Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-06-17
- For the IntelTgeucer
West Point Military Academy.


FOr the Intelljgencer.
West Point Military Academy.
Some Account OF What it Is, and How
conductedl---Examt by the
Hoard OF Visitors. 80 80.
WEST Po1HT, N. Y. June 18th, 1868.
The Boar1 of Visitors sppoiated by the
Sec'y of War to. attend the annual examin-
alton of the classes ofthe Military Acade-
my at thfsplace will conclude, Substantial
ly, their labors to- day ,and will formally ad-
journ on Monday next. They commenced
their session on the first day of the month
at ten o'clock A. NJ. and have continued at
work from doy to day ever since. Their
first days business was to witness an en-.
tire turn out of the Academy in review,
and grand pageant it was, too. Also to
pay a formal visit to all the public buildL
iugs and to receive. and be introduced to ali
I persons in authority connected with the
post, After the conclusion of these light
and more pleasing exercises the heavy aud
serious labors of the Board began. It was
divided into committees 10 investigate and
report to the War Department upon the
''actual state of discipline, instruction, DO
| lice, administration, fiscal affairs, and 9th
er concerns of the Institution" and the
duties of these several committees were to
| personally inspect the records belonging
to their respective appointments, to visit
every one who was responsible for the
state of affairs in any depprtmsnt,ito make
notes OF all Information received from day
l n or ma in rnr o.
it into report and submit the result to
the Board in full session. Besides these
/ regular and prescribed committees other
special committees were appointed to in-
quire into specific complaints and make
report in detail of all the facts discovered.
For instance, a special committee was ap-
\ pointed to inquire into complaint about
4 the quality of food thatlpt times was. .serv-
ed up to the cadets, aud especially about
the manner in which it was cooked. 1t
was made the duty of this committee the
appointment of which wars secret, to sud
denly drop in at the mess hall while the
cadets were at some meal, aud after in
spectiDg the food on the table to 90 on
through to the kitchen and have every
thing there turned inside out for inspec-.
ton. a part of the committee would 90.
in at breakfast one day and part 90 ia
at dinner or supper some other day, and
also dropin at chance times between meals.
This was the way one committee, and one
of the most inconsiderable performed their
duties. Ionly give it to you as a speci-
men. The labors of the regular commit
tees were of course far more elaborate and
difficult, and involved an amount of read.
ing, questioning and inspection that no one
who has not served on such committee
can appreciate. You will remember also
that the labors of these committees were
performed between times, amidst their 9TH
er prescribed duties. lFor instance, the
regular programme of the Board was this:
An early morning session in full assem-
bly,, at whIch all information COM
plants, suggestions &c. of the prec.
eding day we're debated and referred.-
Such sessions lasted until nine O'Clock
at that hour the board adjourned and pro-
ceeded in q body, during the irst Eve days
to the library hall, to witness the examina-
ton of the graduating class in the course
of instruction which they had gone over
during the year. They stayed there each
day, continuously, for six hours, adionrn-
ing at three each afternoon, After dinner
came some one of the out door exercises or
drills, as for instance, an infantry, artil-
lery or cavalry practice. After one ofthese
exercises came, each day, the evening pa
rade of the whole corps of cadets. FIRE.
quently after night the Board would be
called to witness some practice of the guns
and mortars in some one of the different
forts which make West Point one of the
best fortified military posts, naturally, and
arhhcially, in the world. After these
evening exercises meetings of committees
or perhaps, of the full Boatd Would take
place. Aud so on from day to day; begin
ming on June the lst, and continuing up
TO this time. -sA
To-day the examination of the last or
fourth class will conclude and the final re-
port of the Board Of Visitors be mainly
monlded and digested. The sub-commit-
tees have all reported upon the matters. as
signed to them. The Rev. DR.. Munsell of
illinois, Rev. B. G. Northrop of Boston,
Hon. Henry 8. Randall of New York, DR..
Barnard of Connecticut, aud A w. Camp
bell of Virginia, have been appointed a
committee to assort, condense and incor-
porate these sub-reports into the general
report which will be submitted to Congress
next December. .7.a
So much for the technicalities of things
connected with the mission of a Board ot
Visitors to West Point Military Academy.
/ do not remember ever to have seen, in
all the letters and pamphlets which have
been written about West Point, and their
namei is legion, any one that gave the out.
side world any thug like true idea OF
what West Point is. doubt very much
whether any one could do it, in ali respects,
perfect justice. certainly shall not at
tempt it. Every one who has passed MP
the Hudson remembers it as one of the
most picturesque locations that ever met
his eye. Every one who has read the his
tory of the American Revolution knows,
that more, almost, than any other spot 10
the land, West Point is consecrated aud
! classic. Yesterday as stood viewing the
s the house on the other side of the river
where Arnold had his headquarters and