The New York herald., 1862-01-13

report upon its affairs No officer Of the army is per-
mitted exercise authority in the Academy unless s"o
The following extract from letter Of Mr. Crawford,
then Secretary OF War General Swift, gives us some
insight the internal affairs Of the Academy m iolo
The reguation recurring the unmarried professors,
teachers and assistants TO eat with the caaes Is pc
eved 10 be conformable to the general usage sn "
and ought be considered onerous understand
also that Captain Partridge himself bachelor ana OF
course subject to this regulation The object OF TINS RUE
he also to be protect the cadets from mposi
tonD at the houses. Captain Partridge served as
for brief period having been previously
the Professor of Engineering He resigned his conmis-
sion afterwards and established private military acade-
mics at Norwich, W., and Mddletown, Conn.
Register for sloare as follows vizared Mansfield Pro
fessor Of Natural and Experimental Philosophy David b.
Douglass Assistant Andrew Elicott Professor OF Mathe
matics j. Wright Assistant Alden Partridge Professor OF
Engineering; Samuel Walsh, Surgeon Adam Empe, Chap
lain Caudus Berard Teacher Of French; G. F. zoeller,
Der of cadets, 252
Prof. Mansfield was distinguished and able instructor.
He appointed the Engineer by President JEFF
ferson whose attention had been attracted to his publish
ed essays He served Surveyor General
from 1903 to 1912, of the Northwestern Territory and
he the first to apply the system Of rectangular CO.
ordnaes in layH out land. He made professor at
the Academy in 1872 which position he rendered high
y acceptable service for sixteen years. he died IN Cn
Major sylvahus Thayer was appointed Superintendent
Of the Academy in 1871 He had studied at the military
well genius Of high order Under his supervision
more strict discipline enforced at the Academy the
course instruction greatly
proved regulations were adopted the library and appa
ratus increased by important additions, and the
general efficiency Of the Academy was much advanced
The Board Of vsiters Of 1924 remark, when auding in
their report Col Thayer, "Of whose attanments in
science, we'll as Of whose diligence impartiay and
economy the affairs Of the Academy
they cannot themselves In terms too strong and
proposed to confer him the rank and emoIments Of n
specor General Colonel Thayer discharged the duties Of
Superintendent sixteen years and then appointed TO
the Of the important Notifications in progress
in the harbor of Boston Mass including the new Fort
War; II md n0p hava n1u ucadh
(in 1861 on the retired list.
During Colonel Thayers superintendent the Academy
the French analytical mathematics Of the method Of to-
biographical representation Of ground by horizontal
courses and Of the use Of the blackboard at
In 1916 the plan Of appointing . number Of
distinguished citizens to serve as Board OF visit
ers and report upon the affairs Of the Academy
was first adopted. In this year Also the distrbu.
ton and rank Of the graduated cadets in the different
corps made TO depend henceforth general merit
in studies decided at the 6na examination The uni
form prescribed which similar to that
worn with the exception Of the hat and cockade Militia
ry instruction at this period was given only practically in
the field.
So highly appreciated was the Academy at this time
that it proposed to establish others similar to it,
and Mr.. Calhoun the Secretary of War, in communca
ton to Congress in 1872 suggested plans for organizing
one more academies for the Southern and Western
States.
Major Douglass was Professor of Engineering eight
years; he resigned in 1881 and was afterwards the kng
Kenyon College. Professor Mahan his successor, had
visited France and pursued his studies at the Military
School Of Metz He is well known the author Of
raj valuable text books upon military and civil engineer
The important Office of Commandant Of Cadets and In.
of Tactics created at the Academy the
gestion OF Colonel Thayer. This officer is charged with
the command Of the battalion and with the instruction
cadets all the rules Of military police, discipline
and administration. He has four assistants, who
quartered in the cadets barracks throughout the
demic year. During the encampment the commandant
and his assistants quartered in camp. The com
mandant pescrbes the order Of arrangement Of the fur
niture equipments &c in the barracks He has an In
IN 1923 Charles Davies appointed Professor OF Aah
ematics and served with distinguished ability during
period Of fourteen He is the well known author
of the series Of West Point mathematical text books,
which arranged in degree after the methods of
Bourbon Legendre, Blot Lacrox and other French au
thors.
During Colonel Thayer's superntendency, by act Of
with permanent chaplain, who was made the 'profes-
Of geography, history and ethics" The study Of
chemistry also introduced and taught at first by
the surgeons Of the post The poet Percival held this
Office for short period, and it afterwards led for
four years by the eminent boanist Dr. Torrey About
this slime also the names Of the FIRST five who are called
''dstingIished in each class ordered be pub
lished annually in the army registers.
remarkable that hostile demonstrations made
against the Academy during Colonel Thaycrs superinten
dcncy. Perhaps the increase of expenditures the
In 1921 it moved in the House Of Representa-
tves o discontinue the pay and ratons of the cadets
and discharge them from the academy but the motion
failed by majority of eighty nine.
Major lie Russy succeeded Col Thayer as Surerin
tendent in 1888, and served FIVE years
Major Delahed was appointed his successor In 1888.
Major (now COoncD Deafeld evinced excellent ad-
mnistrative abilities during his long of
the Academy The discipline Of the corps was well
sustained, great improvements were made in the course
OF studies and tactics, and in attention 10 the health
and comfort of the cadets Col Delaed found that the
graduating class the habit of burning their urni
ture, Yale boys perhaps once buried Euclid He pre-
vented this procured iron beiscads and other mpersh
abe articles and greatly reduced this OF
cadets pay. Several Of the present edfices at West
Point erected during his administration, gas
and water pipes introduced, and the post greatly
beautlled
a., Deaacld was relieved from the Surerintendepcv in
ls45 and ordered TO the harbor of New York having
charge OF the Fort Richmond Staten Island, and
other works In 1855 and 1886 he ordered " the
Crmea chief OF the Commission TO observe there the
operations Of the beligerents Ills able report chiefly
upon fordcalions and defencos has Just been pub
lshed HIS successors were Captain Drewerton, Colonel
Robert +. Lee (now rebel Geners and Major Barnard.
In ls4s the old leadership OF French was, by act of
Congress, changed to proiessofsbip and the present
able and highly accomplished gentleman, Mons. hgnel,
appointed the professor French forms large part
Of the course at West Point, and Mr. Russell the
london Tins correspondent has had the remarkable sa
gacity to observe that West Point graduates
well in this language. Many of the military text books
at the Point are studied IN French.
Colonel Delaicld ordered back 10 West Point again
Superlntonien and remained until the LIST of March
last whom he relieved by Colonel a. II. Bowman. of
the Engineers, who is now ia charge Colonel Deahe.d s
at present in New York and giving his attention again
we believe TO onr sea const decnces Before Mr. T0yd
resignation Of the War Department the 29th OF re-
cember last, he had ordered MAJOR Rcauregard who
forts about the harbor of New Orleans, to
repair West Point and command
a. superintendent Beaurcgard did not come however,
until saturday, February ., and he entered upon his
commsnd Of the post the following Wednesday. Col.
Deateld meanwhile, had not yet left the Point when
odcr arrived revokng former orders, and restoring him
% the superintendency Beaurcgard in command vt
West Point FIVE days.
Albert h. Church. who the distinguished Pro-
fessor Of Mathematics at tho Military Academy was ap-
pointed 1888. He is the author OF several nathe-
afcal works and has maintained well the standard of
instruction in this important department.
Robert W Weir, y. A., Profossor Of Drawing is cee-
byated artist the painter OF the "Embarkaton Of the
Pilgrims" which is In the Capitol at Washington and Of
other pictures Of n high order.
BY Of Congress in May, 1sie company Of sappess
miners and pontoniers ADDED 10 the Engineer corps
consisting of one hundred who should aid giving
practical instruction at the Military Academy aud be
liable ALSO to by detacbmcnts in overseeing aid
ing laborers fortica ions. This company served in
the Mexican war and oy are also in active
In 1851 Chief Engineer Totten reported that they
employed during the year IN their proper drills
cscs and suds aud greatly aseisted by constructions
and abors In conveying 10 the cadets instruction
branches Of practical military engineering, nclud
ing the making Of saps trenches, field batteries, maga
zines platfrns &c, and in the LAYING and takiup up