The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-29

X.
now past, and every remnant of its gorgeous beau
ties has passed with IT, Il bright and glowing tints
have been scattered from the forest upon the four
winds OF heaven; and even the gorgeous sunsets
which shortly since daily glewed in the west have
given place to the cold gray skies of winter In fact
winter is upon us, and gives most feeling Evidence Of
his presence. No cadet who has within the last few
weeks stood at parade, shivedng under the rude
blasts which come bowling down past old Gro nest.
will deny that it is at all events cold enough for win
ter, and in his opinion a good deal too cold for
parades under arms; though, were II not that
the snow.covered hills and piercing winds Of the
last week Of December most forcibly reminded
him that January, 1854, was close at hand he would
ain have persuaded himself that it was farther of,
and have Rugged the sweet deluson that there were
still few days Of grace Tor him before the buQe
should call him before that awful tribunal the Aca-
demc Board.
Just the attention of the cadets and their of.
fcers is occupied with the examination. The exa.
limitations Of the cadets take place semi annually In
January and June. They very similar, both be-
ing very strict and thorough and differ only in this,
that in June the examination Is made In the presence
Of board Of yisiters appointed by the President,
and in January only before the Academic Board and
such other persons as may choose TO attend Few Of
any class except the fourth, feel any interest In
this beyond any other examination. The fourth
class, however, being the youngest in the
institution are about TO pass ordeal to them as
yet nntried; and the knowledge o. what may be the
result creates anxiety little felt and less shown by
Il older classes, VINO have all more than once al
ready passed through its fires and come off UNI
scathed. The terrible amount OF vacant places
few weeks after the examination, makes, with
cause the "Plebe January the bugbear of all fourth
c!assmen who have any ambition to put rectanges
upon their shoulders and U. s. A. to their names.
To the unprepared the examination is furnace
atg "a limos han 70 hn Of
them who comes of without the smell OF fire on him
must be in league with the devil TO biindfold the
keen perceptions OF the Board, and lead
| item astpy as TO lis knowledge Of his
coune. In fact, such a thing as . mau
| who Ii deficient passing the examination
| is impossible. Not only the knowledge he
shows at the examination, but his daily rsci'a-
tons for the previous term are taken inso tne &C
count, and this puts out OF the question such thing
| examining or ponying the course Of stables for
| examination. Whatever is part of the prescribed
course. must be learned thoroughly, and whenever
there is any merely superficial knowledge it will in
evitably appear, under the severe tests to which
! every Oae is subject.
Before the examination commenced, spent few
| days In visiting several objects OF interest
| at the Point visit of some iaterest was
! made to the ground where some experiments on the
strength OF materials for gun embrasures were made
| during the past few months by General Totten,
the Chief Engineer of ,he army assisted by several
other officers There were five embrasrss Of as many
different materials, and the firing was done at
distance Of about three hundred yards fully to
test their strength, and OF the same time to show
which would best stand the shock OF the balls. The
battered appearance OF the wall told that the firing
had been very accurate, and all the materials suffered
enough apparently 10 give them full test. Stone
faced with thick covering OF lead, seemed to stand
the firing better than any Of the Others / presume
the material here found strongest will hereafter be
adopted in building all Notifications made by govern
mint.
No little interest has been excited here, and
presume elsewhere also, by the report OF the
Secretary OF War. The urgent necessity for the,
improvements called for has long been apparent to
any thinking man acquainted with the facts Of the
case-and it ia most earnestly desired by the
whole army that the recommendations should re-
ceive from Congress the attention they deserve
Benton's attacks upon the academy and its alumni
receive the contempt they merit from those they
were intended TO wound. The institution has now
gained such reputation that his arrows fall harm
opposition it AID its interests, and show hs good
seLse-of which, by the way, he has . good stock
by rising superior to his foolish prsjudices aud Civ
ing unit, Cesar the things which are Cesar's. He
cannot expuDge from our history the part the West
Point graduates play ed in tue war with Mexico the
fret tent Of their worth, and until he succeed in
CELEBRATING from the memory OF grateful country
the bloed they then spilled, he is but gnawing ct
file.
The proposition to make Scott Lieutenant Gene
raj is aso mort favorably received by all here. No
where is the old warscarred hero idolized than
among the cadets, and nothing that would add one
leaf to the lamels he has already won, wond meet
with any shDg but the warmest appreciation from all
here.
Another exciting topic now Ia the court martial,
which convened on the 4th for the trial Of several
cadets The violations OF regulations with which they
are charged are very serious, the penalty being dis.
msea In every case, if they should be found guilty
violations Of discipline at any other institution they
would be passed over youthful escapades, the dis
petition to which will disappear with maturer years.
case which fairly illustrates the severity Of tho
discipline which II kept up here. -. $3.50
was much interested IN . visit Of q few hours to
the hall In which tho cadets ride. The first and
second classes rode in succession During the riding
had plenty OF opportunities Of judging Of the skill
Of the cadets in horsemanship. Some Of them rode
remarkably well, and all rode with more than ordi.
nary grace and akilL Cadets Leo and Pegram, from
virgiEia, and Lee from South Carolina, OF the nnt
class, and Bennett of New York, and Chlds, Merrill,
ard Gregg, Of PenDsy ,auis, were, thought, the
best among those / saw. II struck me as
being remarkable that no safer place has been
provided for the cavalry exercises Of the CO.
diets. The hall which IL nov used extends the
length of the central part Of tho academy, and s
entirely too small for the use which IL made OF it,
Indeed II wonderful how 1t is that 80 few accidents
occur, and can only DO on account OF the superior
horst manshp and training Of the cadets. Some Of
the horses very fne and some Of them just the
reverse. " 6erst00d that new set of horses had
lately been brought here and judging from the per
the hail. the ones have not yet learned the drill
very thoroughly. Lieut.. SsckeSt, Of Resaca de La
Palma celebrity is the principal instructor in cavalry,
now here ana certainly there could be better, II
one may Judge Of his ability to teach from s own
practice A finer looking dragon is seldom seen,
and it would take pretty loud noise to drown his
stentorjan voice, which latter, by the way has won
him the sppellation Of +" Old Stormy" among the
cadets.
One Of the rooms Of the academy is fitted up as .
picture gallery for the reception OF specimens Of the
artistic skill Of cadets, and was astcnshed on VISIT
ing H. 10 find such display OF talent The paintings
by cadets are all done in water colors, and many of
| them would pus TO shame not q few Of the daubs
which have mere than once bean found on the walls
lsbors here certainly are not frutess, jndgog from
| what il shown in this gallery. l was particularly
pleased with copy Of the picture Of Mchsel Angelo
ard Raphael Ut the Vatican. IL is BY Mr. Motion, OF
Philadelphia son of the cele orated physician who
| d cd there few years since. No one should leave
the Euitt without having made q visit 10 this admra