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West Point An Intimate Picture of the National Military Academy and of the Life of the Cadet By Robert Charlwood Richardson, Jr. Captain, 2nd Cavalry, U. S. Army Late Assistant Professor of English, U. S. M. A. Foreword by Major-General Hugh L. Scott Chief of Staff, U. S. Army G. P. Putnam’s Sons New York and London The Knickerbocker Press 1917
West Point An Intimate Picture of the National Military Academy and of the Life of the Cadet By Robert Charlwood Richardson, Jr. Captain, 2nd Cavalry, U. S. Army Late Assistant Professor of English, U. S. M. A. Foreword by Major-General Hugh L. Scott Chief of Staff, U. S. Army G. P. Putnam’s Sons New York and London The Knickerbocker Press 1917
Copyright , 1917 BY ROBERT CHARLWOOD RICHARDSON Jr. Second Impression The Knickerbocker Press, New York To THE CORPS OF CADETS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BEST AMERICAN MANHOOD, HEIRS TO A CENTURY OF UNSURPASSED ACHIEVEMENT AND HONORABLE TRADITION—THE MOST HIGHMINDED, LOYAL, AND DISCIPLINED BODY OF STUDENT OFFICERS IN THE WORLD—I AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATE THIS VOLUME...
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FOREWORD
FOREWORD
West Point played a great part in the gaining of American independence. It was strongly fortified as the key of the Hudson, and as long as it was held by the patriots of the Revolution the New England colonies could not be cut off from the others and conquered one at a time. The lack of educated officers was greatly felt by the Generals of the Revolution, and this lack was but feebly supplied by trained officers from abroad. It was mainly through the foresight and patriotism of Washington, Hamil
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PREFACE
PREFACE
This book is intended to give, aside from a brief historical sketch of West Point, something of the feelings of the cadet from the moment that he reports for duty until he graduates four years later. Perhaps some of my fellow West Pointers will disagree with me in regard to my interpretation of their feelings, but what I have written thereon is drawn from my own experience and from many conversations with cadets of to-day. The customs, traditions, methods of training of the Academy are, I believ
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CHAPTER I IN THE DAYS OF THE REVOLUTION
CHAPTER I IN THE DAYS OF THE REVOLUTION
Despite the successful attempts of the architect to give to the magnificent new buildings at West Point a mediæval character, there is nothing about them to suggest a feeling of oldness, a feeling that they are linked with the history of the place. Not until one wanders among the ruins of old Fort Putnam, explores the crumbling works of the chain of Redoubts on the surrounding hills, or rambles over the débris of Fort Constitution on Constitution Island, does he feel the flavor of age, the roman
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CHAPTER II THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS
CHAPTER II THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS
When at last the colonies found themselves free, and realized that they were in no immediate danger from any foe, the thoughts of the people, so long occupied with war, eagerly turned toward the establishment of their new government. It was only natural that the Army, weary of the long struggle for independence, should gladly welcome their release from service, and resume once again the peaceful pursuits of civil life. For seven long years their days had been filled with arduous marches through
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IN MEMORY OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE REGULAR ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES WHO FELL IN BATTLE DURING THE WAR OF THE REBELLION THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED BY THEIR SURVIVING COMRADES
IN MEMORY OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE REGULAR ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES WHO FELL IN BATTLE DURING THE WAR OF THE REBELLION THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED BY THEIR SURVIVING COMRADES
In the words of the late Colonel Larned, “this memorial was not built by a grateful country, but by voluntary offerings from the hard-won pay of comrades in the field within hearing of the roar of battle, and in sight of the dead whose memory it preserves.... It is but right to add that the designer, Stanford White, and the sculptor, Frederick MacMonnies, have given a generous and enthusiastic labor to the work, far beyond the money recompense received, and in the true spirit of the artist and p
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CHAPTER IV THE POWERS THAT BE
CHAPTER IV THE POWERS THAT BE
In a spacious room in the southeast corner of the massive Post Headquarters building dwells officially the man who orders all of the comings and goings of the residents of West Point: cadets, officers, and enlisted men and their families. He is detailed by the President to the immediate government and military command of the Academy and Post of West Point for a period of four years, and given the official title of Superintendent of the Military Academy, which carries with it the rank, pay, and a
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CHAPTER V “BEAST BARRACKS”
CHAPTER V “BEAST BARRACKS”
“You man, there, slouching across the Area! What’s your name?” The person addressed, a short fat chap, looks up over his big round tortoise-shell glasses, with unfeigned interest, but stands mute, apparently fascinated by the immaculate white trousers and the military bearing of the speaker. “Do you hear me talking to you? What’s your name? Take your slimy eyes off me and look to the front!” sternly commands young Mars, coming a few steps nearer. The new arrival looks blank and tries to digest a
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CHAPTER VI BENDING THE TWIG
CHAPTER VI BENDING THE TWIG
Only when the three hundred odd new cadets have been transferred to camp and joined the Battalion, do they begin to feel that they are members of the Corps. They are, however, ill-formed, crude, ungainly members, and from the moment they pass the hedge that screens the camp from the visitors’ seats, the Tactical gardeners begin the work of bending these natural twigs, so recently transplanted from the individualistic soil of civilian life to the orthodox ground of military training. Realizing ho
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CHAPTER VII THE DISCIPLINE OF THE MIND
CHAPTER VII THE DISCIPLINE OF THE MIND
The longer a cadet remains at West Point, the clearer and finer becomes his point of view. During the first few months of his career, a glimpse of which we had in the previous chapter, he is so busy learning the mechanism of the drills, the care of his person and equipment, and familiarizing himself with all of the strange names and unusual customs of military life that his point of view is more or less clouded. Little by little, during the summer encampment, as soon as the newness of his surrou
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CHAPTER VIII GROWING MUSCLES
CHAPTER VIII GROWING MUSCLES
Whenever the cadets leave the seclusion of West Point and appear in public in uniform, their erect carriage, their smart tight-fitting dress coats that show off their broad muscular shoulders and slender waists never fail to excite favorable comment and praise. It most generally finds expression from a group of giggling maidens who evince a great curiosity about the cadets’ slender waists, either openly remarking that they are artificial or more specifically assuring themselves, when advantage c
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CHAPTER IX LESSONS FROM MARS
CHAPTER IX LESSONS FROM MARS
In the Area of the South Barracks, directly opposite the sally-port, is a little brick building with a clock tower. It is small and insignificant looking to the ordinary observer, but not so to the cadet. Here dwell the “Tacs,” the officers of the Tactical Department, who are charged with the discipline and purely military instruction of the Corps. More especially, it is the Headquarters of the Commandant, his assistants, the cadet Officer of the Day, the officers of the guard, and the orderlies
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CHAPTER X HENCE, LOATHED MELANCHOLY!
CHAPTER X HENCE, LOATHED MELANCHOLY!
For days and days groups of Army Service Corps men going around the Post clipping the trees, mowing the grass on the Plain, and daubing with black paint the cannon on Trophy Point have been heralding the approach of June. The odors of the fresh grass and of the tar in the gutters are exhilarating smells for every cadet in the Corps. There are buoyancy and hope in their manner and a decided note of anticipation in the air. This feeling of anticipation is the greatest charm of a cadet’s life. It r
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CHAPTER XI STRENGTHENING THE MORAL FIBER
CHAPTER XI STRENGTHENING THE MORAL FIBER
When a new class of cadets reports at West Point, it is composed of men as diverse in appearance, in points of view, and in character as the parts of the country from which they come. But after they have been at the Academy for a couple of years a marked change occurs, and by the time they are ready to graduate they have undergone a complete metamorphosis. In some mysterious manner they seem to have been leveled to a certain standard, like some scraggly hedge that has been scrupulously trimmed b
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CHAPTER XII SPIRITUAL INFLUENCES
CHAPTER XII SPIRITUAL INFLUENCES
Cadets love to lay aside the restrictions of their everyday routine life, put on their athletic uniforms and most care-free manners, and wander among the beautiful hills that are all around West Point. They like to enjoy the emotions that spring from a close communion with Nature, both in the winter, when the afternoons are short and the valleys quickly fill up with purple lights, and in the summer, when the country is extravagantly clothed in luxuriant foliage. If the day of the cadet has been
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APPENDIX (From the Official Register of the United States Military Academy—1916) WAR DEPARTMENT Information Relative to the Appointment and Admission of Cadets to the United States Military Academy (1916 Edition. Revised Annually.) [Communications relating to matters connected with the Military Academy should be addressed to The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C.] THE CORPS OF CADETS
APPENDIX (From the Official Register of the United States Military Academy—1916) WAR DEPARTMENT Information Relative to the Appointment and Admission of Cadets to the United States Military Academy (1916 Edition. Revised Annually.) [Communications relating to matters connected with the Military Academy should be addressed to The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C.] THE CORPS OF CADETS
The Act of Congress approved May 4, 1916, provides as follows: “That the Corps of Cadets at the United States Military Academy shall hereafter consist of two for each Congressional district, two from each Territory, four from the District of Columbia, two from natives of Porto Rico, four from each State at large, and eighty from the United States at large, twenty of whom shall be selected from among the honor graduates of educational institutions having officers of the Regular Army detailed as p
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APPOINTMENTS
APPOINTMENTS
How Made. —The appointments from a Congressional district are made upon the recommendation of the Representative in Congress from that district, and those from a State at large upon the recommendations of the Senators of the State. Similarly, the appointments from a Territory are made upon the recommendation of the Delegate in Congress. The appointments from the District of Columbia are made upon the recommendation of the Commissioners of the District. Each person appointed must be an actual res
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REGULAR EXAMINATION OF CANDIDATES
REGULAR EXAMINATION OF CANDIDATES
Examinations of candidates will be competitive in the following classes, and will be the regular examination for entrance to the United States Military Academy: (1) Candidates from the United States at Large, other than honor graduates of honor schools. (2) Candidates from the United States at Large, who are honor graduates of honor schools. (3) Candidates from the enlisted men of the National Guard. (4) Candidates from the enlisted men of the Regular Army. The Filipino candidates selected for a
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(a) REQUIRED.
(a) REQUIRED.
Every certificate must show evidence of proficiency in the following subjects. ( b ) OPTIONAL. The remaining 6½ units may be supplied from among the following subjects, and no others. The definition of unit and of the ground covered by the designated subjects is that of the College Entrance Examination Board. Credits must correspond to the unit values of the respective subjects. Greater credit than indicated will not be allowed; less credit will be understood as evidence that the entire subject
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CHARACTER OF EXAMINATIONS
CHARACTER OF EXAMINATIONS
The physical examination is conducted under the following instructions prepared by the Surgeon General of the Army: Candidates who, upon reporting, present evidence that they have been excused from the mental examination under the provisions of the certificate privilege, or as the result of having qualified mentally at a previous examination, are usually examined physically as soon as possible after reporting and are not required to wait until the schedule of mental examinations has been complet
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TABLE FOR PHYSICAL PROPORTION FOR HEIGHT, WEIGHT, AND CHEST MEASUREMENT
TABLE FOR PHYSICAL PROPORTION FOR HEIGHT, WEIGHT, AND CHEST MEASUREMENT
The following is a list of the Army posts at which the examination is usually held: Fort Banks, Mass. Fort Slocum, N. Y. Washington Barracks, D. C. Jackson Barracks, New Orleans, La. Fort Shafter, Honolulu, Hawaii. Columbus Barracks, Ohio. Fort Williams, Maine. Fort St. Michaels, Alaska. Fort Sill, Okla. Fort Leavenworth, Kans. Jefferson Barracks, Mo. Fort Ethan Allen, Vt. Fort Dade, Fla. Fort Logan H. Roots, Ark. Fort Logan, Colo. Fort Sam Houston, Tex. Presidio of San Francisco, Cal. Corozal,
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MENTAL EXAMINATION
MENTAL EXAMINATION
The examination takes place as follows, viz.: Every candidate who reports is required to fill out, in the most careful manner, the personal and school history sheet and the autograph and official notification address blanks. The fact that a candidate may be reporting for the physical examination only, does not by any means exempt him from accomplishing these blanks, as the information they contain is vitally necessary for the permanent and statistical records of the Military Academy. The candida
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PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
All cadets are examined physically in May of each year, and those found physically disqualified to continue with the course, or, in case of the first class, for commission in the Army, are discharged....
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VACATIONS AND LEAVES OF ABSENCE
VACATIONS AND LEAVES OF ABSENCE
Academic duties are suspended from the completion of the June examinations until the end of August. During this period cadets live in camp and are engaged in military duties and exercises and in receiving practical instruction in military and other subjects. Academic duties are also suspended from December 24th until January 2d, except for those undergoing examination. All duties and exercises, as far as practicable, are suspended on New Year’s Day, February 22d, May 30th, July 4th, Thanksgiving
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PAY OF CADETS
PAY OF CADETS
The pay of a cadet is $600 per year and one ration per day, or commutation therefor at 30 cents per day. The total is $746.00 to commence with his admission to the academy. The actual and necessary traveling expenses of candidates from their homes to the Military Academy are credited to their accounts after their admission as cadets. No cadet is permitted to receive money, or any other supplies, from his parents, or from any person whomsoever, without the sanction of the Superintendent. A most r
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DEPOSIT PRIOR TO ADMISSION
DEPOSIT PRIOR TO ADMISSION
Immediately after admission candidates must be provided with an outfit of uniform, etc., the cost of which is about $160. This sum, or at least $100 thereof, must be deposited with the treasurer of the academy before the candidate is admitted . It is best for the candidate to take with him no more money than he needs for traveling expenses and for his parents to send the required deposit by draft, payable to the Treasurer, United States Military Academy. The deposit is credited at once to the ca
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PROMOTION AFTER GRADUATION
PROMOTION AFTER GRADUATION
The attention of applicants and candidates is called to the following provisions of an Act of Congress approved 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 staff, he may be promoted and commissioned as a second lieutenant in any arm or corps of the Army in which there may be a vacancy and the duties of which he
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ACADEMIC DUTIES
ACADEMIC DUTIES
There axe two terms of academic instruction: September 1-December 23, and January 2-June 4. A semiannual examination is held December 26-31, and an annual examination June 5-12. At the December examination cadets, who are found to be proficient in subjects they have completed during the preceding term are arranged according to merit in each subject. At the June examination they are similarly arranged and they are also assigned general standing in the class as determined by their standings in the
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THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR
THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR
First term, September 1-December 23. Second term, January 2-June 4. Semiannual examination, December 26-31. Annual examination, June 5-12....
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DEPARTMENT OF TACTICS
DEPARTMENT OF TACTICS
New cadets, upon reporting for duty, are given infantry recruit instruction, with gymnastic and calisthenic exercises, until they join the battalion. Practical instruction is given during the summer encampment, and from September 1st to November 1st, and from March 15th to June 1st, in infantry, artillery and cavalry drill regulations, in target practice with the rifle, revolver, mountain gun and field gun, and in military engineering. During the summer encampment, cadets of the third and fourth
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DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND MILITARY ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND MILITARY ENGINEERING
The course in civil and military engineering and the art of war is confined to the first-class year. The course in civil engineering begins September 1st and is completed during the first term, which closes with the Christmas holidays. It comprises brief treatises on the mechanics of civil engineering, framed and masonry structures, the materials of engineering, water supply, and sewerage. The course in military engineering and the art of war begins on January 2nd and closes on the 3rd of June.
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DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHILOSOPHY
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHILOSOPHY
The course in natural and experimental philosophy begins with and continues throughout the third academic year. Mechanics is studied during the first term. The text used is Gordon’s Mechanics . Many of the principles are illustrated by apparatus in the lecture and section rooms, and the students are required to repeat and explain these experiments. The course aims to be as complete as possible with the limitation that it can be properly covered in a term of about 90 to 100 days by students havin
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DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS
DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS
The course in mathematics begins with the fourth-class year and continues through the third-class year. In the fourth-class year, algebra is completed in alternation; first with geometry, then with trigonometry. Plane analytical geometry is begun. In the third-class year, plane and solid analytical geometry and descriptive geometry are completed in alternation. The calculus and least squares finish the course. The course in algebra covers the entire subject as generally taught in colleges, but t
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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY, MINERALOGY AND GEOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY, MINERALOGY AND GEOLOGY
This department embraces two branches of physics not included in its title, namely heat and electricity. The course begins September 1st of the third academic year and extends throughout this year; exercises, recitations, laboratory work or lectures take place on all week days. Commencing September 1st, general chemistry, alternating with lessons in heat, occupy the time until the close of the term in December, recitations or other exercises being had daily. During this term all members of the c
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DEPARTMENT OF DRAWING
DEPARTMENT OF DRAWING
The course in drawing extends through the third- and second-class years, attendance on alternate afternoons for a period of two hours during the full academic year. The order of instruction is as follows: Instruction is mainly through a loose-leaf system of printed instruction sheets covering the various drawings and phases of the work. These are supplemented by short section-room lectures and blackboard illustrations when necessary. Personal instruction is given when needed....
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DEPARTMENT OF MODERN LANGUAGES
DEPARTMENT OF MODERN LANGUAGES
The course in modern languages comprises instruction in French and in Spanish....
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FRENCH
FRENCH
Instruction is given in reading, in composition, and in conversation. The course opens September 1st, and continues until June 4th, some 219 lessons in all....
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SPANISH
SPANISH
Instruction is given in reading, in composition, and in conversation, to which special attention is paid. The course opens October 4th, of the second-class year and closes June 4th of the first-class year, 176 lessons all told. The present textbooks are:...
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DEPARTMENT OF LAW
DEPARTMENT OF LAW
The course in law, which is carried throughout the entire first-class year, embraces the following subjects: 1. Elementary Law. 2. Constitutional Law. 3. International Law. 4. Military Law. 5. The Law of War. The quiz method of instruction is employed in the section room. The authorized textbooks are supplemented from time to time by means of lectures, and important principles are emphasized by requiring an examination and analysis of a considerable number of leading cases. Some time is also dev
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DEPARTMENT OF PRACTICAL MILITARY ENGINEERING, MILITARY SIGNALING AND TELEGRAPHY
DEPARTMENT OF PRACTICAL MILITARY ENGINEERING, MILITARY SIGNALING AND TELEGRAPHY
Fourth Class. —This class is given an elementary course in the theory and practice of surveying, instruction in this subject alternating with mathematics during the last 66 recitation days of the academic year. From May 1st to June 4th the entire morning is devoted to practical instruction in the methods of surveying and in the use and adjustment of instruments. During this period cadets apply in the field the principles and methods taught them in their theoretical study of the subject. The cour
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DEPARTMENT OF ORDNANCE AND GUNNERY
DEPARTMENT OF ORDNANCE AND GUNNERY
The subject of ordnance and gunnery is studied by the cadets of the first class throughout the academic year. The course of instruction covers the principles involved in the construction and use of war material. It is broadly divided into three parts: the theoretical, the descriptive, and the practical. The theoretical part includes the study of the action of explosives, the study of interior and exterior ballistics, the theories of gun and carriage construction, and the principles of gunnery. T
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DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY HYGIENE
DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY HYGIENE
The course in military hygiene begins with the second academic year and consists of 13 recitations and 6 demonstrations. The textbook used is Keefer’s Military Hygiene ; the instruction covers the essentials in the care of troops from the point of view of the line officer, particular attention being given to personal hygiene, transmissible diseases, post and camp sanitation, clothing, and the effects of alcohol and other narcotics. Practical demonstration in the field is given of the methods of
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DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND HISTORY
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND HISTORY
The course in English and History begins with the fourth class in September and continues throughout the academic year, the whole class attending daily except Saturday. The class is divided into two parts, which alternate in reciting English and History. In English, the course of instruction is planned to inculcate the essential principles of rhetoric, both by study of the textbook and by frequent practice in the various forms of composition (including practice in personal and official correspon
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THE LIBRARY
THE LIBRARY
Cadets and officers have free access to the library, which comprises over 95,000 books, maps, and manuscripts. The collection contains substantially all standard books on the subjects taught in the Academy and is especially complete in military subjects. Its card catalogues (about 338,000 cards) are arranged with the special object of saving the time of cadets. The library is open on week-days from 8 A.M. to 7:30 P.M. ; Saturdays from 8 A.M. to 9:30 P.M. ; on Sundays and Holidays from 2 to 6 P.M
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SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY
SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY
Note. —The selection of the Superintendents of the Military Academy was confined to the Corps of Engineers from the establishment of the Institution, March 16, 1802, till the passage of the law of July 13, 1866, which opened it to the entire Army. By the Act of June 12, 1858, the local rank of Colonel was conferred upon the Superintendent....
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A DICTIONARY OF CADET SLANG
A DICTIONARY OF CADET SLANG
1 Fort Clinton was originally named Fort Arnold in honor of Benedict Arnold, but after his defection its name was changed. It stood in the N. E. corner of the Plain at West Point. 2 Fort Putnam was named for Colonel Rufus Putnam whose regiment, the Fifth Massachusetts, commenced it and did much toward putting it in shape. 3 The Sterling Iron Works are still in operation at Sterlington, N. Y., on the Erie R. R., where the remains of the Revolutionary furnace are still standing. 4 The Robinson Hou
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