eleven o’clock at night we arrived at West Point, on the right side of the Hudson, and landed at a wharf furnished with a sentry-box. An artillerist, who stood sentinel, examined us. I afterwards discovered that this rule was made on account of the visits which the cadets receive. We were obliged to ascend a somewhat steep road in order to reach the house, which is prepared for the reception of strangers. A small but very clean room was prepared for us. The building belongs to the government, and is designed for the mess-room of the officers and cadets. The purveyor for this table is bound by contract with government to keep several chambers with beds in order, for the reception of the relations of the cadets, and thus a kind of inn arose.
The morning after our arrival we paid an early visit to lieutenant-colonel Thayer, superintendent of the military school, and were received in a very friendly manner. He has presided over this school eight years. It was founded in 1802, during the presidency of Jefferson. Colonel Thayer has entirely remodelled this institution. During his travels in Europe he visited the French military schools, and has endeavoured to make this resemble the polytechnic school. But he will find it difficult to equal this once celebrated school, as with the best will in the world he cannot find in this country such excellent professors as were assembled in that institution. The cadets, whose number may amount to two hundred and fifty, but at the last examination consisted of two hundred and twenty-one, are divided into four classes for the purposes of instruction. They are received between the ages of fourteen and twenty, undergo an examination before they enter, and must then pass a probationary term of half a year, during which time the mathematics are chiefly studied. After six months the young men are examined on the instruction which they have received, and those only who pass this ordeal continue in the school; the others are dismissed.
Instruction is communicated gratuitously to the cadets, each of whom receives monthly eight dollars from government as wages. A public examination of the cadets takes place every year at the end of June, by a commission, appointed by the secretary of war. This commission consists of staff-officers from the army and navy, members of congress, governors of states, learned men, and other distinguished citizens. After this examination, the best among those who have finished their course are appointed as officers in the army; the very best may choose the corps in which they wish to serve. The others receive stations, according to their capacity, in the following order: engineers, artillerists, infantry, marines. Should even these corps have the necessary number of officers, these young men as supernumeraries, receive full pay. At the examinations also, the cadets advance from one class to another. The names of the five best in each class are made known in the newspapers, and also printed in the army list, which appears every year. This is certainly an encouraging arrangement, and worthy of imitation.
The discipline of the cadets is very rigid; they leave the school only as officers, on which account their noviciate in the corps of cadets serves as a practical school of passive obedience. The punishments consist of arrest, which, however, does not interrupt the course of instruction; but when a case occurs that a cadet is to be punished a second time for the same fault, he is dismissed. The same takes place when after two public examinations he has not learned enough to advance into a higher class.
The day is thus divided in this school: —
From day-break till sunrise.– Reveillé at day-break – roll-call after reveillé – cleaning of rooms, arms and dress – half an hour after roll-call, inspection of the rooms.
From sunrise till seven o’clock.– First class, military engineering. – Second, natural and experimental philosophy. – Third and fourth, mathematics.
From seven till eight o’clock.– Breakfast at seven o’clock. – Parade at half past seven. – Class parade at eight o’clock.
From eight till eleven o’clock.– First class, recitations and engineer and military drawing. – Second, natural and experimental philosophy. – Third and fourth, mathematical recitations.
From eleven till twelve o’clock.– First class, lectures on engineer and military sciences. – Second, lectures on natural and experimental philosophy. – Third and fourth, mathematical studies.
From twelve till one o’clock.– First class, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, lectures on chemistry applied to mechanics and the arts, or mineralogy and geology. – Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, studies on the same subjects. – Second, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, lectures on chemistry. – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, studies on the same subject. – Third, French recitations. – Fourth, French studies and recitations.
From one till two o’clock.– Dinner very plain and frugal at one o’clock – recreation after dinner till two o’clock.
From two till four o’clock.– First class, studies and recitations in geography, history, belles lettres and national laws. – Second, landscape and topographical drawing. – Third, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, drawing of the human figure. – Tuesday and Thursday, studies of the French language. – Fourth, French studies and recitations.
From four o’clock till sunset.– Military exercises – inspection of the dress and roll-call at sunset.
From sunset till half an hour later.– Supper immediately after parade – signal to go to the rooms immediately after the supper.
Half an hour after sunset till half past nine.– First class, studies on engineer and military sciences. – Second, studies on natural and experimental philosophy. – Third and fourth, mathematical studies.
From half past nine till ten o’clock.– Retreat beat at half past nine – roll-call immediately after – signal to extinguish the lights and inspection of the rooms at ten o’clock.
TABLE
Of the Sciences taught and the Books used at West Point.
I was surprised to learn that the young men clean their rooms and clothes themselves, as well as make their own beds: only the cleaning of shoes and boots, and carrying of wood may be done by servants. But Colonel Thayer thinks, that if too many servants were in the school, the cadets would have too great an opportunity of remaining in connexion with the world, without the knowledge of the officers. The cadets are divided in four companies, and live in two large massive buildings, three stories high. In the older of the two buildings, two occupy one room; in the other, three are placed in one room. They sleep on mattresses, which are spread out on the floor in the evening, and have always two chambers, one for sleeping and the other for study. – This opens upon a long corridor. The cadets keep their arms also in their rooms. Their uniform consists of a grey jacket, with three rows of yellow buttons, bound with black cords; in winter, grey, in summer, white pantaloons; white leather equipments, as worn by the army, and, for fatigue service, leather caps. The officers wear the uniform of the artillery corps, to which they belong. Notwithstanding the extraordinarily fine situation of the school, the cadets have not a healthy appearance, perhaps because they have too little recreation.
After having seen the rich private library of Colonel Thayer, he took us to the school. We met with a class which was engaged in descriptive geometry. Several cadets, who stood at the board, demonstrated some problems of this science very correctly, and answered with great ease and accuracy some questions and objections, which Professor Davies made to them. We then attended a physical lecture of Lieutenant Prescott, which, however, appeared to be elementary; he explained the principles of the doctrine of
