The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-10 00:00:00

OCCASIONAL SKETCHES—HERE
-AND THERE.
No. 111.
4. POINT AND ITS MILITARY ACADEMY.
1)1"°c few months since, I passed a few days at that
ttn-srinmg part of the River Hudson, named West Point,
dertig;hitritahegre frequently visited the Military Aca-
hoes my stay, one of the regular examine
°ceurred, and now that President Polk seems,
in-
hered to " cry havoc, and let slip his dogs of war, e
not e:nsieered that a sketch of the proceedings may
b- ai'ogether uninteresting, especially to military ,eiders,
lillyest Point itself is one of the most picturesque places
th "0 United States. It is situated on the west bank of
taeetrukistisii
ta
htlo Hudson Riser, about fifty miles north of New York;
ohe' I must lease its beauties to be chronicled by other
arti3d, beg the reader at once to accompany me to
Aca ferny, which consists of two stone bar-
h Ono of three and the other of four stories in
/i'", oecupied by 250 cadets (ihe number authorised
Ws. "); an Academic Hall, a large three-story build-
ttill,!7_s feet in length by 75 feet in width, used for
ehe,7l' txereises in winter, and as a deposie.ry of the
quettlapparatus,models of fortification, artiller ant
" and drawing rooms. A two-story stone
phi bnild',lig for a library and for the depository of philoso-
,,its
curfeet, and
alVaratus, built in the Elizabethan style, 150 feet
surmounted by three towers,. the centre
jeg it °-wned by a dome which revolves on its axis, adapt-
ire to the u e
of
a large equatorial telescope. There
1446 a chapel, a hospital, a mess hall, two cavalry
144-3' t•eeeral workshops and store-rooms, and seven-
tetioacParate dwellings, occupied by officers of the insti-
tleishL In addition to the above, there is located in the
tki", L'unthood a magazine, a laboratory, soldiers' bar -
oetus' a store, and about twenty-five de elling-houses,
the PH by families connected with the military school,
sp:nole of the population of West Point being about
bet eiTils• It was here that Arnold turned traitor, and
to 4,- 'rein West Point that poor Andre was captured.
Itch for the place generally.
duatr°olPanied by a gentleman who had letters of intro-
t° Major-General Scott and Mr. Marcy, I pro-
Ake, ilit„000 day in last June to the Academy, when every
•rtort,'' was extended, and every attention shown by the
iletasirr° and officers of the Institution. The whole
blot'
instruction and discipline was unfolded, and
4 I was left undone on the part of those gentlemen
Lifteeti -.l4anicating ample and particular information re-
411.011(3s„the interior regime of the place. The Secre-
t.% tht-114:: and Board of Examiners reached the post
'OlO }-k 4th of June, and were received and escorted
etstir'`e steam-boat landing to the hotel by a body of
!lee I,3sand info tiy composed of cadets. The proces-
NI '74 enlivened by' the presence of some of the pretty
or lee of New York, who had most of them brothers
aithtti`sct,n the Academy, and who rode in a carrias,e
oecretary, between the hot se and foot, the band
Irt,f afie'"tnat bringing up the rear. The Board consisted
aetagres°
ers of the army, specially detained for the duty,
having made no appropriation for a board. of
kt Professional examiners, as desired by some parties.
enil%lailitia officers from New York, and a few
Pleattirtr-s "re present, but they seemed to be merely
Siis'eleelsers, and took but little interest in the pro-
!Psi ,18; When I entered the examination-room, the
Boards
f-fietl"ll of the second class was before the Board.
%erdr-tit of the examiners were placed several black
t,:liutio4, at each of which stood a cadet, employed upon a
kidtly.° r a question in the theory of natural philo-
netZej ti
examination in this department was con-
itasor
.7 Professor Bartlett, aided by Assistant-Pro-
The tie -Lieutenants Roberts, Rosccrans, and Deshon.
*es, i!t-books from which the questions were selectedtit„,"charlat's ‘• Treatise on Mechanics," Davis's
4arrPttrtei,tY and Magnetism," Bartlett's " Optics," and
!tilt „ " Astronomy." From these the most d.
041 d interestin points were taken, and were dis-
tt °eel:fled to me, satisfactorily. While the cadets
the re-, boards were' employed upon their solutions,
Pkitaft
,olf the section were called up, one by one, and
sztatlabe:Or,ally, and this was continued until each
sasta,„ of the section had both been at the Board and
a4d" out a demonstration, and had been questioned,
s1011:d replied orally.
rllritscreed, that if a cadet failed in his answer, he in-
the "'Y received three or four questions in addition to
iTtiltle first given him, so that, if his failure were acci-
, •
RoWere t.had an opportunity to recover himself, and if
yrspto„tne consequence of ignorance, he had the means
• sflo'„1111,,g it- This seemed to be even justice.
ilt4stioSts observe. that no books were used at the exa-
s es, either by the Professors or the cadets.. This,.
kkl :4$ was the practice both on these examinations
ss_itettitttilese of the ordinary recitations. These latter
Nt.'s' ha' the way, were all going on at the different
ktediutc,n-rooms by all the sections, excepting that
eq before the Examining Board, the customary
Nokse' not being suspended on account of the exami-
PNir, After each scholar in a section had been
Llitit-el the superintendent announced to the pre-
Xtetct,'"cer that the Professors had done with it. The
Aiitislerccr then desired that any gentleman present
lb TerkePese such questions as he pleased to the sec-
110tath",_i° was sometimes complied with, frequently
Crete
shove the absence of all collusion between
Crete and pupils. I recollect several instances of
ntrgatestioning on the part of gentlemen not mem-
iltatosibtne Examining Board, which were met with the
• tj sr°nlptitude and correctness. In the instance of
et %% illation of the class in ethics, the syllabus of
Llittiabtintic was placed in my friend's hands by Lieutenant
h -"'n, the Assistant-Professor in that department,
041'ketluest that he would indicate the course that
be Pursued, and the questions that should be
CeoahALle did so, and, with one exception, they were
ikrte;erti• That
e exception was as follows :—ln the
the xamination on moral philosophy, Dr.
excellent
" Treatise" was the text-book,
21rit,,, •
" How does D7......111e questions Mr.wished to ask was the
' ;'„ r. Wayland discuss the sub-
f;ro "r ; and to what conclusion
.does he come ? "
ssiltnilaing Professor excused himself pleasantly
„nttirng out the question, by explaining that that
i‘l_ll'4;°/ the Doctor's work hich relates to the subct
0„ „as always passed over, and that nothing was
Ott' r (In that connexion excepting what is found in
11-'l4,ll.„`•ommentaries." Dr. Wayland, I 'nay say, is
et opposed to war, and perhaps it was considered
"tt 43" L anti-fighting principles was rather too mild a
7.ladtainistered to these sucking sod'gers.
generally, displayed considerable know-
-s°lne of them exhibited great proficiency. The
rts Mentioned was pursued throughout all those
IftliXtle;fe tue examination which I witnessed during my
sh stay at the Point. In the afternoon of each
i4tlasistea,•re2ta a display of military tactics in the field,
of exercises with a harnessed battery of six
ex"'cs, with howitzers, barl et guns, and mortars ;
Itt:tty.Zises of a battalion as infantry and light in-
te -to a military eye, douil iless, the display must
t°ald more interesting tha.t Ss mine ; but, so far as
lasa
41,1,`410-e—gO, the movements .41e all executed with
Nos"' accuracy, and rea I. F, and displayed the
eatL'th ir instructors,- as well o their own proficiency.
(the ff and company officers were selected from.
nthee
a's4es f graduating) class, and the. no.n.e.ommissfiethde
ihrqn the second class. This drill is one o
bNtt -tteresting portions of the performances of the
sNOtist! ict it drawsby-ayR out the company at the Point,
e,tl'llet4tichoMa the.' upper ten
_thousand," as the "nobs,"
ip,ork style themselves, figure conspicuously. Of
k)44% s''
,:11,0h fascinating company, the cadets take care
kashereciallY particular, an look. amazingly.c fierce
tstiqietl'ec ; and, no doubt if the British ommander-
sktlesile °lt'd have a glance at these doughty young
taltneetlat tratnin' time, he
.would abandon. all idea ofe
eattetiresident Polk's claim to Oregon., but, he
Zotite 'Pared just now to go to West Point, we mu
Ittllttellt to let matters take their course.
111% at*,,,aire occasional exercises in the riding-school,
141,1 c aj•i'se of American riding is so different to that of
(aell"-takt, that I must say, I was rather amused.
14}11:t ,and driving in America is just the reverse to
tisti:B in Englan, that is, with us, in riding, a man
t,,,,thtly forward, and accommodates his movements
tst.ltlv-ta°r the horse, and in driving he sets rather at a
%Zits- 4-''i:lloe than upright. In America, an equestrian
Itswl as a poker, with his toes projected forward
Othtltder the horse's nose, and his head so far back.-
ts'ai is,k„ti plummet-lead dropped from the back of his
tsitoltiTt fall on the horse's tail. Measured by this
-Ig, the horsemanship at West Point was ex-
04fnd the leaping at fancied British forts, in the
4141 f
imaginary
;bars, and the dashing and cutting at the
tat•er:aginary unfortunate and devoted English
ILA-liiiteth: Wadi of a tremendous and fearfully exciting
50,,1
at e exercises at West Point, intellectual and ph
Vle carried out to the most thorough extent, an yd-
ttaitdPtcd to the production of good military scholar-
, ',et robust bodily vigour—of the " wens sans in
tell,°4lo-" I saw no weakly students, and no try
Oka 1-Sta. Indeed, from the system of instruction
(l 'ett,o at the Point, there cannot well be either. They
► 01) to a certain standard, or be rejected. The
kits' 0-ellt
to s Pays for the tuition of the cadet, and pays
tii7r,'ern a certain light he is a privileged office-
fee-ft to ki
e.'" Country does everything for him, and has a
es,;fPeet everything of him.
it b 0 quite out of place here for me to enter at
ita'restt;° details of the course of study and exercise;.t.
Th h would be by no means generally Inter!.3
lie-d"' • tY are briefly comprehended under the following
44;1°41'" I state that in each department all that can
?,lit tot most thoroughly done, those who know what
1, 'Ness.," done, will, think, readily understand what
isefa,it
lath IT Tactics and Military Police.
li,\otrytnii„atiea, 'com rg Algebra, Geometry, Trigonce
a. asittai's,;"•ensuritionP, Descriptive and Analytical Geometry,
eshe &c.
A kir, aerie',
". SzsnieLanguage.
l`inaa
• prnklli," Experimental Philosophy, comprising Statics,
1: • es,ctre hydrostatics, Hydrodynamics, Magnetism,
sseesiisst'saisnet_Lsm Light and Astronomy.
1, ttiller 'so"3" and Alii:eralo
Scienceg- of Gunnery; i t d duties of a
Itliet,,trit,nK, and borate,
Eeld and Permanent!? ortification, and
.It4tory-:),` War.
hit,ir. "eug who-washics, &c.
li4io4B:tldner, present at one of these exami-
-54 meek red that he thought the pupils must have
clothe for the occas. I mentioned this to
kaa now; gentlemen present. -' Ah," said he, "I do
are Cr* the correctness of the remark. They were
see . teas' ed for that and for all occasions, and the
th,211 all 8 just of that sort which I should be glad to
b oar
educational institutions—,a cramming ear-
Thh ofitil:oth the crammers and the crammees, at all
Aojn,4l la no day and of the year devoted to work.
Play nor shuffling about the studying at the
"4/3' must and do work ; and they may be
ttuttlitptnlt any and all times of the year, and exhibit
t;,_)*ltaiftig' Ott each occasion. They are always
Cualk, osaFe not put in harness_ and driven up to a
1t4,4, uject on a particular day, as is often done,
ht,ex men at random, and on any day."
•"amilittiOn in History, English Grammar, and