Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-07-20
A Poor PIeb,. E,perIence a. Wesl Point.


The following extract from letter from a
new cadet at West Point, written to his father
about the middle of June, appears in western
paper:
The romance of West Point life has already
worn off with me, and nothing but stern reality
remains, and stern enough it is, assure you.
For the past week and half the new cadets
have been put through n course of sprouts
called squad drill. One of the old cadets takes
new man and puts him through. We have
what are called set up nothing but gymnastic
exercises, such as touching your toes with your
hands without bending your knees, throwing
your hands backwards so as to make them
touch, and other such antics calculated to make
you timber and all joints. | expect when l
leave here | will be nothing but joints-even
my teeth.
''Since we entered we have had to sleep on the
floor with nothing but a blanket under us.
When sore and tired it is worse when you are
obliged to get up at five o'clock in the morning.
You cannot conceive of more sleepy looking
crowd than the new cadets are at reveille. The
first thing after reveille is squad drill for an
hour. This is rough. My officer had me doing
the double-step for twenty-five minutes yester-
day without a rest Hard enough, l can tell
you when you have had no breakfast My left
shoulder is so sore can hardly raise my arm,
and then to have to go through the fourth set
up is horribly hard. One night last week four
cadets came rushing into our room with two
bulls-eye lanterns, threw the light into eyes,
'yanked us out of bed, and beat us over the
head with pillows and brooms and otherwise
scared us-then in the morning had the impu-
dence to ask us if we were in the habit Of
dreaming.
"Night before last some of the graduating
class came into our room about midnight and
wanted TO know if we knew them. We told
them we did not They told us they were grad
N1.a.., I,lp II 1.N
left us without making us get up. Standing on
tip-tOe for an hour or SO, with a string dangling
from your teeth, is nothing at all. had it for
threequarterS of an hour last week. If ever |
rise to be an officer, and am put over cadets,
will make them all stand on their heads; l will
have to get even on some one for the rough
treatment am receiving now. Any one COM
ing here expecting to have nice time will find
he is wOfully mistaken before he has been here
week. The officers we had over us at first
have been promoted, and are going on a fur
Tough. Those coming over us now have just
'been made and will go for us at first-all the
wrongs and injusticeS they suffered, while
'Plebes' call loudly for vengeance, and to get
even they will give us poor 'Plebes' particular
thunder. Well, it is some comfort to know
there are siXty-two of u.s. and deviling so many
will soon wear off.
Next Tuesday the battalion goes into camp;
then the hard time commences. This year we
have new tents and new tent floors. This is the
earliest camp they have had for many years,
and will be the longest. Senator Carpenter
delivered the annual address TO the graduates.
He gave it to them hot and heavy concerning
their conduct last winter; also some hints to
the present classes concerning the deViling of
'Plebes' He might as well have said the same
to so many posts, as il would have had the same
effect. just as long as the academy exists, so
long will the cadets cut up, devil the Plebes,
&c. You may put them on their honor not to
devil new corners, but they will get round their
oaths-not breaking them strictly speaking-by
many warps and presentations. | do not know
whether they will be put on their honor or not
this camp"