The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1853-07-07
Life at West Point.


= with one other; at five o'clock in the morn
r, ing, in summer, and at half-past five il
: winter, the reveille awakes him; he i'm
;. mediately rises, doubles up his blankets
and mattrass, and places them on tht
head of his iron bedstead F; he studies un
til seven o'clock at that hour the drum
beats for breakfast, and the cadets -fal
into rank and proceed to the mess hall
Twenty minutes is the time usually spent
at breakfast. Guard mounting takes
e place at half-past seven, and twenty-foul
are placed on guard every day, AT eight
o'clock the bugle sounds, and the recita-
-. tons commence. At one o'clock the bu-
gle again sounds, and the professors dis
miss their respective sections, the cadets
from ranks opposite the barracks and
march to dinner. Between eleven and
, one part of the cadets are occupied in
riding, and others in fencing, daily. Af-
ter dinner they have until two o'clock
for recreation, and from two till four
they are employed in recitations. At
four o'clock the bugle sounds, and they
go either to battalion or light artillery
drill. This exercise lasts an hour and a
half. After that they devote the time to
recreation until sunset. After parade,
they form in rank in front of the barracks,
and the names of the delinquents are
read by an officer Of the cadets. Supper
come next, and after supper recreation
until eight o'clock, when the bugle sounds
the call to quarters, and every cadet must
be found in his room within a few minutes
at study, and must remain there thus en-
ployed till half-past nine. At half-past
nine the bugle again sounds; this is call
ed tattoo and at ten the drum taps, and
every cadet must then be in bed having
his light extinguished, and must remain
there until morning. If during the night
cadet is found absent from his room more
than thirty minutes, and does not give o
satisfactory account of himself, charges are
preferred against him and he is court
martialed
The use of intoxicating drink and of
tobacco is strictly repudiated; so are play
ing at chess, wearing whiskers, and a
great many other things. The punish
ments to which the cadets are liable, are
privation of recreation, &c, extra tours
of duty, reprimands, arrests, or confne-
ment to his room or tent, confinement in
light prison, confinement in dark prison,
dismissal with the privilege Of resigning,
and public dismission.
! Through the months of July and Au-
gust the cadets are encamped, and during
the encampment the instruction is chiefly
military.
The only furlougb allowed to cadets is
two months when they arein the third class.
The pay Of the CADETS twenty-four dol
lars per month, and his board costs him
ten of this. From the balance he is re-
quired to dress and defray his other ex-
penses, and he is prohibited from con-
tracing debts without permission.
/ As reward for all his labor and de-
privation, the cadet acquires an excellent
education-in mathematics better, prob
ably, than lie can get at any other insti-
tuition in the country. The training here
of both body and mind is very thorough
and complete.
One of the exercises is described as
follows: That part of the cavalry ex-
ercise called running at the heads and
ring, was attended by the Board of ex
aminers and many other spectators.-
This exercise takes place in large hall
in the basement of the academic building.
THIS hall is very dark, dismal looking
place, with row Of columns only few feet
apart through the centre, extending its en-
tire length, and is utterly unfit for the pur-
pose for which it is used.
Twenty-eight horses, properly equipped,
are led into the hall Lieutenant Sacket,
the instructor in this department, sits near
one side of the room, mounted on splen-
did white charger. Twenty-eight cadets,
members of the graduating class, march
in, and at the command of the instructor
all are instantly mounted. Posts are pla-
ced along near the sides of the hall, and
on the top of them balls of stuffed can
vass, about foot in diameter, and called
'heads, are put.-On the arms Of some
other posts much higher, rings are hung.
The cadets ride round and cut in various
ways, at these heads and rings, with their
horses on full gallop. The Lieutenant
sets the example. Not St. Joke of his we'll
aln.e1 Sapre misses; out 10! as be completes
tne round, in consequence of the curb
chain of his bride breaking, his horse
plunges forward against the board fence
directly in front of the ladies, and down
! he goes fat upon his side, and his immense
ly heavy rider falls with him. For an
instant there is half suppressed shrek,
when the rider and horse are both seen
to have arisen, and the promptly given
order, Next elicits round of applause.
Soon afterwards another horse slipped
with cadet at the opposite end of the
hall, and | am told that owing TO the to-
tai unsuitableness of the hall, accidents
are of frequent occurrence. But the cadets
acquitted themselves in this exercise in a
manner most creditable to themselves and
their instructor La spite of all the dis
advantages, from the imperfections Of the
hall, under which they labored, all the
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