Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-06-23
WEST POINT.
Exciting Scenes During the Cavalry
Drill---The Cadets Tenacity
of Life.
A Runaway, a Broken GiFth and Ride
less HOrsc---Fainting for Another
GirPs Brother.
Official and Social Movements of the
Board of Visitors.

GirPS Brother.
Official and Social Movements of tn
: Board Of Visitors.
New York Herald.
WEST POINT, June II, 1871
"You can't kill cadet or a govern
ment horse" is a proVerb at tht
Academy, and it is founded upoI
the recollection of a long list of es
capes that are truly marvellous
Another was added to thelist to-day
when the graduating class was goins
through the last of the military
drills. This was cavalry eXhibi
tiOn-school of the cOmpany-undel
direction of Colonel Eugene b
Beaumont, the present instructor in
riding. The weather was charming
the ground was in splendid condi-
tion after the rain of yesterday and
a large number of spectators had
assembled to witness the spectacle,
which is generally considered the
most interesting and exciting of
military exercises. When the sew
enty-fiVe young men in their neat
uniforms, with brass buttons glisten-
ing in the sunlight, cleaning sabres
at their hips and mounted upon
spirited and well groomed horses,
drew up in line in front of the bar
racks, and facing the hotel, a quarter
of mile distant across the plain,
they presented a pretty picture.
After performing various tactical
movements-wheelingrightandl left
and forming and reforming into
| companies, columns and a dozen
! figures known only to the initiated
with rapidity and precision that
indicated long training under skill
full teachers, there We're brought into
line, and each drew his sabre. A
blast from the trumphet and they
set off across the plain at a trot, the
horses prancing and neighing and
the youthful riders bending first to
the right and to the left, slashing
the gravel with their sabres as they
went, as if striking at PROSTATE foes.
Another call of the trumpet and the
horses, as if moved by a common
mechanism, break into gallop, and
the line, without a break, dashes
forward, the riders making the
gravel fly with increased rapid
ity. Around each gray jacket, like
forked lightning, the cleaning sa-
bre plays, the horses warm up
to their work, and, with foam
ing mouths and distended nos
trils, strive to escape the curb, and
the hills re-echo with the mighty
thud of their hoofs mingling with |
the stirring notes of the trumpet.
"My God ~ eXclaims a nervous
spectator, "they will dash right into
the river!"
But no. Just before the elder
hedge, which with a light rail di-
vides the plain from the lawn of the |
rises above the clangOr, and the |
horses are with difficulty reined in. |
Turning about an order sends the |
company charging back to the other
side of the plain. A few seconds
to give the horses breath and once |
more the line whirls across. 1t is
hardly well under way when the |
notes of the bugle ring out, "Oharge |
as foragers" and with yell that |
would do credit to a Comanche In
dian each rider digs his heels into |
the foaming flanks of his steed,
wildly brandiSheS his weapon and |
thunders madly forward at the top |
of his speed regardless of his fellows |
as if pursuing a routed enemy. The |
quality of the horses now tells. |
Some springing with the velocity of |
an arrow released from the bow bear
their riders far in advance of the |
rest, Horses and men seem mad. |
Both catch their breath, both dilate |
their nOstrils, and the flushed face of |
the man corresponds to the foaming
mouth of the beast as they wildly |
dart across the field. Another half
minute of this, and it will be impOs-
sible to restrain them from going
over the heights into the river. But
a few yards from the hedge arethey,
when the imperative voice of Colo
mel Beaumont translated through
the trumpet brings the cadets to
their senses, and the horses are,
therefore, back upon their launches. !
A RUNAWAY.
But see, three of the lads go on at
breakneck speed up the gravelled
walk of the hotel lawn, disappear
for moment and again areseen fly
ing like the wind along the walk
which skirts the plain and slightly
in advance, two abreast. The horses
have gone wild and ran away with
their riders.
The spectators do not realize the
fact for amOment, and fancy they are
looking at a race as the three gray
Jackets flash in and out of view
through the trees Then the faces of
the ladies blench and the men are
nervous.
"What if they should be dashed
against the trees ?" says one.
"That's the only danger, "respOnds
an officer, "these lads cannot be
thrown otherwise" :
Clear around the Plain skim the
runaways, and, as the troop ride
back at a gallop, one of the three is
whisked across their line. Will henot
be carried in the opposite direction
by his fractiOus and still unmanage-
able beast? After fitting twice
around the Plain two of the horses
are brought under subjectiOn
the skill of their riders and
rejOin the troop. Cadet McMartin,
who rides the third, has harder
|
hardened by constant riding and
driving, the animal takes the bit be-
tween his teeth and fairly takes his
own way. The stables are located
down beside the river under the !
bluff, and in that direction theplucky ;
cadet is carried at terrific speed.
Just as the animal reaches the brow
of the declivity, McMartin, with
the agility of an acrobat smoothly
trOtting around circle, swings him
self lightly from the saddle in the
the horse is going and
his feet firmly against the
turfas he alights he fairly drags the
beast to a standstill without himself
having received a scratch. Mean
while the troop is drawn up opposite
the barracks for another charge.
81 wish they would not have any
mutter the ladies.
"Splendid exhibition ~ eXclaim
the gentlemen, "MOre eXhilarating
than champagneW
Again the long line gallops for
ward, again the bugle orders for