The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-03
the Americans, and West Point was dur.
ing the whole period the key to tho pas

tuc n1nCTlCaIlS, ana Wtat fOiHt WAS uur'
ing the whole period the key to tho pas
sage say between the norther and the
southern states. There was always a
considerable force kept therc-at least for
that time-and Washington was fro
quently there himself At the time Of tho
birth of the Dauphin Of France. an order
was issued TO celebrate the day in honor
OF the allies who were supporting the
states in their struggle against the king
An evergreen arcade was erected on the
plain and on the very spot where Grant,
Sherman. Sheridan. Meade and Others have
since paraded about with musket, Wash
ington led off dance with Mrs. Gen.
Knox -
The academy was not born it was
evolved After the revolution the ar
tillery was grouped into n regiment and
the engineers into corps, and the head
quarters were at West Point. Cadets
were attached TO each corps for instruc-
ton In 1902 there were three professors
or instructors. but there were few to teach
and little 10 teach them with. Congress
paid no attention to the matter, and
Thomas jefferson doubted whether the
government had q constitutional authority
to establish an academy, and the embryo
cradle Of heroes came very near being
snufied out altogether.
However the cradle kept a-rocking,
though, during the first fifteen years OF
its history, there were but few infant
prodigies Of war TO be rocked. After that
the academy took n start, and under the
management Of its first superintendent,
Col. Thayer, became at once an excellent
institution. Little is left of the buildings
in which the CADETS. who were there be
tween 1902 aud 1850 slept and ate and
rested The old South barracks and North
barracks and mess hall have passed away,
and ia their stead have risen buildings Of
a more modern appearance and more dur
able Books, philosophical instruments,
relics. portraits of West Points great
generals, are now collected in these build
ings, while without more than one monu-
ment has been erected 70 point 10 her
past. 4 soldiers life is made up Of long
periods Of quiet, broken by intervals of
intense activity. His peace is more peace
full, his activity is more active than that
Of other men II is these brief periods Of
activity when the eyes of all have been
turned upon the sons OF West Point, that
have suddenly lifted them 10 tower over
those educated by other methods and for
other paths Most Of the regular officers
who participated in the Mexican war were
young and held low rank. IL was only
when the civil war came on that names
of those who had been entered on the
academy books as boys suddenly shone
out with dazzling brilliancy and passed
directly into history 1t is this that has
given West Point, though but youth in
comparison 10 many American universe
ties, a niche in history so much larger, or
at least filled with figures 50 much more
brilliant than her rival institutions Of
learning -
For many years during the month Of
J6nc there has been gathering 81
strangers at West Point. 1t began by
congregation Of the relatives Of the cadets
who were passing through their gradual.
INK exercises. Then West Point became
q summer resort, and for thirty years her
hotels have been filed with young girls
and their mammas who attend them TO
this paradise for women under 20. Those
who are attracted by the Military academy
90 20 the West Point hotel, built very
near the spot where stood Fort Clinton.
There on the piazza the young girl dreams
away the summer afternoons with some
youngstcr who with a shingled head and
a wasp waist, has been given short leave
of absence for the purpose. There they
listen 10 such sounds as float over the
pla.n-thc handling of muskets, the roll
ing over the ground Of artillery, or the
tramp of horses in drill. the strains of
martial music They may dream of the
old chain and boom of Fort Constitution,
the site OF which is in view directly across
the river and fancy they can see the
antique looking Continental sentinel
pacing back and forth; of Fort Putnam up
on the Lii, with its magazines once full
of pork and powder, now a ruin.