The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-01-14
rnitcd States Military Academy.
WEST PorNr, N. Y. Jan. Z, 1881

WEST PoINT, N. Y. Jan. Z, 1881.
Mn. Enron The course of studies
ursued at the Academy is divided
nto twelve departments. Each of these
lie apartments has its professor, assist
mt professor, and acting assistant pro-
essor. The departments are: chemis-
ry, mincralogy and geology; Spanish;
natural and experimental philosophy
French language and English studies
history. geography and ethics; clvil
lud military engineering; drawing
mathematics; law; tactics; oronailce
and gunnery, and practical military
engineering, Professors have the rank
of Northumberland, and the assistant
captains and lieutenants of
the army, assigned to special duty at
the academy. Many eminent men have
been professors here, among whom
may be mentioned Davies, author OF
course in mathematics;
Church, author of several text books on
geometry, calculus etc: Mahan and
Wheeler, authors of textbooks on en-
pineering subjects. Wier, the eminent
artist, was for long time professor OF
drawing at the Academy. The instruc-
tors are nearly all graduates OF the
Academy, and are chosen for this duty
of instructing because especially ca
pable.
The manner of recitation is some
what peculiar. The classes are divided
into sections of about ten men each and
the first man in each section is the Sec
tion-marchcr After the section is
marched TO the seciion-room the mem
bcrs enter the room and stand at their
seats until the section-marcher reports
CAN arc present, sir" or 'Mr. so.ahd.
so is absent SIR" when they all slt
down. AS soon as the instructor calls
cadet, the cadet springs TO his feet
goes to the middle of the room and faces
the instructor. lie then receives tho
enunciation of the subjects on which he
is to recite, makes an about face, goes
to the board, write his name on The
board together with the number denot
ing the order in which he was called up
writes whatever is necessary toillustratt
the subject on which he is to recite
and when ready to recite, takes point
or, faces about and stands at attention
until called upon. Meanwhile the othel
members of the section have been givei
something to do, some of them to q
from boards, others to solve problem
at side-b boards, and one OF two to an
swer questions.
The rules for department in the sec
/ tion-room are strictly enforced. Ther'
can be no communication of any kinC
between the members of the section
Each one must be dressed neatly anC
be sure to have on clean collar and cuff
and to have MS shoes polished. Whit
gloves are worn at examinations.
Prof ossors of the larger department
do not themselves hear reel atoms, bu
90 about from section to section, seeing
that instructors and pupils do thei
work properly and faithfully. Ever.
man is marked for each recitation on
scale of three with tenths. The mark
ing is exceedingly close, the closest
ever saw. All the marks for the pre-
vious week are posted in the Adjutant
Office on Monday, and may be seen b.
| the cadet almost any time during re
lease from quarters. There are two ex
aminations year, one in January ant
one in June. The men who do no
make proficient marks at these eXamin
ations are discharged from the Acade
my, and at every one there are Ger
tain number who fail. Some TIT
Academic Board recommend to b.
turned back to join the next class
others to be discharged.
Cadets as general thing have to stu
dy hard. Some strive to stand high il
the class, and all strive to get proficien
marks. The situation of West Point il
secluded. There is no railroad on thi
- Il, orl ~, 4 ,NoAnlo c,,o,s
al attraction in West Point during TIT
cold months when there are no parades
and the cadets and officers are all busy
so, during most OF the academic veal
there is nothing to draw the mind o
! The cadet from his studies. From Sep
TENDER to June there is no vacation
Thanksgivings, Christmas, New Years
and one or two other days are holidays
and tho upper sections have few day.
of leisure during the examinations, bu
/ that Is all. At Christmas time those
/ men of the first class who have rcceiv
ed, for the past six months, less thar
thirty dement's, and of the second class
who have less than twenty, get leave t
] 20 home TO spend Christmas, but have
o return the next day unless the mex
! day should lie Sunday. In that cast
/ they would not return until Monday
/ 4 man gets no leave until he has beer
/ here two years.
Many people come here in the sum
mer, during the encampment, which /,
! the carnival season. at West Point
where all is gaycty and pleasure, anc
they 90 away with the impression thai
j. is always so, and that life at WesI
Point is one round Of paradcs, balls and
flirtations. And they they also think
that the West Point discipline, of which
they have heard 50 much, is mere
phantasm, an imaginary quantity, &
something that never existed, or, if il
ever did exist, exists now only in the
stories and letters of the cadets. But
these very wise people have been mis-
taken for once in their lives. They
should come here in the winter to sec
the working season of West Point, and
| think they would find that the. cadet
does'as much mental work in the acadc.
mic year as any studant in the land.
may give you some idea of the discip
line in future letter. S. NJ. +.