates visit- ing the Academy at any other time of the year are made equally welcome. On one of the highest hills west of the Academy is the Astronomical Observatory. Reservation, Buildings, etc. 187 It is located on the former site of Fort Webb, near the historic site of Fort Putnam. Built in 1882, this observatory cost about $50,000. In the near vicinity is a small field observa- tory. Fort Putnam owes its name to Colonel Rufus Putnam, who, while in command of the Fifth Massachusetts Regiment, stationed at West Point in 1778, directed its erection. The original cost of this fort, which was in- tended as an additional defence to Fort Clinton and the Plain, is said to have been $35, 000, as against the cost of $3,000,000 for the entire scheme of fortification of the Point. In the first place, fourteen guns were mounted there, but in 1787 these cannon were sold as old iron. Fort Clinton is even more famous in the annals of the country. It was built in the same year as Fort Putnam, at the instigation of Kosciusko. The mission of Fort Clinton was the defence of the great iron chain that had been stretched across the Hudson to prevent the northward passage of British 1 88 Life at West Point warships. In this fort are to be found many- relics of surpassing interest. There are links of iron chain and railway rails that the Con- federates used for purposes of blockade at Nashville. This fort was known originally as "Fort Arnold," but after the treachery of the traitor became known the name of the fort was changed. At the north end of the Plain is the West Point Hotel. This building is owned by the Government, but is leased on the under- standing that the lessee shall keep the hotel open the year around. The price for guests, as established by the Government, is $3.50 per day. The building, erected in 1829, is now deficient in most of the comforts of modem hotel life. The service of food is, however, very satisfactory, and the rooms are as comfortable as was consistent with the minimized ideas of our forbears. While it is required of the lessee that he shall keep the hotel open the year around, the actual business of the hotel lasts only during the three summer months of the year, with occa- Reservation, Buildings, etc. 189 sional influxes of business at the more promi- nent seasons of winter social life. The sea-coast battery, on the north water front of the reservation, has one 8-inch breech-loading rifle and one 12 -inch breech- loading mortar. These are of modem pat- tern. There are in addition five 8-inch miizzle-loading converted rifles and a 15 -inch muzzle-loading Rodman gun, all of old pat- tern. There are parallel lines of wires be- tween which actual shots are fired. On the slope of the hill just below Battle Monument is the siege-battery, which com- prises four s-inch breech-loading rifles, two 7-inch breech-loading howitzers, and six 7- inch breech-loading mortars. These pieces are of the most modem types. Targets are on a hill at a range of 2000 yards. Owing to the-short range, reduced charges of powder are used in place of the full service charge. Yet for the spectator the scene of these guns being fired can be equalled only by the sight of gtms fired in the actual anger of war. Over on the Plain, just in front of CuUum I go Life at West Point Memorial Hall, are two batteries at which the futtire artilleryman learns some of his most useful lessons in the art of war. These are the light battery and the foot battery, each consisting of six 3. 2 -inch rifles of the latest type. Battery Knox is just below the Encamp- ment, and has an eastward outlook over the river. The guns here are all of old pattern and large calibre, ranging from 6.4 to lo-inch. All of these guns are muzzle-loaders, and are used only for firing salutes. Trophy Point stands north of the Plain and just west of the hotel. This was the site of Fort Sherburne. Here, among other relics of the War of the Revolution, are six- teen links of the famous chain that was laid across the river from beyond Gee's Point to Constitution Island. Another relic is a huge Armstrong gun taken at Fort Fisher during the Civil War. There are cannon and mortars captured in the Mexican War and a wrecked gun from the Spanish cruiser Viscaya. On Trophy Point is located a beautiful shaft Reservation, Buildings, etc. 191 known as "Battle Monument." It is a monolith of granite, 46 feet high and 5 feet in diameter, and is the largest single piece of polished stone in existence. It was in May, 1897, that this monument was dedicated, Justice David J. Brewer of the United States Supreme Court delivering an eloquent ora- tion to the memory of the 188 officers and 2042 soldiers of the Regular Army who were killed in battle, or who died of wounds, in the Civil War. In the near future there will arise a newer, grander, and vastly more useful Military Academy at West Point. The country's needs have greatly outgrown the possibili- ties of the present Academy. The American Army of the future will need far more officers than have been prepared at the Academy in the past. Plans for the rebuilding of the Academy, submitted to Congress during the last winter, called for an appropriation of $6,500,000 in order to provide for the housing, instruction, and care of the number of ca- dets now authorized by law. To meet the 192 Life at West Point requirements of the Army that the United States must now maintain, in its newer, greater rdle among the nations of the world, the number of cadets will have to be doubled. Congress has granted $5,500,000 for the remodelling and rebuilding of the United States Military Academy, and has made $2,000,000 immediately available. CHAPTER XI THE "WORK AND PLAY OP THE SUMMER EN- CAMPMENT With the advent of summer comes the most joyous season of the year for the cadet. As soon as graduating exercises are over, and these generally take place about the 13th of June, the new first class and the new third class go into camp, which is pitched just east of the Cavalry Plain. Camp is laid out in six company streets. From the moment that the cadets march into camp, guard is established, and guard duty is not once relaxed until camp is broken about the ist of September. All academic books are laid aside. There are no academic recitations of any kind. All the working time is devoted to the making of the practical 13 193 194 Life at West Point soldier. There are drills innumerable ; these will be found described in Chapter V. As soon as the Plebes report and qualify in drill, they are admitted, a few at a time, to the battalion. They become full-fledged cadets now, endure all the work, and enjoy the pleasures of their more advanced com- rades. The summer encampment affords an excellent way of gradually breaking the new cadet into a life of work, with enough pleasure admixed, to fit him for the harder strain of work that comes in the fall. To the older men camp life is largely a "lark." With all the work that has to be performed during these weeks of hot weather there are numerous and varied enough pleas- ures to make this short summer space a dream of delight. Between work and play there is so much to be done that the cadets are roused by reveill6 at 5 a.m. They do not turn in for the night until 10.30. Yet every man stands it well, and would not have the day made shorter. One most valuable les- son for the young soldier is learned in this Work and Play 195 connection. It is of the utmost importance that a military man should be able to get along, when necessary, on a trifling amount of sleep. As a result, soldiers in the field acquire the knack of taking a sound twenty minutes of sleep whenever opportunity offers. The cadet, on account of his few hours of regular rest at night, learns this same valua- ble trick of taking short naps at all times. At intervals the cadet obtains even less than the regulation amount of sleep through being detailed to guard duty. Pleasures are so numerous and varied that no man complains. While the cultivation of social life is followed as much as possible during the entire year, it is in the summer that the cadet best knows the meaning of these words. During summer the Post is thronged by young ladies and their mothers. Most of the cadet's spare time is spent in feminine society, though, of course, it must occasionally happen that a young man spends much of his time alone, gazing from a distance at some comrade more favored than 196 Life at West Point himself by- the preference of a certain young lady. Just how much time the young man has to enjoy himself outside of camp limits depends upon himself. Each class is divided into three conduct grades, and privileges go by grade. It is also the rule that, the higher the class, the more the privileges. Grades of conduct are established in accordance v/ith the following regulation: "On the loth of each month the cadets shall be divided into three conduct grades, according to their conduct record for the last calendar month during which each shall have been present. "For the ist and 2d grades the following ntunbers of demerit must not be exceeded : Number of demerit pel ■ month. Class. ist grade. 2d grade. I 3 7 2 3 7 3 4 9 4 5 10 "Those cadets whose demerit exceeds the Work and Play 197 niimber allowed the 2d grade will constitute the 3d grade." First-class men of the first conduct grade are allowed to leave camp to go an3rwhere within cadet limits — i. e., the limits of the reservation — at any time between reveilM and tattoo ; men in the second grade are al- lowed liberty from 9 a.m. until tattoo ; while the third-grade men are allowed liberty only from 9 A.M. until retreat. Second-class men are away on furlough during the encampment. First-grade third- class men are allowed liberty from 9 a.m. until tattoo, second-grade men from 9 a.m. to retreat, and men of the third grade from I P.M. to retreat. The new fourth-class men are permitted liberty within cadet limits from I P.M. to retreat, and conduct grades do not exist in the fourth class during encampment. These allowances of time are not, however, as great as they would seem, since, of course, liberty does not exist when the young man has any duty on hand. A stroll so prolonged that it brings the yotmg man a minute late 1 98 Life at West Point at drill or other work will involve demerits and the loss of some of his much-prized lib- erty. Most favored of all the strolls on Post is the long, narrow, winding path known as Flirtation Walk. There is just room enough on this path to walk side by side. It should be needless to add that a cadet does not usually select another cadet as his companion during the stroll. There is noth- ing of the stride of the soldier observable in the cadet's gait as he goes along Flirtation Walk. Although the Walk is only some three-quarters of a mile in length, young Mars has been known to require two hours to make the distance. So many are the windings of the Walk that there is little intrusion on the privacy of any of the strollers. Voices and laughter usually sound the warning before two couples step into sight of each other — a most im- portant consideration to two young people mainly absorbed in each other! There are little groves just off the path, where, in the Work and Play 199 deep shade, the young people may seat them- selves. The cadet abstractedly pulls blades of grass and tears them to pieces while talk- ing. His companion toys with her parasol. They two are alone in the world, in one of the most beautiful spots that nature could pro- vide. Many an army marriage has had its origin in just such a spot. While cadets are prohibited from marrying, there is nothing in the regulations that forbids a young man to ask his companion what the probable chances would be if he were to offer his hand after receiving his commission. There are boulders along the edge of the path, the tops of some of which seem just large enough to afford seats for two who can sit close. From some of these boulders the strollers can obtain delicious glimpses of the Hudson, with all its summer vistas of the water traffic of commerce and travel. The cadet springs nimbly up the boulder, turns and reaches down his hands to assist his com- panion to a seat beside him. At other points there are steep banks, at 200 Life at West Point the crests of which the honeysuckle, the wild rose, and other pretty flowers grow in profu- sion. Or it may be that there are mosses or dainty ferns. The young lady expresses a desire to possess some of these treasures of nature. In an instant young Mars is spring- ing up the bank. His athletic carriage and agility make him a graceful picture. Prob- ably most of the young men are aware of the fact. In a twinkling the escort is showering down the flowers into the overturned parasol of his companion. Or else he comes down, after a few moments, with his hands full of mosses or ferns. At all times there are other strollers along the path. Sometimes as many as four or five couples come in a group. There are greetings — introductions when necessary. It often happens that one couple starts out on a stroll, meets another and another couple, and this keeps up until the return to the plain finds a considerable company. There is constant chatter and laughter in such a party, for the soldier is light-hearted and Work and Play 201 merry when away from his work, and woman never seems so happy as when in the presence of uniforms. During the summer there is one especial privilege that is granted to the first- and second-grade conduct men of the new first class. They are permitted to use the boats at the Point, and may take ladies out rowing with them, the only condition imposed being that they must not land at any of the ad- jacent towns. Riding privileges are granted to the same men. They are permitted to use the cavalry horses, with the proviso that they must go to the stables, bridle and saddle their mounts, return the horses, unsaddle and unbridle, and tie the animals in their stalls. AH summer long the evenings are devoted to social ftinctions that are a source of de- light both to cadets and visitors. On Mon- day, Wednesday, and Friday evenings there are "hops" at CuUum Memorial Hall. On the other week-day evenings concerts by the band are given in camp. Sunday evenings the Cadet Glee Club furnishes sacred concerts 202 Life at West Point in camp. At all of these affairs there are swarms of visitors. Both hops and concerts last until 10.30 p.m. Dress parade is a feature of every pleasant day during the summer. There is always a mtiltitude of visitors present. Parents, broth- ers, sisters, and friends fill the visitors' seats in front of camp, nearly every one of the spectators trying to single out the cadet in which he is especially interested. This is no easy task the first time. Every cadet has the same kind of figure and carriage. They all look wonderfully alike, save for some differences in height. The evolutions of dress parade are performed, the band plays, sunset gun is fired, the colors come down, the band plays " The Star-Spangled Banner" while the male spectators stand with un- covered heads — and it is all over. But still the crowd of onlookers tarries, for guard mount follows immediately after parade. Where every cadet is so healthy and so full of animal spirits, it must be expected that there wiU be a good deal of amusing mischief Work and Play 203 afoot dttring the summer. It keeps the tac- tical ofificers of the Academy busy preventing pranks that constitute more or less serious breaches of discipline. A favorite form of mischief consists of firing the reveill6 gun at inappropriate times. In the tent which serves as cadet guard- house during the encampment there is an oil stove. On this coffee is heated for cadets who come in from guard duty at night. There is also on hand a liberal supply of sandwiches, generally of ham. Both the coffee and food are provided in order that the young sentry need not go to bed chilled or hungry. As it is not easy to gauge the extent of what a cadet's appetite may be, such an allowance is made that there are sure to be some sand- wiches in excess. It happened that a cadet coming into the guard tent after midnight conceived a new form of prank. With the aid of one or two others he took a lot of the sandwiches over to the reveille gun. These were closely and methodically rammed down the muzzle of 204 Life at West Point the gun. An old newspaper served for wadding. It happened also that one of the officers at the Academy had invited a member of the Board of Visitors to walk with him the next morning before the reveille. Officer and Visitor strolled along just west of the grass plain. The officer explained that he wished his companion to note how marvellous the air was at West Point in the early morning. As they walked, the reveill6 gun was fired. The officer continued to expatiate upon the fineness of the air. Presently both began to sniff. An odor came to them that neither had expected. "Marvellous air?" said the Visitor. "I would prefer to call it peculiar." "It does seem strange," admitted the officer. "It smells like— like " "Like fried ham." ' ' Precisely. But where is it being cooked ?' ' The officer did n't know. He glanced over at the officers' quarters, but he knew that it Work and Play 205 was too early for breakfast in any of the houses there. Besides, the odor seemed to come from the plain. "This ought to be looked into," muttered the officer. "Suppose we take a walk over the plain?" This was done. A fragment of scorched ham was found in the grass — a little way from there a piece of badly made toast. There was more fried ham, and more toast beyond. The two investigators found a trail of fried ham and poor toast extending some eighth of a mile. The air was strong with the smell of it. The culprits were never discovered. At night, too, it has been, in the past, a favorite form of mischief to tamper with the reveille gun. The piece is loaded. A cord is made fast to the firing-cord and carried for a considerable distance. Here it is fastened to a stake at some point where a cadet re- turning to camp in the dark is sure to trip over it. Boom ! There is a crashing explosion. In 2o6 Life at West Point a twinkling the cadet guard is turned out and rushes over to the cannon. Of course there is no one here who can be reported as a cul- prit. Very likely the cadet who tripped over the cord will be encountered, and he will frankly explain the accident, but he had no intentional connection with the prank, and cannot be censured for falling when his feet tripped over a cord. There is an investiga- tion, without discovery. There is a rule which prohibits cadets from visiting the hotel unless with permission. Even then cadets are permitted to enter no portions of the hotel except the office and the parlor. It is the duty of the tactical officer in charge to see that this rule is strictly enforced. It may happen that a cadet is walking by in the evening when he espies on the hotel verandah some yotmg lady of his acquaintance with whom he would like to talk for a few minutes in one of the comers of the parlor. He has no permission to visit the hotel, and it is too late to secure that permission. What is to be done ? Work and Play 207 A tactical officer who was in charge one evening during last summer's encampment walked up to the hotel. In the corridor, near the parlor door, he saw two young ladies seated. They were chatting, and one of the young ladies was making use of many ges- tures. They sat where they could be seen from the parlor. Something in the gestures struck the officer as being out of the ordinary. As he reached the door the gestures became more pronounced. The officer paused at the outer door, pretended to deliberate, then turned and walked slowly down the verandah. As he did so he noticed, out of the comer of his eye, that the gestures of the vivacious young lady, who was still talking merrily, took another form. The puzzled officer walked slowly back to the door, and wit- nessed more gestures. That decided him to enter the corridor and the parlor. As he stepped into the parlor the gestures ceased altogether. There were three young ladies there, but only two cadets, and their presence was warranted by permission. Had there 2o8 Life at West Point been a third? The officer does n't know, to this day, whether the gesttires of the young lady constituted a series of signals, but he knows what he thinks. Thereafter he in- creased his vigilance. Some of the cadets are apt to regard an un- authorized visit of a few minutes at the hotel in summer as merely a joke — though one that carries with it penalties in case of dis- covery. But any cadet in the battalion, if called up by the tactical officer in charge and questioned as to whether he had visited the hotel without permission, would, if guilty of the delinquency, unhesitatingly answer: "Yes, sir." That much for the truthfulness of the cadet. He knows that if he answers nega- tively he will be believed. But a lie is so impossible to a cadet that he owns up at once and takes his medicine in the way of demerits and consequent loss of liberties. To break what might at times prove the monotony of the drills, the cadets are some- times taken away from West Point during the Work and Play 209 summer season in order to participate in field exercises with the militia of the State of New York. On such occasions the battalion of cadets may be ordered to attack a militia regiment in sham battle. The militia officers and their men know that they are to be at- tacked at some point along the line of march, but it rests with 'the officers in command of the cadets to decide at what point the attack shall take place. In such an engagement the cadets are drilled in all possible problems of a real battle. Some serve as artillerymen, some as cavalrymen, and some as infantry- men. Every kind of strategy possible is de- monstrated during these attacks upon militia. In the early summer of 1901, a force of cadets thus attacked one of the militia regiments. The cadets' opposition ahead was quickly silenced, and the militiamen fancied they had won the day. To the astonishment of the militiamen, their rear-guard and baggage train were captured in a rush by the cadets, and the judges awarded the day to the Mili- tary Academy. 2IO Life at West Point At or near the end of the summer encamp- ment comes the crowning glory of the season — ^the "show." This takes the form either of the " Camp Illumination," or of the " Color Line Entertainment." In the case of the former, the entire little city of tents is bril- liantly illuminated with lanterns. Rockets and Roman candles are fired. Colored lights are ablaze everywhere. The scene is like that of a Fourth-of-July evening celebration on a very large scale. The tents of the cadets are made bright by Japanese lanterns and other forms of lighting. Rugs are laid in the tents. There are two cadets to each tent during the encampment, and on the night of "Camp Illumination" each cadet tries to have his own particular tent the most at- tractive-looking place in the little white city. All manner of furniture and furnishings are freely borrowed from people living on the Post. Visitors are allowed in camp, and every tent is a scene of hospitality and merri- ment. " Illumination" is the keynote of the night, and the camp is one complete blaze of Work and Play 2 1 1 light. In connection with the "Illumina- tion" there is often dancing in a specially erected pavilion. Some years, though not often, both enter- tainments are provided. The "Color Line Entertainment" takes its name from the fact that the color line runs through the cen- tre of the camp. Here the arms are stacked, and over the centre of the line the colors are draped. Every day the three men who present the neatest appearance are detailed as color sentinels. This central line through the camp gives the name to the " Color Line Entertainment." The band is present and supplies melody for the occasion. The cadet contribution to the fun consists of an amateur theatrical show, as carefully prepared and as elaborately pre- sented as is within the powers of the cadet entertainers. Throngs of visitors attend the performance. The night goes out in a spurt of pyrotechnics. As the visitors depart, "taps" is sounded; another summer en- campment has come to a close. 212 Life at West Point The next morning, after weeks of glorious out-door life, of hops and concerts, drills and exercise, the battalion marches, more or less sadly, back to barracks, there to be joined by the second class back from furlough, and the new academic year begins. CHAPTER XII THE WEST pointer's FUTURE IN THE ARMY After graduation — what? The cadet who has successfully passed the four years' course next receives a commission as second lieutenant in the Army. If he stands at, or near, the head of his class, he will probably be appointed to the Engineer Corps, a coveted position that proves him to have been one of the honor men of his class. Below the grade of engineer, the cadet may be, in order, according to his class standing, an artilleryman, a cavalryman, or an infan- tryman. Any cadet may choose his branch of the service, either in the grade to which he is entitled, or any grade below that. Formerly cadets who fell just short of be- coming engineers were appointed to the ordnance department. Nowadays, ordnance, 213 214 Life at West Point as well as quartermaster and commissary, officers are appointed from the line after ex- aminations to determine their fitness^____.. If the young man becomes a second lieu- tenant of infantry, he receives a salarr of $1400 a year. If he enters the cavalrj or artillery branches of the service, he is a mounted officer, and receives $100 a year more. All officers are entitled to " quarters " — a term that, in civil life, means house rent. If the officer is stationed where he cannot live in a building owned or rented by the Govern- ment, he i? allowed a "commutation" with which to pay the rent of his quarters. He is allowed, in addition, a few necessary articles of furniture. Promotion to the grade of first lieuten- ant brings with it a salary of $1500 in the infantry or $i6oo in the motmted service branches. A captain of infantry is paid $1800 per annum, and a mounted captain $2000. A major, being a mounted officer, receives $2500 a year, while a lieutenant- colonel is paid $3000, and a colonel $3500. The West Pointer's Future 215 In addition, any officer of grade between second lieutenant and colonel receives what are known as "fogeys." These are ten-per- cent, increases of pay for each five years of service, and an officer who has served twenty years is entitled to four "fogeys" of ten per cent. each. Thus a captain of infantry who has served for twenty years is paid $150 a month and four "fogeys" of ten per cent, each, amounting to $60 more, making his pay $210 a month, or $2520 per year. A major's pay is $2500, but the four "fogeys" will carry it to $3500. The lieutenant-colo- nel is paid at the rate of $3000 and the colo- nel at $3500, but of course with "fogeys" added. By act of Congress, however, no colonel may receive more than $4500, nor a lieutenant-colonel more than $4000. Briga- dier-, major-, and lieutenant-generals are not granted " fogeys," but are allowed merely the pay of their respective ranks. A briga- dier receives $5500 a year, a major-general $7500, and the lieutenant-general command- ing the Army $11,000. 2i6 Life at West Point Once an officer enters the service, his pay will not stop during his life, unless he is convicted by a court-martial of misconduct. Slight disobedience of the regulations will not remove him from the service, but any serious infraction of military regulations or of the moral code brings dismissal from the service. When proof is furnished before an army board that an officer is unfitted for further service, either through mental or physical disability incurred in the line of his duties, he is placed upon the retired list of the Army. Should an officer appear before an examining board for promotion and be found to be physically disqualified, he is retired when his vacancy occurs in the next higher grade. If, however, he is ordered up before a retiring board and is found to be physically disquali- fied, he is retired with the rank he then holds. The retired pay of a second lieutenant is $1050 per annum, with "fogeys" of $55 f0r each five years of service up to twenty yeaifs, at which time his pay would be $1470. Tl^e The West Pointer's Future 217 pay of a second lieutenant, mounted, is $ 1 1 2 5 , with "fogeys" for five, ten, fifteen, and twenty years' service, bringing his retired pay up to $1237, $1350, $1462, and $1575 respectively. A first lieutenant of foot re- ceives $1125, with increased pay up to $1575, according to the number of "fogeys" to which he is entitled. A captain of foot re- ceives, on the retired list, pay amounting to $1350, although his right to "fogeys" may bring this amount up to $1890, while a mounted captain is paid, after being retired, $1500, and "fogeys" accruing from twenty years of service may bring the annual pay up to $2100. A major's retired pay is $1875, but four "fogeys" (for twenty years' service) carry the retired pay to $2625. A lieuten- ant-colonel's retired pay is $2250, but as an officer who has reached this grade in the Regular Army is sure to have served twenty years, he will receive the full benefit of his four "fogeys," which brings the amount up to $3000 a year, while the colonel's retired pay, with all the "fogeys," is $3375. 2i8 Life at West Foint How much better our officers are paid than those of foreign countries may be seen from a statement of the pay in the armies of Great Britain, Japan, and France. In the British army pay varies somewhat with the locality of service, and the same is true of horse, forage; and lodging allowances. With regiments serving in England, however, the pay of a second lieutenant of infantry is five shillings, three pence a day, while the pay of a cavalry officer is six shillings, eight pence a day. A lieutenant of infantry is paid, at first, six shillings and six pence per day in the infantry, or seven shillings and eight pence per day in the cavalry. After seven years' service, the lieutenant of infantry is paid another shilling per day. A captain of foot is paid eleven shillings, seven pence, or, if in the cavalry, thirteen shillings, while a ma- jor of foot receives thirteen shillings, six pence per day, or fifteen shillings if in the cavalry. After two years the major is paid sixteen shillings in the infantry, or one shil- ling more in the cavalry. A lieutenant- The West Pointer's Future 219 colonel is paid eighteen shillings if in the infantry, or one poiind, a shilling and six- pence if in the cavalry. On promotion to a colonelcy from a lieutenant-colonelcy, the pay will vary according to the regiment to which the officer is assigned. In the Japanese army, the pay is much smaller, and so is the expense of living. A Japanese general is paid 6000 yen per annum, a lieutenant-general 4000, a major-general 3150, a colonel 2352, a lieutenant-colonel 1752, a major 1152; a captain of the first class receives 840 yen a year, and a captain of the second class 720 yen. A lieutenant of the first class is paid 540 yen, and a lieuten- ant of the second class 432. A sub-lieuten- ant's pay is 360 yen. A Japanese yen is worth a trifle more than fifty cents of our American money. There are no "allow- ances" in the Japanese army. In the French army, the pay table is a somewhat complicated affair. Considering the lesser cost of living in France and in the French colonies, the pay is very liberal. 220 Life at West Point though it does not equal the pay in the American Army. The general of a division receives 18,900 francs, and the general of a brigade 12,600 francs. A colonel is paid 8136 francs, while a lieutenant-colonel receives 6558 francs. A chief of battalion, who corresponds to the major of the American Army, is paid 5508 francs, while a captain, when first commis- sioned, is allowed 3060 francs, with increases for seniority up to his twelfth year of service, when his pay reaches the sum of 4140 francs. Lieutenants are paid 2700 francs per year, second lieutenants 2520 francs, and sub- lieutenants 2340 francs. No allowance is made for quarters. Each officer must pay for his own lodgings. Among the mounted officers, however, there is a special monthly allowance of 15 francs for subalterns, and twice that amount for field officers. By a new law, passed in 1901, captains receive an average increase in pay of from 600 to 800 francs, while lieutenants are granted an average increase of about 400 francs. The West Pointer's Future 221 In the French army, generals, colonels, and majors commanding separate battalions receive, in addition to their pay, additional amounts known as "service expenses," as follows: Chief of the general staff, 14,958 francs; general of division and member of the superior council of war, 14,998 francs; general of division. Governor of Paris, 25,582 francs; general of division and Grovemor of Lyons, 14,944 francs; generals of divisions commanding army corps, from 11,380 to 17,- 806 francs ; generals commanding divisions, 8014 francs; generals commanding brigades, 3370 francs ; colonels commanding regiments, 2250 francs; majors commanding separate battalions, 882 francs. French officers residing in Paris receive a special allowance varying from 2 francs 60 centimes per diem for lieutenants to 5 francs for generals. In Algiers, and at some other stations where living is more expensive than at the average post, the French officer receives a special allow- ance, the maximum of which is i franc 222 Life at West Point per diem for lieutenants and s francs for generals. In no grade, even with "service expenses" added, does the pay of a French army- officer equal that paid to the American army officer, yet there are few instances of French officers getting into debt. In most of the French regiments, simplicity of living is the rule; officers who possess abundant private means are discouraged from any- thing like the ostentation of wealth. While it is a fact that our army officers are better paid than any othe:fS in the world, yet the pursuit of the profession of arms offers to our men no pecuniary inducement. If they do not possess outside sources of in- come, they are expected to live within their pay; sixty per cent., or more, have no in- come beyond their pay. On this they are expected to live with becoming dignity and to do all the entertaining that is necessary. An officer who gets into debt is liable to court-martial, and, if he cannot prove that his debts are reasonable ones, and that he The West Pointer's Future 223 has exercised all care in discharging them, he is liable to dismissal from the service. An unmarried officer may, with economy, save something out of his pay ; a married officer can hardly hope so to do. There is, therefore, no financial induce- ment to enter the Army as an officer, but there is the satisfaction of doing a, man's work and the opportunity of doing it well. Life in the Army, in these days of colonial empire, may be said to be made up of eighty per cent, of self-sacrifice and twenty per cent, of comfort. Soon after the cadet is graduated, he is commissioned and appointed to a regiment. Nine chances to one the young man will be sent first to duty with some regiment or bat- tery that is serving in the tropics — either in Porto Rico, Hawaii, the Samoan Islands, or the Philippines. In case he is sent to the latter archipelago, as most of our youngest officers are, he will have before him a life of absolutely hard and practically unceasing work. He will be sent into the jungle in 224 Life at West Point command of a platoon of men, or else will be sent out as one of the officers of a company or of a battalion. There will be days and weeks at a time of quick marches through the dense forests. There will be hour after hour when the canteen is empty of water, hours that will be spent in marching tinder all the intense conditions of heat and thirst, with a halt only once in an hour, often with no knowledge as to where the next stream of drinkable water is to be found, and always with the prospect that the small command may be ambushed by the enemy. There are many marches — "hikes" the soldiers call them — where the pursuit of the enemy may require five days, or fifteen — even more. It is sometimes impracticable for either men or officers to carry more than five days' rations. It may be impossible, owing to the nature of the country that is to be traversed, to take along a train of wagons carrying supplies, or pack-trains of mules. In such cases, officers and soldiers alike carry with them just such quantities of food as The West Pointer's Future 225 they are able to stow in their haversacks. A column, or even a little platoon, that starts out under such circumstances may carry five days' food that will have to be so divided as to cover -fifteen or twenty days. This food will consist mainly, and in some cases entirely, of coffee, hard tack, and bacon. One-fourth of the proper allowance of food and the fre- quent scarcity of water, coupled with the heat of marching over tropical trails — very often there is not even a trail — the absence of every comfort of civilized life, and the danger of running unexpectedly into an enemy, furnish thoughts that show how little of pleasure there is in the life of an officer to-day. It is not possible for the officer to grumble over his lot. He is required to be at all times an example to the enlisted men who are serving under him. He must march all day, learn how to do without water, how to go without food, how to sleep in the open air in a storm, how to keep up when he feels like dropping to the ground, and, last of all^ how 15 226 Life at West Point to face danger, as an example to his men. He must be ready to show at all times, and without ostentation, that he is physically, mentally, and morally superior to the men under his command, or he loses all effective control of them. Not all the discomforts of service in the field come tmder the heads of hardship and peril. The young officer has a great deal to learn as to the peculiarities of his command- ing officers. At first, when he is told to do^ a thing in a certain way, he may reply : " That is not the way I was taught to do it at West Point, Sir." Quick as a flash, the veteran colonel or seasoned old major will retort: "I don't care. Sir, what you learned at West Point. We have a different way in this regiment. Be kind enough to do it our way. ' ' And the new officer, somewhat crestfallen, falls into line with the new way, only to dis- cover, later on, that it does not differ in any material respect from the method he was in- structed in at West Point. The West Pointer's Future 227 Despite all the torments of field work, the officer is often more dissatisfied who is or- dered to duty in one of the departmental offices of the Philippines. Given such a de- tail, he becomes little more than a managing clerk, and is obliged to work much harder than any clerk would be expected to in civil life. His office hours may be only from nine until four, but in most cases he will have to carry home with him a bundle of documents that must be gone over at night. He must be ready, in the morning, with his report on the matters entrusted to him. An officer assigned to such duty will often sigh for the hardships of the field and think that his com- rades out on the "hike" are much luckier than he. After a few years of service, the rewards incident to it may be realized. There are many very pleasant berths in the Army. An officer, after he has proved his merit, may be assigned as military instructor at any one of the schools or colleges in this country that has shown sufficient interest in military 228 Life at West Point matters to organize a battalion or regiment among its students. It often happens that the ofificer so detailed is able to get an assign- ment near his own home. Most prized of all the details, probably, is that of military attache at one of the United States legations abroad. Appointments of this kind are not forced on the oflBcer who feels himself financially unequal to accepting one. An officer's pay would not be, without the closest calculation, equal to the demands upon his purse. Officers who accept such posts generally have outside incomes of their own or such as are derived through their family connections. Other details that are much prized are those to staff duties, such as assignments in the ordnance corps, or the quartermaster or commissary departments. Engineers are al- most always chosen from the highest gradu- ates at the Military Academy, but in the other staff departments of the Army appointments are now made from the line — ^the "line" being a term that applies to officers serving The West Pointer's Future 229 in the artillery, cavalry, and infantry. Officers so chosen from the line are appointed after an examination to determine their fit- ness for the new tasks. Naturally details to staff duty at Washington take precedence in point of desirability; after these come the staff appointments at the Military Academy. For that matter, any appointment to duty at the Military Academy is considered as most desirable, since none but the brightest officers of the Army are eligible. Promotion among army officers was for- merly a slow and very uncertain thing. It proceeded in strict rotation until the grade of colonel was reached. Seven years was considered to be the ordinary length of a second lieutenancy in the infantry, while the same man was expected to wait eleven years for promotion from a first lieutenancy to a captaincy. In the cavalry, promotion was slower, and in the artillery even more slow. The writer remembers attending a jollifica- tion at the Officers' Mess at a Western post on the occasion of the promotion of a first 230 Life at West Point lieutenant who had been finally commis- sioned as a captain after twenty-one years of service in his latest rank in the artillery ! Nowadays promotion is much more swift in the Army. There are two reasons for this. In the first place, the enlargement of the Army made the creation of more commissions neces- sary. In the second place, deaths on the firing-line and in hospital caused more va- cancies to be filled. There are men now serving in the Army as captains after having been graduated from West Point some seven or eight years. Formerly they would have spent at least twenty years in the service be- fore reaching the same grade. Promotion in the lower grades of rank is the most swift. After an officer reaches a captaincy, he has, even in time of war, a long time to wait for advancement. Every officer below the rank of major must be examined by a board of army officers ; after attaining majority he has no more examinations to undergo. From majority to colonelcy the officer is promoted, usually, according to The West Pointer's Future 231 seniority. After an officer becomes a colonel he has no assurance of further promotion to the grades of brigadier-, major-, or lieutenant- general, as the principle of rotation ceases at the colonelcy. Promotion out of turn is rare in the Army. There have been such instances, lately, as that of Funston, who, from being a colonel of a volunteer regiment, became a brigadier in the Regular Army. Wood, at the out- break of the Spanish-American War, was a captain in the medical corps ; he has become a major-general. Bell was a captain of cav- alry in the Philippines in 1899, and is now a brigadier-general. These instances of pro- motion out of turn are unusual, and in each case the increase in rank was conferred for special services rendered. Almost without exception, the captains in the Army are capa- ble of commanding brigades, but there are not opportunities enough to go around, nor can an army so small as ours provide swift enough and adequate promotion for the kind of men who officer it. 232 Life at West Point In the words of a retired officer, a former Superintendent of the MiUtary Academy: "In the American Army there is a dead level of competency." That makes promotion as slow as it could possibly be! APPENDIX INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE APPOINTMENT AND ADMISSION OF CADETS TO THE U. S. MILITARY ACADEMY (From the Offlcial Register of the U. S. Military Academy.) APPOINTMENTS How Made. — Each Congressional District and Ter- ritory — also the District of Columbia — is entitled to have one Cadet at the Academy. Each State is en- titled to have two Cadets from the State at large, and thirty are appointed from the United States at large. The appointment from a Congressional District is made upon the recommendation of the Congress^nan from that District, and those from a State at large' upon the recommendations of the Senators of the State. Simi- larly the appointment from a Territory is made upon the recommendation of the Delegate in Congress. Each person appointed must be an actual resident of the State, District, or Territory from which the appointment is made. The appointments from the United States at large and from the District of Columbia are made by the President of the United States upon his own selection. 233 234 Life at West Point Manner of Making Applications. — Applications may be made at any time, by letter to the Adjutant-General, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C, to have the name of the applicant placed upon the register that it may be furnished to the proper Senator, Representative, or Delegate, when a vacancy occurs. The application must exhibit the full name, date of birth, and perma- nent abode of the appUcant, with the number of the Congressional District in which his residence is situated. Date of Appointments. — Appointments are required by law to be made one year in advance of the date of admission, except in cases where, by reason of death or other cause, a vacancy occurs which cannot be provided for by such appointment in advance. These vacancies are filled in time for the next examination. Alternates. — For each candidate appointed there may be nominated two alternates. Each of the alternates will receive from the War Department a letter of ap- pointment. The fitness for admission to the Academy of the prin- cipal and the alternates will be determined as prescribed in paragraphs 20, 21, and 21^, Regulations U. S. Mili- tary Academy, given below. Should the principal and alternates not qualify for admission under the provisions of paragraph 21%, they will still be entitled to appear for the examination pre- scribed in paragraph 20; but if the principal fails to appear for that examination or, appearing, fails to qualify, then the qualifications of the alternates will be considered, and if only one has met the requirements he will be admitted; if both alternates have met the reqtiirements the better qualified will be admitted. Alternates will not be permitted to submit papers or certificates except as prescribed in paragraph 21%, Appendix 235 nor appear for examination except as prescribed in paragraph 20. The alternates, like the principal, should be desig- nated as nearly one year in advance of the date of ad- mission as possible. ADMISSION OF CANDIDATES The following are the regulations of the Military Academy relating to the examination of candidates for' admission and will be strictly adhered to; 20. Candidates selected for appointment, unless accepted under the provisions of paragraph 21^, shall appear for mental and physical examination before boards of army officers to be convened at such places as the War Department may select, on the first of May, annually, except when that day comes on Sunday, in which case the examination shall commence on the following Tuesday. Candidates who pass successfully will be admitted to the Academy without further ex- amination upon reporting in person to the Superin- tendent at West Point before 12 o'clock noon on the I jth day of June of the same year. No candidate shall be examined at any other time unless prevented from presenting himself at the May examination by sickness or other unavoidable cause, in which case he shall report to the Superintendent at West Point before 12 o'clock noon on the 12th day of Jime of the same year. 21. Each candidate before he shall be admitted to the Academy as a Cadet must show, by the examination provided for in paragraph 20 or by the methods pre- scribed in paragraph 21^, that he is well versed in the following prescribed subjects, viz.: reading, writing, spelling, English grammar, English composition, Eng- lish literature, arithmetic, algebra through quadratic 236 Life at West Point equations, plane geometry, descriptive geometry, and the elements of physical geography, especially the geography of the United States, United States history, the outlines of general history, and the general prin- ciples of physiology and hygiene. Candidates may be examined either orally or in writing, and no rejected candidate may be re-examined except upon the recommendation of the Academic Board. 2 1 J. The Academic Board will consider and may accept in lieu of the regular mental entrance examina- tion: ist. The properly attested examination papers of a candidate who receives his appointment through a public competitive written examination covering the range of subjects prescribed in paragraph 21. 2d. The properly attested certificate of graduation from a public high school or a State Normal School in which the course of study, together with the require- ments for entrance, shall cover the range of subjects prescribed in paragraph 2 1 . 3d. A properly attested certificate that the candidate is a regular student of any incorporated college or uni- versity, without condition as to any subject mentioned in paragraph 21. Application for consideration of papers or certificates shall be made by each candidate and alternate imme- diately after he receives his appointment. No applica- tion will be received after March 15 preceding the regular examination prescribed in paragraph 20. Candidates accepted as qualified mentally under the provisions of this paragraph shall appear for physical Note. — Applications for consideration of papers or certificates mentioned in paragraph 21^ should be ad- dressed to the Adjutant, U. S. MiUtary Academy. Appendix 237 examination at such time and place as the Secretary of War may direct. Immediately after reporting to the Superintendent for admission, and before receiving his warrant of ap- pointment, the candidate is required to sign an engage- ment for service in the following form, and in the presence of the Superintendent, or of some officer deputed by him: "I, , of the State (or Territory) of , aged years months, do hereby engage (with the consent of my parent or guardian) that, from the date of my admission as a Cadet of the United States Military Academy, I will serve in the Army of the United States for aght years, unless sooner discharged by com- petent authority." In the presence of . The candidate is then required to take and subscribe an oath or affirmation in the following form: "I, , do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and bear true allegiance to the National Government; that I will maintain and defend the sovereignty of the United States, paramount to any and all allegiance, sover- eignty, or fealty I may owe to any State or country whatsoever; and that I will at all times obey the legal orders of my superior officers, and the rules and articles governing the Armies of the United States." Sworn and subscribed, at , this day of nineteen hundred and before me. Qualiflcations. — No candidate shall be admitted who is tmder seventeen, or over twenty-two years of age, or 238 Life at West Point who is deformed, or afHicted with any disease or in- firmity which would render him unfit for the miUtary service, or who has, at the time of presenting himself, any disorder of an infectious or immoral character Accepted candidates if between seventeen and eighteen years of age should not fall below five feet three inches in height and one hundred pounds in weight; if be- tween eighteen and nineteen years, five feet three and one-half inches in height and one hundred and five pounds in weight; if over nineteen, five feet four inches in height and one hundred and ten pounds in weight. Candidates must be unmarried. CHARACTER OF EXAMINATIONS PHYSICAL EXAMINATION Every candidate is subjected to a rigid physical ex- amination, and if there is found to exist in him any of Note. — Candidates are eUgible for admission from the day they are 17, until the day they become 22 years of age, on which latter day they are not eUgible. There being no provision whatever for the payment of the travelling expenses of either accepted or rejected candidates for admission, no candidate should fail to provide himself in advance with the means of returning to his home, in case of his rejection. It is suggested to all candidates for admission to the Military Academy that, before leaving their places of residence for the place of examination, they should cause themselves to be thoroughly examined by a com- petent physician, and by a teacher or instructor in good standing. By such an examination any serious physi- cal disqualification or deficiency in mental preparation would be revealed. It should be understood that the informal examina- tion herein recommended is solely for the convenience and benefit of the candidate himself, and can in no manner aiEect the decision of the Academic and Medical Examining Boards. The use of tobacco in any form by Cadets is prohibited. Appendix 239 the following causes of disqualification to such a degree as would immediately or at no very distant period im- pair his efficiency, he is rejected: I. — Feeble constitution; imsound health from what- ever cause; indications of former disease, glandular swellings, or other symptoms of scrofula. 2. — Chronic cutaneous affections, especially of the scalp. 3. — Severe injuries of the bones of the head; convul- sions. 4- — Impaired vision, from whatever cause; inflam- matory affections of the eyelids ; immobiUty or irregu- larity of the iris; fistula laohrymalis, etc. S- — Deafness; copious discharge from the ears. 6. — Loss of many teeth, or the teeth generally un- sound. 7. — Impediment of speech. 8. — Want of due capacity of the chest, and any other indication of a liabiUty to a pulmonic disease. 9. — Impaired or inadequate efficiency of one or both of the superior extremities on account of fractures, especially of the clavicle, contraction of a joint, de- formity, etc. 10. — ^An unusual excurvature or incurvature of the spine. 1 1 . — Hernia. 12. — A varicose state of the veins of the scrotum or spermatic cord (when large), hydrocele, hemorrhoids, fistulas. 13. — Impaired or inadequate efficiency of one or both of the inferior extremities on account of varicose veins, fractures, malformation (flat feet, etc.), lameness, con- traction, unequal length, bunions, overlying or super- numerary toes, etc. 14. — Ulcers, or unsound cicatrices of ulcers likely to break out afresh. 240 Life at West Point MENTAL EXAMINATION Reading. — In reading, candidates must be able to read tinderstandingly, and with proper accent and em- phasis. They will be required, if called upon, to define intelligently the leading words of the text read. Writing and Spelling. — In writing and spelling they must be able, from dictation, to write legibly, neatly, rapidly, and correctly, sentences from standard pieces of English literature, both prose and poetry, sufficient in number to test their qualifications both in hand- writing and in spelling. In punctuation and capitals they must be familiar with the rules for punctuation and for the use of capitals. In order to test their knowledge, sentences will be given for correction, or for this purpose a theme may be required of the candi- date. The following specimens are from a recent examina- tion in this subject: There was no pursuit, though the sun was still high in the Heaven when William crossed the Gette. The conquerors were so much exhausted by marching and fighting that they could scarcely move; and the horses were in even worse condition than the men. Their general thought it necessary to allow some time for rest and refreshment. The French nobles unloaded their sumpter horses, supped gaily, and pledged one another in champagne amidst the heaps of dead; and, when night fell, whole brigades gladly lay down to sleep in their ranks on the field of battle. The inactivity of Luxemburg did not escape censure. None could deny that he had in the action shown great skill and energy. But some complained that he wanted patience and perseverance. Others whispered that he had no wish Appendix 241 to bring to an end a war which made him necessary to a Court where he had never, in time of peace, found favor or even justice. Lewis, who on this occasion was perhaps not altogether free from some emotions of jealousy, contrived, it was reported, to mingle with the praise which he bestowed on his lieutenant blame which, though delicately expressed, was perfectly in- telUgible. And what is home and where, but with the loving? Happy thou art, that so canst gaze on thine! My spirit feels but, in its weary roving. That with the dead, where'er they be, is mine. Go to thy home, rejoicing son and brother! Bear in fresh gladness to tlie household scene! For me, too, watch the sister and the mother, I will believe — but dark seas roll between. 1. Abdicate. 9. Derelict. 17. Orally. 2. Abutted. 10. Despondent. 18. Preference. 3. Accessibility. 11. Disperse. 19. Presbyterian. 4. Acclivity. 12. Erase. 20. Raisin. 5. Accosted. 13. Imperative. 21. Salad. 6. Acme. 14. Kerosene. 22. Tidiness. 7. Bachelor. 15. Mnemonics. 23. Trifle. 8. Compass. 16. Neuter. 24. Villain. Arithmetic. — Candidates must possess such a com- plete knowledge of arithmetic as will enable them to pursue the study of such branches of mathematics as are taught at the United States MiUtary Academy. They will be subject to examination only in that part of arithmetic which relates to denominate numbers, the processes of common and decimal fractions, the 16 242 Life at West Point greatest coniinoii divisor of numbers and the least com- mon multiple of numbers. The following are tjrpical questions: Reduce 4+3.45 to an equivalent decimal. Multiply .0578 by .4. Change .013 to an equivalent fraction whose denomi- nator is 135. Deduce a method for finding the greatest common divisor of any two integers which cannot readily be factored. Find the greatest common divisor of 26J, 2&I, and 29}. How many men would be required to cultivate a field of 2f acres in si days of 10 hours each, if each man completed 77 square yards in 9 hours? S cubic feet of gold weigh 98.20 times as much as a cubic foot of water; and 2 cubic feet of copper weigh 18 times as much as a cubic foot of water; how many cubic inches of copper will weigh as much as f of a cubic inch of gold? English shillings are coined from a metal which con- tains 37 parts of silver to 3 parts of alloy; one pound of this metal is coined into 66 shillings. The United States silver dollar weighs 412.5 grains, and consists of 9 parts silver to i part of alloy. What fraction of the U. S. dollar will contain the same amount of silver as 1 English shilUng? What is the difference in grains between 42! lbs. Av. and 42.375 lbs. T. ? Algebra. — Candidates will be required to pass a satis- factory examination in that portion of algebra which in- Appendix 243 eludes the following range of subjects: Definitions and notation; the fundamental laws; the fundamental op- erations, viz.: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and 'division; factoring; highest common factor; lowest common multiple; fractions simple and complex; sim- ple, or linear, equations with one unknown quantity; simultaneous simple, or linear, equations with two or more unknown quantities; involution, including the formation of the squares and cubes of polynomials; evolution, including the extraction of the square and cube roots of polynomials and of numbers; theory of exponents; radicals, including reduction and funda- mental operations, rationalization, square roots of binomial surds, equations involving radicals, and imaginary quantities; quadratic equations; equations of quadratic form; simultaneous quadratic equations; ratio and proportion; arithmetical and geometrical progressions. Candidates will be required to solve problems involving any of the principles or methods contained in the above subjects. The following are typical questions: Enunciate the Commutative Law, the Distributive Law, the Associative Law. What is a homogenous algebraic expression? Give example. Remove brackets from a-[5b- \a—(3C-3b) +2C—(a-2b-2c) ^'\. FindL.C.M. of 6(a'-6') (a-by, 9(,a*-b*) (a-by, and 12 (a-'-by. Deduce the condition that the roots of the quadratic equation ax' -\-bx -\- c=o shall be equal, equal numeric- ally with opposite signs, real, imaginary, rational. A hare is eighty of her own leaps before a greyhound; she takes three leaps for every two that he takes, but 244 Life at West Point he covers as much ground in one leap as she does in two. How many leaps will the hare have taken before she is caught? A and B run a race, their rates of running being as 17 to 18. A runs 2J miles in 16 minutes 48 seconds, and B runs the entire distance in 34 minutes. What was the entire distance? A and B can do a piece of work in 4 hours, A and C in 3f hours, B and C in $\ hours. In what time can A do it alone? A gun is fired 36 times before a second gun begins, after which the first is fired eight times while the second is fired 7 times; but the second requires the same amount of powder for 3 shots that the first requires for 4. When both guns have used up the same amount of powder, how many shots have been fired from each ? A, B, C, and D, working one at a time do a certain work in 130 days. A gets 42 cents, B gets 45 cents, C gets 48 cents, and D gets 5° cents for each day's work. Each received the same amount. How many days did each work? Having 300 barrels of flour worth $7.50 per barrel, and 800 barrels worth $7.80 per barrel, and 400 barrels worth $7.65 per barrel, how many more barrels of flour at $8.00 and $8.50 per barrel will make 2000 barrels worth $7.85 a barrel? x + ^^1- ' y 2 Solve 2 26 3a; = — y i There is a number which consists of two digits, such that if we divide the number by the product of its digits we obtain a quotient 5 and a remainder 2 , but if we invert the order of the digits and divide the resulting Appendix 245 number by the product of its digits we obtain a quotient 2 and remainder 5. Required the number. Solve ^y'-,45/jf6=^7 } ^^ (5-l/s)(i + l/3) Solve y'2a; + 7 + y^sx-iS = 4/7^+1 Find the geometrical progression whose sum to in- finity is 4I and whose second term is — 2. Plane Geometry. — Candidates will be required to give accurate definitions of the terms used in plane geometry, to demonstrate any proposition of plane geometry as given in the ordinary text-books, and to solve simple geometrical problems either by a construction or by an application of algebra. The following are t3rpical questions: Name and define the different kinds of triangles; of quadrilaterals. Prove that, if a perpendicular is drawn to a given straight Une at its middle point: ist. Any point of the perpendicular is equally distant from the extremities of the line; 2d. Any point without the perpendicular is imequally distant from the extremities. Show that, if through the middle point of one of the sides of a triangle a line be drawn parallel to the base, it will bisect the second side and the part intercepted will be equal to one-half the base. What number of sides has the polygon, the sum of whose angles is twenty-six right angles ? To draw a common tangent to two given circles. 246 Life at West Point Find the locus of the middle points of all chords of a circle equal in length to a given line. Find the locus of the middle points of all chords of a circle passing through a given point within the circle. Prove that, through three points not in the same straight line, one circumference may always be made to pass, and but one. Prove that, the square described on the hypothenuse of a right-angled triangle is equivalent to the sum of the squares described on the other two sides. Given the side of an equilateral triangle equal to 10 feet; find its area. Define "limit of a variable." Illustrate by an ex- ample. Prove that the area of a circle is equal to the product of its circumference by half the radius. Angles at the centres of equal circles are proportional to what ? Angles at the centres of unequal circles are proportional to what ? Define the unit angle or radian. The regular inscribed hexagon is double the equi- lateral triangle inscribed in the same circle, and one- half of the circumscribed equilateral triangle. English Grammar. — Candidates must have a good knowledge of English grammar; they must be able to define the terms used therein; to define the parts of speech; to give inflections, including declension, con- jugation, and comparison; to give the corresponding masculine and feminine gender-nouns; to give and apply the ordinary rules of syntax. They must be able to parse correctly any ordinary sentence; giving the subject of each verb, the govern- ing word of each objective case, the word for which each pronoun stands or to which it refers, the words between which each preposition shows the relation, precise- ly what each conjunction and each relative pronoun Appendix 247 connects, what each adjective and adverb qualifies or limits, the construction of each infinitive, and generally to show a good knowledge of the function of each word in the sentence. They must be able to correct in sentences or extracts any ordinary grammatical errors. It is not reqviired that any particular text-book shall be followed; but the definitions, parsing, and correc- tions must be in accordance with good usage and com- mon sense. The following questions were used at a recent exami- nation: I. Give the principal parts (present tense, past tense, and past participle) of the following verbs: i. choose; 2. crow; 3. freeze; 4. slay; 5. stick; 6. fly; 7. sit; 8. burst. II. Write the plurals of the following words: i. motto; u. fairy; 3. money; 4. belief; 5. axis; 6. syn- opsis; 7. man-of-war; 8. Norman; 9. M. III. Write the feminine forms of the following words: 1. hero; 2. mankind; 3. murderer; 4. testator; s- priest; 6. ambassador; 7. Englishman; 8. poet; g. emperor. IV. Write the possessive case of the following words: 1. men; .i. I; 3. it; 4. boys; 5. they; 6. prince; 7. King John; 8. King of Italy; 9. Henry the Fourth. Define the following: i. Personal pronoun. 2. Pre- position. Parse the words in italics in the following sentence: Other things being equal, it is obvious that the writer who has most words to choose from is most likely to find in his assortment just the word which he needs at a given moment. Correct all the errors in the following sentences: ±. It was not her that did it. 248 Life at West Point 2. Who do you take him to be? 3. He surely don't expect me to do it. 4. Neither by you nor he was it considered necessary. 5. Each have their own faults. 6. How do you know when its coming? 7. I should not have asked like you did for twice the money. 8. Are either of these places marked on the map ? 9. Two fatal errors underlaid his theory. 10. Except you go with me, I shall stay at home. 11. You or he is in the wrong. 12. Here comes Smith and two other men. In English Composition and English Literature. — Candidates must have a fair knowledge of the general principles and leading rules of composition. Their knowledge will be tested by the correction of errors in the selection and right use of words, of errors in the construction of sentences, by their proficiency in va- riety of expression, and by their ability to write a letter in the correct form. They must have a fair knowledge of the names of the most prominent American and English authors and the names of their principal works. Questions similar to the following are Ukely to be used: Indicate the errors in the selection and use of words in the following sentences by underscoring the errors and writing the correct word above the incorrect: 1. He had exceptionable opportunities for learning the language. 2. A century transpired before it was revisited. 3. King Edward VII. replaced Queen Victoria on the throne of England. 4. I was continually aggravated by his conduct. Appendix 249 5. There were not less than twenty persons present. Correct the following errors in construction of sen- tences : I. The teacher should repress the practice of throw- ing stones, as far as possible. ■z. The French having nearly lost 5000 men, became discouraged. 3. The picture of the king himg on the wall behind the door, covered with a cloth. 4. He made no petition, though he did not like the new representative qiiite as well as his colleagues. 5. He did not pretend to abolish French music but only to cultivate it. For variety, change the following sentences into another correct form and still keep the same meaning: I. If that be granted the rest is easily proved. M. We hope we shall have the pleasure of seeing you. 3. A man that has little sense is seldom aware of the fact. 4. He was the first that entered. 5. His disease was one that cannot be cured. Write the following letter in proper form to Charles Smith at 2 1 2 1 Mount Vernon Avenue, Baltimore, Mary- land, giving proper address and compUmentary con- clusion: March 2 1900 Philadelphia pa 8131 Eighth street by this mail I send you two copies of the book or- dered by you the 13th ultimo hoping they will prove satisfactory hamlin and Co. What author wrote ? i. Gulliver's Travels. 2. Mac- beth. 3. Pilgrim's Progress. 4. Childe Harold. Name one work of each of the following authors; i. Tennyson, .i. Hawthorne. 3. Milton. 4. Spencer. Geography. — Candidates will be required to pass a 250 Life at West Point satisfactoiy examination in descriptive geography and the elements of physical geography. A preponderance of weight is attached to a knowledge of the geography of the United States. In descriptive geography of the United States, can- didates should be thoroughly informed as to its general features and boundaries (both with respect to neigh- boring countries, and latitude and longitude) ; its ad- jacent oceans, seas, bays, gulfs, sounds, straits, and islands; its lakes, the location and extent of its moun- tain ranges; the sources, directions, and terminations of the important rivers, the names of their principal tributaries, and at what points, if any, these rivers break through highlands on their way to the ocean; the water routes of communication from one part of the country to another; the location and termination of important railroad hnes; the boundaries of the Sev- eral States and Territories and their order along the coasts, frontiers, and principal rivers; the locations and boundaries of the Island possessions; and the names and locations of the Capitals and other important cities of the several States, Territories, and Island possessions. In short, the knowledge should be so complete that a clear mental picture of the whole of the United States is impressed on the mind of the candidate. In descriptive geography of other countries, can- didates should be familiar with the continental areas and grand divisions of the water of the earth's siirface; the large bodies of water which in part or wholly sur- round the grand divisions of the land; the capes, from what parts they project and into what waters, the principal peninsulas, location, and by what waters embraced; the parts connected by an isthmus; the principal islands, location and surrounding waters; the seas, gulfs, and bays, the coasts they indent, and the waters to which they are subordinate; the Appendix 251 straits, the lands they separate, and the waters they connect; the location of the principal lakes; the loca- tions, boundaries, capitals, and principal cities of the political divisions of the world. In physical geography, candidates should be familiar with the relief of the earth's surface; the principal mountain systems, the river systems and watersheds; the coastal and lake plains; and the influence of cli- mate, soil, mineral deposits, and other physical features on the resources, industries, commercial relations, and development of a covintry and its people, especially of the United States. The following questions were used at a recent ex- amination: X. Name the bodies of water surrounding Europe. 2. Where is: i. Cape St. Vincent, a. Cape Corri- entes, 3. Cape Matapan, 4. Cape Lopez, 5, Cape Comorin, 6. Cape York? 3. Name in order the political divisions of South America which border on the Pacific Ocean, and the capital of each. 4. Locate definitely the following islands: i. Mauri- tius, 2. Tasmania, 3. Formosa, 4. New Zealand, 5. Madeira, 6. Falkland. To what country does each belong? 5. Where are the gulfs of: i. Bothnia, 2. Guinea, 3. Paria, 4. Salonica, 5. PechiU? 6. What lands are separated and what waters con- nected by: I. Torres Strait, 2. Hudson Strait, 3. Strait of Malacca? 7. Boimd Italy; name its capital, largest river, and principal mountain range. 8. Locate definitely the following cities: i. Vienna, 2. Nankin, 3. Cork, 4. Tunis, 5. Montevideo, 6. Batavia, 7. Suez, 8. Pretoria. 252 Life at West Point 9. Name in order the waters traversed in sailing from Liverpool, England, to Hong Kong, China. 10. A considerable portion of the boundary line of the United States is along what parallel? 11. Locate definitely the following: i . Flatland Lake, 2. Sabine Pass, 3. Black Hills, 4. Sebago Lake, 5. Cape Lookout, 6. Montauk Point, 7. Wichita Moun- tains, 8. Lingayen Bay. 1 2 . The meridian of MinneapoUs passes through what States? 13. Name the principal rivers that drain Pennsyl- vania; where do they rise, at what points do they leave the State, and at what points, if any, do they break through highlands? 14. Name all the waters traversed in going by the two commercial water routes from Duluth to the At- lantic Ocean. 15. Name the principal ranges of mountains crossed in going by rail from New York to San Francisco; state the rail route assumed to be travelled. 16. Bound precisely the following States and Terri- tories: I. Montana, 2. Arizona, 3. Arkansas, 4. Wisconsin, S.Pennsylvania, 6. Georgia. (In bound- ing, all contiguous States must be mentioned as well as rivers, mountain ranges, etc.) 17. Name the States west of the Mississippi River, drained wholly or in part by it or its tributaries, and give the capital of each. 18. Locate accurately the following cities: i. Austin, 2. Pensacola, 3. Asheville, 4. Winchester, 5. Allegheny, 6. Iloilo, 7. Oswego, 8. Pasadena, 9. Guthrie, lo. De- troit. 19. Going by water from New Orleans, La., to Pitts- burgh, Pa., what States would you pass on the left? 20. How many large islands are there in the Hawai- Appendix 253 ian group ? Which is the largest ? Which is the most important ? 21. Going westward on the sjth parallel of north latitude, from near Newbeme, N. C, what States and large rivers would be crossed? 22. Describe the chief mountain system of the east- em hemisphere, and state what island chains of Asia abotmd in volcanoes. ^ 23. What are the great river systems of South America? Where are the principal coastal plains? 24. What are the qualifications of a good harbor? Name three of the best harbors on the Atlantic coast; one on the Pacific coast. 25. What has made the Middle Atlantic States the principal commercial section of the United States ? History. — The candidate will be required to be familiar with so much of the history of the United States and the outlines of general history as is contained in the ordinary school histories. In history of the United States, the examination will include questions concerning early discoveries and set- tlements; the forms of government in the colonies; the causes, leading events, and results of wars; and promi- nent events in the history of our Government since its foundation. In general history, candidates must have a fair knowl- edge of the general outlines of the history of the follow- ing nations: Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman; and of the mediaeval and modem history of the European nations. The following questions show the character of the examination in U. S. History and in General History: I . What explorations or discoveries did each of the following named persons make ? Grive the date in each 254 Life at West Point case. a. De Narvaez. b. Coronado. c. Marquette. d. La Salle. 2. Name three colonies that were founded for relig- ious reasons and give the sect or denomination by which each was colonized. 3. Who were the Pilgrims? 4. When, and under what circumstances was Dela- ware separated from Pennsylvania? 5. Give an account of Bacon's Rebellion. 6. When and where did each of the following events occur? o. Meeting of the first Colonial Congress, b. Burgoyne's surrender, c. Arnold's treason. 7. Name some important results of each of the fol- lowing battles of the Revolutionary War: o. Long Island, b. Trenton, c. Brandywine. 8 . Name four additions to the Territory of the United States since the Revolutionary War, and give the way each has been acquired. 9. Bound the Territory of the United States at the close of the Revolutionary War. 10. What was the "Massacre of Wyoming"? 11. When, where, and for what purpose did the Con- stitutional Convention meet ? What resulted from its deliberations ? 12. What was the "Whiskey Insurrection"? 13. What were the "Alien and Sedition" laws? What was their effect? 14. When and where was the last battle of the War of 1812 fought? Name the Commanders on each side. 15. What were the two principal political parties in i860? Their candidates for the Presidency? Their leading doctrines on the slavery question? Parties. Candidates. Principles. 16. With what foreign nations had the United States unfriendly relations during and at the close of the Civil War ? Give the cause in each case. Appendix 255 1 7 . Name , with date , three important miKtary events of 1865. 18. What Vice-Presidents have become President? Name the predecessor in each case. 19. Give an account of the " Virginius affair." 20. In what war were the following battles fought? What were the opposing forces? Which side won? a. Ticonderoga. 6. Monterey, c. Saratoga, d. Stony Point, e. Spottsylvania. /. Lundy's Lane. 1. Into what general periods is the history of Egypt divided? 2. Into what classes was 'Egyptian society divided? 3. Name one of the great Kings of Assyria. 4. In what region did the Assyrian Kingdom lie? 5. Name the greatest Babylonian King and describe some of his achievements. 6. Who was the founder of the Persian Empire? 7 . State the principal events of the reign of Darius I. 8. Into what three general parts was ancient Greece divided, and what was the na,me of the principal State in each? 9. What was the character of the Spartan people and the nature of their government ? 10. What was the character of the Athenian people, and the nature of their government after the expulsion of the tyrants ? 11. Name four great battles of the Graeco-Persian War, and give the date of any one of them. " 1 2 . What was the name of the great war between the Grecian States, and what States were the leaders in it? 13. Give an outUne of the conquests of Alexander the Great. In what centiiry did they occur? 14. What was the nattire of the early government of Rome? 256 Life at West Point 15. Give the title of the principal officers of the Ro- man republic and describe their functions. 16. What were the Punic Wars? How many in number? Name two great Carthaginian and two great Roman generals. 17. Who was Augustus Caesar? State briefly the principal events of his career. 18. What was the feudal system, and how did it originate? ig. What is meant by the Renaissance? 20. Who was the leader of the Reformation? De- scribe briefly its nature and principal events. 21. Who was Oliver Cromwell, and what did he es- tablish? 22. What was the cause of the French Revolution, and what did it effect ? 23. Under what two forms of government did Na- poleon rule France, andjwhat was the "Code Napo- leon"? 24. When and tmder what circumstances was the new German Empire founded? 25. Name some of the more important events of Queen Victoria's reign. Physiology and Hygiene. — Candidates must be able to pass a satisfactory examination in the general prin- ciples of physiology and hygiene with special reference to the nature and the effects of alcoholic drinks and other natcotics upon the human system. They must be able to state the general effects of al- cohol upon the cells and tissues of the body and upon the processes of digestion, its effects on the liver, Itings, and heart, on the blood, blood-vessels, and on the ner- vous system, on the moral powers and the capacity for physical endmrance; its hereditary effects; "the origin and nature of alcoholic beverages; the general effects of Appendix 257 tobacco on the cells and tissues of the yoting and on the digestive organs, its effects on the throat, on the heart, on the blood, on the nervous system; the effects of opium on the stomach and on the nervous system; the influence of tea and coffee on the system. Questions similar to the following are likely to be used: 1. What are the two important offices of the bones? Describe the internal minute structure of the bone, 2. Name in order the different parts of the alimen- tary canal. 3. Indicate by diagram the shape of the human stomach; mark the left side when in position. 4. What is the mucous membrane — ^its structure; the serous membrane — ^its use? S- What in general is the effect of alcohol and to- bacco on the living cells; what is the only absolute safeguard against the narcotic appetite? 6. What chronic effect is often produced on the stomach by the habitual use of alcohol? 7. Name in order all the channels through which the air passes in respiration; in what part of the circuit does it aerate the blood? 8. What is the average amount of air taken in at one inspiration; what changes are observed in the expired air? 9. What is the usual effect on the stomach of the habitual use of alcohol? 10. Name two well determined effects of alcohol upon the liver. 11. What is meant by the general circulation of the blood? 12. What are the two systems of channels for the cir- culation of the blood? Describe the structure of each. 13. Starting with the blood in the right auricle. 258 Life at West Point describe its course through the body until it returns to the same receptacle. 14. What are the three agencies instrumental in returning the blood from the different parts of the sys- teik to the heart? 15. What are the effects of alcohol on the blood; of tobacco? 16. What are the effects of alcohol on the heart; what is the explanation of the fact that alcohol some- times increases the rapidity of heart-beats? 17. What is the effect of tobacco that produces the disease known as the " tobacco heart " ? 18. Describe the structure of the sldn; what are the functions of the skin? 19. What is the explanation of the disease "aneur- ism" when due to alcohol? 20. Under what two heads may we in general class the changes produced by alcohol on the structures of the organs — which of these is due to the stronger bev- erages? ACADEMIC DUTIES The academic duties and exercises commence on the first of September and coiitinue until the first of June. Examinations of the several classes are held in January, and June, and, at the former, such of the new Cadets as are found proficient in studies and have been correct in conduct are given the particular standing in their class to which their merits entitle them. After each examination, Cadets found deficient in conduct or studies are discharged from the Academy, unless the Academic Board for special reasons in each case should otherwise recommend. Similar examinations are held every January and June during the four years com- prising the course of study. Appendix 259 Military Instruction. — From the termination of the examination in Jtme to the end of August the Cadets live in camp, engaged only in military duties and exer- cises and receiving practical military instruction. Except in extreme cases, Cadets are allowed but one leave of absence during the four years' course; as a rule the leave is granted at the end of the first two years' course of study. PAY OP CADETS The pay of a Cadet is $S4° P^r year, to commence with his admission to the Academy. No Cadet is per- mitted to receive money, or any other suppUes, from his parents, or from any person whomsoever, without the sanction of the Superintendent. A most rigid observance of this regulation is urged upon all parents and guardians, as its violations would make distinctions between Cadets which it is the especial desire to avoid; the pay of a Cadet is sufficient, with proper economy, for his support. Each Cadet must keep himself suppUed with the fol- lowing mentioned articles, viz.: Two pairs of uniform shoes; six pairs of uniform white gloves; two sets of white belts; *eight white shirts; *four night shirts; twelve white linen collars; twelve pairs of white linen cuflEs; *eight pairs of socks; ♦eight pairs of summer drawers; *six pairs of win- ter drawers ; *twelve pocket handkerchiefs ; *twelve towels; twoclothesbags, made of ticking; *one clothes brush; *one hair-brush; *one tooth-brush; *onecomb; one mattress; one pillow; four pillow-cases; eight sheets, two blankets, and one quilted bed-cover; one chair; one tumbler; *one trunk; one accoimt book; one wash basin. Candidates are authorized to bring with them the articles marked *. 26o Life at West Point Cadets are required to wear the prescribed uniform. All articles of their uniform are of a designated pattern, and are sold to Cadets at West Point at regulated prices. DEPOSIT PRIOR TO ADMISSION Immediately after being admitted to the Institution, Cadets must be provided with an outfit of uniform, the cost of which will be about $ioo, which sum must be deposited with the Treasurer of the Academy before the candidate is admitted. It is best for a candidate to take with him no more money than will defray his travelling expenses, and for the parent or guardian to send to "The Treasurer of the U. S. Military Academy," the required deposit of $ioo. This amount is sufficient to equip a new Cadet with uniform and to supply him with all articles and books. ASSIGNMENT TO CORPS AFTER GRADUATION The attention of applicants and candidates is called to the following provisions of an Act of Congress ap- proved May 17, 1886, to regulate the promotion of graduates of the United States Military Academy: "That when any Cadet of the United States Military Academy has gone through all its classes and received a regular diploma from the Academic Stafi, he may be promoted and commissioned as a second Ueutenant in any arm or corps of the Army in which there may be a vacancy and the duties of which he may have been judged competent to perform; and in case there shall not at the time be a vacancy in such arm or corps, he may, at the discretion of the President, be promoted and commissioned in it as an additional second Ueu- tenant, with the usual pay and allowances of a second lieutenant, until a vacancy shall happen." THE END The United States Naval Academy Being the Yarn of the American Midshipman (Naval Cadet) showing his Life in the old Frigates and Ships-of-the-Line, and then at the Naval School at Annapolis; and how that Institution became a famous Naval College, meanwhile making him into the most Accomplished and Versatile young Sea- man in the World; together with some Reference to the Boys best suited for the Navy, and what they must do and know to get into the Naval Academy, and what they have to expect while there : and also many Pictures, all properly stopped to the Yarn as it is handsomely paid out. By PARK BENJAMIN Of the Class of 1867 8°. Fully Illustrated . . . $3.50 "Mr. Park Benjamin has a taste for historical re- search ; he is a practised writer ; he has a keen sense of humor, not unduly restrained by a reverence for author- ities, and he has a lively style of his own. Thus he is well equipped for his work, and has been able to weave a somewhat incongruous and not altogether enlivening mass of material into an interesting narrative." — Army and Navy Journal. New York-Q. P. PUTNAM'S SONS -London AMERICAN HISTORY The United States. Being a History of the Country from Colo- nial Days to the present Time, By Edwin Earle Sparks, Ph.D., of Chicago University. (Nos. — and — in the "Story of the Nations" Series.) Two vols., 12°, fully illustrated. Cloth, each, $1.50. Half leather, each, $1.75. (In press.) The Winning of the West. By Theodore Roosevelt. Author of " Hunting Trips of a Ranchman," " The Wilderness Hun- ter," etc. 4 vols., octavo, gilt top, with maps, each, $2.50. Vol. I. From the Alleghanies to the Mississippi, 1769-1776. Vol. n. From the Alleghanies to the Mississippi, 1777-1703. Vol.111. The Founding of the Trans-Alleghany Commonwealths, 1784-1790. Vol. IV. Louisiana and the Northwest, 1791-1807. The Naval War of 1812 ; or, The History of the United States Navy during the Last War with Great Britain. By Theodore Roosevelt. 8th edition. With diagrams, 8°, pp, xxxviii. + 531, $2.50, The Story of the Civil War. A Concise Account of the War in the United States of America between 1861 and 1865, By John Codman Ropes, author of " The First Napoleon," "The Cam- paign of Waterloo," etc. To be complete in four parts, with comprehensive maps and battle plans. Part I. Narrative of Events to the Opening of the Campaign of 1862. With 5 maps. 8° $1.50. Part II. The Campaigns of 1862. With 13 maps, 8°, $2,50 American Orations. From the Colonial Period to the Present Time. Selected as specimens of eloquence, and with special reference to their value in throwing light upon the more im- portant epochs and issues of American history. Edited, with introduction and notes, by the late Alexander Johnston, Profes- sor of Jurisprudence in the College of New Jersey. Re-edited, with new material and historical notes, by James A. Woodburn, Professor of American History and Politics in Indiana Univers- ity. Four volumes, each complete in itself, and sold separately. ia°, gilt top, per volume, $1.25. Vol. I: Colonialism — Constitutional Government — The Rise of De- mocracy — The Rise of Nationality. Vol. II: The Anti-Slavery Struggle. Vol. Ill: The Anti-Slavery Struggle (continued) — Seces- sion and Civil War. Vol. IV: Reconstruction — Free Trade and Protection — Finance — Civil Service Reform. Constitutional History of the United States as Seen in the Development of American Law. Comprising a Course of Lectures Delivered before the Political Science Association of the University of Michigan, with an Introduction by Prof. Henry Wade Rogers, Dean of the Law School of the University of Michigan. 8°, pp. 296. $2.00. O. P. PUTNAM'S SONS, New York and London AMERICAN HISTORY Documents Illustrative of American History, 1606-1863. By Howard W. Preston. With introduction and references. Second and cheaper edition. 8°, pp. 320. $1.50. The Federalist. By Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. A Commentary on the Constitution of the United States. Being a Collection of Essays Written in Support of the Constitution Agreed upon September 17, 1787, by the Federal Convention. Edited, with Introduction and Notes, by Henry Cabot Lodge. 8°, pp. xlv. + 586. $1.50. Comparative Administrative Law. An analysis of the Adminis- trative Systems, National and Local, of the United States, Eng- land, France, and Germany. By F. J. Goodnow, Professor of Administrative Law in Columbia CoUege. 2 vols., 8°, cloth, each, $2.50. Popular Edition. Two vols in one. 8° , net, $3,00. Part I. Organization. Part II. Legal Relations. Great Words from Great Americans. Comprising the Decla- ration of Independence ; the Constitution of the United States, etc. With an Index to the Constitution, and an Appendix. With portraits of Washington and Lincoln. 18°, pp. 207, 75c. Citizen's Edition, With 31 illustrations. 12°. $1.50. Nullification and Secession in the United States, A History of the Six Attempts in the First Century of the Republic. By Edward Payson Powell, D.D. 8°. $2.00. Omitted Chapters of History Disclosed in the Life and Papers of Edmund Randolph. By Moncure D. Conway. With portrait, 8°, pp. vi.+ 401. $3.00. The Constitutional History and Political Development of the United States. An Analytical Study. By Simon Sterne (of the New York Bar). Fourth edition, revised, with additions. 12°, pp. XX. -f- 361. $1.25. The Origin of Republican Form of Government in the United States of America. By Oscar S. Straus. Second edition, re- vised and enlarged. 12°, net, $1.25. The Tariflr History of the United States. By Prof. F. W. Taussig. Comprising the material contained in ' ' Protection to Young Industries " and " History of the Present Tariff," to- gether with revisions and additions needed to complete the nar- rative down to 1897. 12°, pp. vii + 269. Fourth edition, revised and enlarged. $1.25. a. p. PUTNAM'S SONS, New York and London BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT The Winning of the West. 3 vols., octavo, gilt tops, with maps, each (Sold separately.) $a 5° Vol. I. — From the Alleghanies to the Mississippi, 1769-1776. Vol, II. — From the Alleghanies to the Mississippi, 1 777-1 783- Vol. III. — The Founding of the Trans-Alleghany Commonwealths, 1784- 1790. '* Written in a free and flowing style, always graceful, but never turgid, that makes the narrative delightful reading from the first page to the end." — Chicago Times, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman. Sketches of Sport on the Northern Cattle Plains. With 27 full-page wood engravings and 8 smaller en- gravings from designs by A. B. Frost, R. Swain Gifford, J. C. Beard, Fannie E. Gifford, and Henry Sandham. Octavo. Buckram, bevelled boards $3 00 " One of those distinctively American books which ought to be welcomed as contribut- ing distinctly to raise the literary prestige of the country all over the world."— iV. K Tribune, " One of the rare books which sportsmen will be glad to add to their libraries. . . . Mr. Roosevelt may rank with Scrope, Lloyd, Harris, St. John, and half a dozen others, whose books will always be among the sporting classics." — London Saturday Review, The Naval War of 1812 ; or, The History of the United States Navy during the Last War with Great Britain ; to which is ap- pended an account of the Battle of New Orleans. Third edition. Octavo I2 50 ** A model book of reference." — Boston Advertiser. ** The volume is an excellent one in every respect, and shows in so young an author the best promise for a good historian — fearlessness of statement, caution, endeavor to be im- partial, and a brisk and interesting way of telling events," — N. Y, Times. The Wilderness Hunter ; with an account of the Big Game of the United States, and its Chase, with Horse, Hound, and Rifle. With full-page illustrations by Frederic Remington, A, B. Frost, J. C. Beard, Henry Sandham, and C. Harry Eaton. Octavo. Buckram, $3 50 " For one who intends to go a-hunting in the West this book is invaluable. One may rely upon its information. But it has better qualities. It is good reading for anybody, and people who never hunt and never will are sure to derive pleasure from its account of that part of the United States, relatively small, which is still a wilderness." — N, Y, Times, Americanldeals, and Other Essays, Social and Political. 12°. $1 50 G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS, Publishers, NEW YORK AND LONDON.