The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-06-07

The Annual Examinations Of Cadets Of th
Army and Naval Academies,
&e, &c., &c.


The Visit OF General Sherman" Cor
poral Toms" Military Career-Exami-
nation OF tho Cadets-IAistory OF West
Point-Expected Arrival OF General
Grant, Sc.
OUR WEST POINT CORRESPONDENCE.
West PoIsT, June Q, 1896.
There has been military hero, General Sherman
as visitor and like unto him, to disturb to days
oquanmity centraze the attentions and worship Of
staid soeurners well the throngs Of visitors filling
the vestibules Of the hotels and academic walks and
buildings TIL another hero look for his
coming two days hence in the person Of Lieutenant
General u g. Grant-and usurps the prominent place in
gossip held by General Sherman the latter must by
force Of the hero oworshppng but volatile character Of
the American people, continue the head and front Of con-
vesaonal topics He Is the last and newest sensation,
the temporary heme Of thought and talk His remarks
in his conversations yesterday, terse quaint and flash
ing with spirit and humor being extensively quoted,
his camp experiences being rscited, his marches
countermarched and his battles fought again am
told that he was never seen till yesterday wearing
. yellow sash, that he has been rarely known to
carry sabre, and that the unusually fine military hat
he wore present to him, but denuded by his own
hand before putting Of ts adornments Of feathers,
silk cord and tassel showing that his simple and unos
entaous nature against the foppery Of gilt tinsel
Lieutenant Dresser telling Of conversation he had
with this juvenile Of chevrons that has raised him
immensely in popular esteem and memory here
'well Corporal, what regiment do you belong tori
asked the Lieutenant
''Thrteenth regulars answered Tom, this being his
fathers old regiment
'sWhen did you enlist 7" ~
"At the breaking out Of the war, sir came out
private sir have been promoted for good Gghng sir:
and now that the lighting is want to get mustered
out and &c, my pay and 90 home sir" answered Tom,
with all the waisemt1ance Of truth imaginable.
The examination of the cadets resumed, usual
the prescribed hour nine o'clock A. NJ and continued
until three o'clock. These examinations conducted
in the library in the east wing Of the observatory and
library building. II Is stone structure, hundred and
sixty feet 'front.' and seventy eight in DEPTH casteated
and corniccd with red sand stone and in the Eliza
bethan style The library room Is forty feet
and thirty feet high and contains twenty thousand
volumes Quite crowd of spectators is constantly in
attendance The Board Of Visitors patiently st>out the
sessions though, to!most the questions and answers
from their purely scientific and technical nature
be deaexions from the vernacuar, overtopng the
pass of their comprehension Any sort of stupid an
might be given 10 any question, and these gen
tcmen would be the wiser They
grave, mute, ~ unknowng and unmoyed as the por
traits looking from the walls To the visiting board there
10 very ltto Of reality In this examination Not 10
the professors, who puzzle their brains To ask worry
ing questions to the perturbed cadets who puzzle
their brains to give the proper The examina
impartial full and thorough Thus far the class
is said have acquitted itself with great credit SIX cadets
are called In time problem given each 90 work
the blackboard and each in called on to give the
solution, when they separately questioned upon an
the eonre Of studies II some oeneorf would nyan,
easy method for acquiring speedy ond accurate
knowledge Of the dinercntial and integral calculus,
geometry trigonomery spherical projections and warped
surfaces he would insure for hmsef monument more
lasting the memorable brass Horace wrote about,
thai erected on the northeast angle OF Fort Clinton TO
the patriot hero. kospiusco.
Captain Boyntcn, Sdjutint here, has iengtheued out
into interesting volume, OF two hundred pages,
the History Of West Point Since my arrival have
repeatedly looked through the BUILDINGS and ranbed
the grounds with this book as my ggde which Il s
objects Of interest the acadCmic building library
and observatory, chapel and trophies on the WALL
museum, picture gallery sculpture gallery, engineer
ing and chemical apartments cadets barrack, mess hail.
hospital riding hall, the country, Mexican trophies
&c &c., fully and graphically described. Dcscrib
ing this at length besides stealing anothers thunder
and from the multi pliciy Of other descriptions putt
lshed only telling thrice tod tale would require too
much time and spacc. will reduce my descriptions TO
the lowest poss bic brevity Tho cadets barack the
largest aud most imposing structure at the institu
iion, is built ot stone, and four stories high with lre
proof Like the observatory and library referred
TO above, it is casteated and cornced with red sand
stone after the Elizabeihnn style The builDR three
hundred and sixty by sixty feet with a wing extending
in the of the tower hundred by sixty feet
IL us one hundred and sovcny.sx rooms which
one hundred aud thrtysix cadets quarters, each
seventeen by twenty-five feet. single 10 type
of the rest. Each has two occupants The iron bed
seads iron tables, and the few articles OF necessy-as
luxures not allow wedshow the absence OF all luxu
rous creature comforts eminently soldiers home.
south OF the academy is the mess room is one hun
drcd and seventy feet trout by sixty feet in depth
This building commands general admiration for ITS
mark mmetry and beautiful proportions IL comprises
central hall pincty six by fortysx feet, and twenty
feet high which IL the for all the cadets The
for meals prescribed their duration limited, seats
signed and OF the disorders that used TO Disgrace
the college are known The Academy which, per
haps should have mentioned nrs is three story build
ing two hundred and seventy hve by seventy five
feet and with red sandstone piasters. In the first
story the south end IL the chemical department,
consisting OF the laboratory lecture room, for
electrical experiments, and workroom, each about
thirty six feet sqare The fencing Department. seventy.
Ave by thirty eight feet occupies the north end Of the
first story, while the central portion contains large
gymnasium and room for courts martial committees
&c In the second story r. the cabinet Of minerals and
fossils the engineering arademy, to which attached
two engFeering model rooms and seven reeita-
feet each. In the third story is the artillery
model room, the meteorological exhibition rocm,
To the latter attached the picture gallery and gallery
OF sculpture each seventy by twcnytw feet In this
story likewise three recitation rooms On tower
the northwest angle Of tho building IN the regulation
clock. visit 10 the model rooms picture and yccep-
tion galleries and will he found most ncsrest-
ing There thourand curious things 10 be seclall
the varieties OF artillery shot and she'll cartridge fuzes
swords pistols and ancient implements of and every
thing almost possessing military interest Tho riding
hall, two hundred and eighteen by seventy eight feet,
built Of stone and spanned by single srched roof, sud
its exercises Of esping bars running at the ring, cutting
and firing at mastheads &c always OIL the gallery tS
interested audience, while the horses and their STALLS
and the care taken OF them, alike worthy OF obser
taton Then there the artillery barracks, band
barracks engine barracks and powder magazine, the
substantial and tasteful dwellings, with capacious gar-
deDs and magnificent shaded lawns set apart for the
officers and professors the Of modern cottages tho
families OF Doncommssioned officers and laundrofses
and TO the end Of the chapter Everything most
appropriate and elegant One thing and the most striking
object catching the eye OF the visitor his arrival
must not forget " menton-the trophy guns These