River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-08-09
Prominent West Pointers in Their Youth.

| Prominent West Pointers in Their Youth
| st Louis Globe Democrat: The value OF
| thorough training in the science of war has
| been too often demonstrated to be questioned
| At the close of the Mexican war Gen. Scott
who was not a graduate of West Point said:
| 81 give it as my fixed opinion that but for our
| graduated cadets the war between the United
| ST ties and Mexico might, and probably would
have lasted some four or i've years, with, in
| its first half, more defeats than victories fall
| ing to our share; whereas in less than
| two cam aigns we conquered great coun-
| try and a peace, without the loss of a
single battle or a skirmish During the late
| civil war the generals on both sides who
achieved distinction were, with rare exceptions,
gradua es Of the West Point academy. A very
| large number of the cadets, after having served
the term required by law, drop back into civil
life, but there were few classes before the war
which did not contain the names of men who
have acquired fame. Among those who were
at the academy in my time were pember-
ton, Bragg, Beauregard, Thomas, Halleck,
Hardee, Mcdowell, Meigs, and A. J. Smith.
The late Mai Turner and Bob Renick of this
sity both were there. remember Pemberton
as handsome boy with black, curly hair;
GENIAL companionabe, and with a decided
talent for drawing and painting Possibly he
would have made greater name as an artist
than lie did as soldier. He was Phil
idelphian, and married young lady from
Norfolk, Va, and during the late war he linked
his fortunes with the South.
Thomas vas a martial looking Young m an
bout six feet two inches, As he and were
The biggest in the class, he was my file leader
for about two years There was no nonsense
about him. He attended strictly 10 business,
and was model soldier. Virginian by
BIRTH he married Troy girl, and when the
war came on no took the Union side Rather
suggestive Of the influence of wife. How
ever, Bob Chiffon, Lees adjutant general, was
a Southern man who married Michigan girl,
the daughter of Gov. Mason, and she was
rather the more rebellious of the two; but
her ancestors were Virginisns, which may &C
count for it.
Bragg prided himself on being the ugliest
man in the corps He was a reckless and
daring fellow, who was always ready for any
sort of racket He was one of the few who
were addicted to nocturnal excursions to Benny
Ravens ranch. and many were the hairbreadth
escapes he and the other frisky ones had in
getting back to quarters after a jolly time at
''Benny Hayens' OH"
Mcdowell was called the Fat Boy, and from
his sobriquet you may know he was good-na-
tured l think it was Josh Billings who said.
" You never heard of fat man committing
murder; no indeed A fat man never kills
anything that isn't good to eat" Mr. Mcdowell
made a good soldier, nevertheless. He, too,
married girl from Troy. The way it hap
pened that so many Of the officers were cap
tured by the fair Trojans. they were on Gen.
Woofs STAFF, and ne lived there, and during
the piping times OF peace they fell into the
snares Of the Troy girls.
Hardee was, % use a current expression,
good deal of a dude He thought more of his
shaps than his books Ills reputation came
largely from the system of tactics which bore
his name. He was pet of Jeff DAVIS, who, as
secretary of war. appointed him on board Of
officers to translate the tactics from the French
from whence comes our military science
taking care that he should be the ranking
officer So the work took Hardee's name, al
though the credit belonged to Benet who was,
think, of French extraction and good
scholar
HalIeck came Of an obscure family, but ho
was studious and scholarly, and finally
married one Of the Hamiltoas, which set him
On the top shelf socially.
Beauregard was French all over He looked
ike Ganl. acted like Gaul, and his extrsc-
ton stuck out every wsv. He was an excel
lent student aud graduated with high honors.
Meigs was, IN my opinion. one Of the sbiest
men in the army, ana his career 80 cadet
gave promise of a brilliant future