Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1853-08-13
West Point Academy.

West Point Academy.
The life of cadet at West Point is one Of
hard study, under rigid discipline, as will be
.een from the following details, given by the
correspondent of the New York Herald -
ale sleeps in the barraek. in room with
,ne other; at five o'clock in the morning in sum-
,ner. and at half past FIVE in winter the revelle
swakeps him he Immediately rises, donblesup
h;s blankets and mattress, and places them on
The head of his iron bedstead; he studies until
seven o'clock at that hour the drum beats for
breakfast, and the cadets fall into ra6k and pro-
Good to the mess pam. Twenty minutes is the
Time usually spent at breakfast. Guard mount
mo takes place at half past seven, and twenty
gfour are placed onsguard every day. At eight
o'clock the bugls sefnds and dissertations COM
mence At one o'clock the bugfe again sounds,
The professors dismiss their respective sections,
the cadets form ranks opposite the barracks and
march to dinner. Between eleven and one, q
mart of the cadets are occupied in riding, and
others in fencing, daily. After dinner they have
until two o'clock for recreation, and from two
till four they are employed at recitations. At
four the bugle sounds, and they 60 either to
batalion or light artillery drill. Thissexrsise
lasts an hour and half After that they devote
Heir time to recreation until the parade, which
takes place at sunset. After parade they form
in rank in front. Of the barracks, and the names
Of the delinqueiits are readh y an officer of the
cadets. Supper comes next, and after supper
recreation, until eigfts0 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 until half past
nine, when the bugle again sounds this is call
ed tattoo-and DIT ten the drum taps, and every
cadetmtst then be in bed, having his light ex-
tinguished and must remain there until morning.
If during the night cadet is found be absent
from his room more than thirty nlishtes, and
does NOT give satisfactorY account qAimself,
charges are preferred against him, and he il
court martialed. -
1.-THE use of Intoxicating drink and tobacco
is strictly repudiated; SO are playing at chess,
wearing whiskers, and great many other things.
The punishments to which cadets are Il&bze are
privation of recreation &C., extra hours OF duty,
reprimands, arrests, or confinement to his room
II tent, confinement in light prison, confinement
in dark prison, dismission with the privilege Of
resigning,sand public diSni1 1n.
cadets are encamped, and Nsn5ng the encsmp-
ment the instruction is exclusively military. The
only fuhough allowed to cadets is two months,
when they are in the third class.
"The pay of thecadet is twenty -four dollars
per month and his board costs him ten of this.
From the balance he is required to dress and de-
fray his other expenses and he is prohibited
from contracting debtswithout permission. As
the reward for all hisalabor and deprivation, the
cadet acquires an excellent education-in math-
ematics better probably than he can get at any
other institution in the country. The training
here of both body and mind is thorough and
complste.
One Of these exercises is described as fol-
lows: @ 6y
"That partof the cavalry exercise called run
ming at the heads and ring, was attended by the
Board of Examiners 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, attending its entire length, and is utterly
unfit for the purpose 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 this room, mounted on splendid white char
ger. Twenty-eight cadets, members Of the
graduating class, march in, and, at the command
of the instructor, all are instantly mounted.
Posts are placed along near the hail. and on the
top of them, balls Of stuffed canvass 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 in fast gallop. The Lieutenant
sets an example. Not q stroke Of his well aim
ed sabre misses; but 10. as he completes the
round, in consequence Of the curb chain Of his
Birdie breaking, his horse plunges forward a.
gainst the board fence, directly in front of the
Indies, and down he goes fatupon one side, and
bic immense heavy rider falls with him. For an
instant there is half suppressed shrek, when
Ae rider and horse are both seen to have arisen,
md the promptly given order Next elicits a
rcund Of applause.
Soon afterwards another horse slipped with
acadet, at the opposite end Of the hall. and, |
90 told, that owing to the total unsuitableness
fthe hall, accidents are of frequent occurrence.
but the cadets acquitted themselves in this ex-
ercise in manner most creditable to themselves
md instructor. In spite Of all the disadvanta-
ges, from the imperfections Of the hall, under
which they labored, all the evolutions and the
numerous featidificult In performance, we're adj
mifably done. They rode without stirrups, the
sirTups being crossed over the horses necks."
JErFERsoa AND ADAMs.-Thirty years ago
Russia was at war with Turkey. As that event
nay possibly again occur, it is interesting re-