The New York herald., 1862-01-13

ARMY PROMOTION AND THE MERIT ROLL.
The cadets graduating attached TO the different
corps Of the in the order Of their general merit "
as determined at the examination in June. BY or.
der Of the War Department the arrangement pre-
cedence Of corps for assignment Of merit at prcsen-
is rs the corps Of engineers second, the topographi
cal engineers third, the ordnance corps fourth the
tery fifth, the infantry; SIXTH the dragoons seventh
the mounted rifles, and eighth, the cavalry. OF the
class Of 1860 there promoted into the engineers,
two; Typographical corps, two; ordnance CORPS two
tlery seven infantry, twenty dragons, three; caval
ry, four; mounted rlemen, one.
This general merit upon which motion de-
pends is numerical expression for merit in
studies and dement's for offences. The iormer are
marked on q scale from to 0, and the latter from
s to /. From the cadets total Of merit in studies
snbstracted certain ratio for his dement's. Thus II
there be two cadets in class OF equal standing in their
studies the who has the less demert ranks is the
higher in general standing And if be fair in such
case 1t would bc fair for No TO- for example, TO profit in
promotion by his carefilncss and for Nos 2, g. &c,
take lower promotion for want Of Promotion,
then does not depend solely intellectual results but
upon these united with that attention to details which IL
OF the greatest importance to the good soldier Indeed
the grasp OF details as well as knowledge Of theories B
what chsractcriZcs generalshp Napoleon and Wellington
remarkable for the possession OF this facutya
marked absence of II units TO command armies II
said for that important expedition against
the Indians delayed few years ago because some
one had forgotten tho tar buckets the wagon wheels
smoking from friction. Capous objections there
fore, against such reports as these:-
Demeri,,
Name OF roommate not orderly board ..........1
Floor out Of order near washstand.
Coat unbuttoIed on duty
frivolous nasmuch neaness and attention to the
smallest details important parts OF the discipline Of
youths like the cadets Many Of these dement's taken
OF, II 1t H. proper, by the communicate When cadets
dcmerts have reached one hundred In six months he Is
declared deficient in conduct and is dismissed The
mark which s sometimes made that there Is no distnc
ton at the Academy between "acts wrong In them
selves and acts wrong because prohibited by spc
cia regulations" has no force applied to the
subject Of attention TO details and the whole make
up OF a soldier. The country demands severe
training for future generals Major General McCcl-
Ian stood second in general merit at West Point This is
the best commentary which bo offered upon the sys
OF merit and demcrt which has been devised at tho
Academy.
II will not surprisethe readers Of the HERALD to learn
that Mr. John b. Floyd distinguished himself, whic se
cretary of War by restoring to the sixteen worth
less fellows who had bcen recommended by the professors
for dismissal One OF these restored cadets had de-
fed the authorities of the Academy altogether ard
kept confinement others had nearly equal contempt
for military authority and others st seemed to possess
capacity whatever for acquiring the course under the
most favorable circumstances.
Great decentralization In the corps has been caused by
this act Of the late Secretary but Congress has since for
hidden a restoration under such circumstances.
PUNrsHMESTs AND OFFENCES OF CADETS.
These are of three classes, viz
1st Privaon OF recreation, &c. extra duty; repri-
mands; arrests or confinement to room or tent. I'd.
Confinement in light prison. confinement in dark prison.
3D. Dismssion, with the privilege Of resgning; public
dismission.
Those Of the first class may bo inflicted by tho Super
ntcnden those OF the second only by sentence Of court
martial except in of mutny breach Of arrest
Cadets who shall have IN their possession intoxicating
liquors or be found drunk shall 60 beyond cadets,
limits without leave, shall send accept challenge
for duel shall strike another cadet shall be guilty
Of conduct unbecoming oflcer and gentleman,
sha be dismissed the service No cadet shall obac
co on duty in camp, barracks or any other public
building have provisions in his quarters be absent
from his between tattoo and reveie, or receive
supplies from his parents friends Other offences are
specified In the regulations
Those certainly appear very stringent papor,
yet tha, they fail Of their effect especially
regard cadets limits. This fault Of the profes.
sors they cannot be expected 10 devote their time TO
maintaining system Of espionage night and day upon
the cadets Tho following tem which appeared in the
newspapers OF october last evinces that there is defect
| In the system somewhere -
Cadet James seabrook, Of the West Point Academy has
been dismissed the service having absened himself from
| quarters on the evening Of September 30
Cadet Captain John H. Knees convicted Of being out Of