Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-08-01
A Poor Plebe's Experiences at West
Point.

The following extract from a 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 a
course of sprouts called squad drill,
One of the old cadets takes new
man andputs him through. We have
what are called set up nothing but
gymnastic exercises, such as touch
ing your toes with your hands with
out bending your knees, throwing
your hands back wards so as to make
them touch, and other such antics,
calculated to make you timber and
all joints. | expect when / leave
here | will be nothing but joints
even in my teeth. Since we entered
we have had to sleep on the floor
with nothing but blanket under us.
When sore and tired, it is worse when
you are obliged to get up at 3 o'clock
in the morning You cannot con-
ceive 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 rest. Hard enough,
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 our
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 i'm
pudence 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 graduates.
They were more than half drunk, but
left us without making US get up.
Standing on tip-toe for an hour or so,
with string dangling from your
teeth, is nothing at all. | held it for
three-quarters of an hour last week.
Ii ever | rise to be an officer, and am
put over cadets, will make them all
stand on their heads | will have to
get even on some one for the rough
treatment | am receiving now. Any
one coming here expecting to have a
nice time will find he was wofullv
mistaken before he has been here a
week. The officers we had over us
at first have been promoted, and are
going on a furlough. Those coming
over us now have just been made,
and will go for us at frst-all the
wrongs and injustices they suffered
while 'Plebes' call loudly for ven
geance, and to get even they will
give us poor 'Plebes' particular thun-
der. Well, it is some comfort to
know there are sixty-two of us, and
deviling so many will soon wear off.
Next Tuesday the battalion goes
into camp then the hard time com
mences. This year we are to have
new tents and new tent floors. This
is the earliest camp they have had
for many years, and will be the long
est. Senator Carpenter delivered
the annual address to the graduates.
lie gave it to them hot and heavy
concerning their conduct last winter;
also, some hints to the present class
es concerning the deviling of 'Pebes.'
lie might as we'll have said the same
to so many posts, as it would have
had the same effect. Just as long as
this Academy exists, so long will the
cadets cut up, devil the 'Plebes, &c.
You may put them on their honor
not to bother new corners, but they
will get round their oaths-not break
ing them strictly speaking-by many
warps and prevarications. l do not
know whether they will be put on
their honor or not at this camp"