Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-06-12
AT WEST POINT.
Life, Gayety, Crowds, Flirting aud
Rsmin1scence.


Rsmin1scence.
WEST POINT, June 5.-Everthing
here is now full of life and gayety.
The hotels are filled with guests,
many of them being relations or
friends Of the cadets, come to wit
ness the annual examinations and
bear off with them the happy cadets
who shall graduate. Walks, talks,
drives, rides, reviews, Irritation and
general jollilication within the lin.
its of becoming mirth are the order
of the day. The weather continues
charming, and there is nothing to
mar the pleasures Of the occasion.
Hundreds of visitors from ada
cent towns were attracted to the
Point this evening by the an
nouncement that the light artillery
drill would be held. This is con-
sidered one of the most beautiful of
military exhibitions, and it was
conducted by Colonel Alexander
Piper in dashing style, Six riAed
guns Of three-inch bore were ma
nipulated each by a section Of ten
cadets. -Four spirited horses were
attached to each gun and each
eaisson. Alta signal from the bugle
the cadets sprang upon their pieces,
and those who acted as officers
leaped to their saddles as nimbly
as circus riders. Another blast,
and the guidon, or standard bearer,
rode to the end of the line at a
gallop and took his place at the
head Of the column into which the
battery formed in a twinkling.
When half the parade ground was
skirted in that way another call
upon the bugle sent them off at a
lively trot in platoons.
The entire drill was gone through
without a single mishap or acci-
dent, much to the wonder of the
uninitiated, at least, for in the exc
cution of the various movements,
wheeling right and left, limbering
and unlimbering, and firing, here,
there and everywhere, with the
rapidity Of lightning, the ca lets
seemed to become reckless in their
enthusiasm and leaped off aud on
the carriages while going at a gall
lop. The rapidity with which the
pieces were discharged excited The
admiration of every one.
Splendid! splendidw exclaimed
General Maxey as the battery took
ground to the rear, turned the
muzzles Of the guns in one direc-
tion after another and fired like a
flash.
"Ah," he added, 81 have seen
that kind of drill under very diff
ferent circumstances"
$50 have l." replied Bishop
Quintard, who stood by his side.
F" l saw some pretty hot work of
that kind at the battle of Perry
vile. And talking of that reminds
me of a curious circumstance at
that battle. | stood upon q mound
between the Confederate artillery,
under command of Captain VIM.
w. Cairnes, on my right, and the
Union guns commanded by Colonel
Charles @. Parsons on my left.
Afterward, when | became Bishop
of Tennessee, the first person l
confirmed was Captain Cairnes, and
ordained Colonel Parsons, who gave
up the military life, as a priest Of
the Episcopal church"
Many of the graduating cadets
were troubled about their financial
prospects. Congress not having
passed the army appropriation bill
they will get no pay while off on
furlough after graduating, and as
some Of them are not burdened with
this worlds goods they do not know
what they shall do. There probably
never will be a time in their lives
when they will need money so
much as they do at present, be-
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