The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-01
At A MILITARY SCHOOL.
The Leavenworth Pupils In Eeview-i"'
fantry, Cavalry and Artillery.

Inc LeavenWOrtn iuph~ =" '''N"
fantry, Cavalry and Artillery.
One after another they move out upon
| the field, facing west, the infantry on the
right and nearest us; then the battery, in
two lines, its gun carriages 10 the front;
then the long single rank Of the cavalry
battalion, stretching TO the far southern
edge Of the field. Well out 10 the west,
| In front of the center, is the commanding
officer with his staff. and presently, as the
white plumed adjutant gallops down the
line, turns toward his chief ON reaching
the center, then hats and rcins about,
there is simultaneous crash as arms are
presented. and long line OF steel-the
sabers OF the cavalry-springs into air.
Then review order is taken, ranks are
opened. the battery unlimbers and whirla
its black muzzled guns 10 the front; an
other present Of the line to the exalted
parsonage who receives the review, and IL
hailed with flourish Of trumpets and
the simultaneous droop OF all the stand
ards. another movement, and the line be-
comes an open column; another com
mand, and with n triumphant burst OF
music from the band the whole array
moves as one man; the passage IN review
has begun.
In quick time. the band leading, they
come jauntily toward us, changing direc-
ton at the upper corner and swinging past
the animated groups of 50, ctat0rs. Front
after front the sturdy infantry trudges by,
the student officers hidden rs file closers
behind their companies and wishing for
this occasion only that they belonged 10
the cavalry aud could command and be in
front or their men instead OF trailing
meekly after them, as required Of the in
fal y 'sub." Well they know that they
cannot by any human possibility look half
so picturesque In this position as their
rivals and contemporaries Of the cavalry
on their 'prancing chargers and in front
of their platoons. All the same, they
have their sympathetic admirers i'll the
throng and so they pass us by And
then with ohamping bits and tossing
names come the platoons Of horse. The
battery quckens It's gait on the marching
tanks. and the girls wonder how those
gInuers sit so straight with folded arms
aud never make hysteriCal grabs at the
bars or at each other, IA they would DO
under like circumstances. The cavalry,
too, comes around AT trot, the young
platoon commanders fully alive 10 and
making the most Of their golden oppor-
tunity, looking vastly martial and striving
not to look as though they very well knew
just where 'she" happened to stand
among the groups Of fair ones under the
shade trees.
Down the long field goes the Glistening
column, officer after officer saluting as ne
passes the reviewing point, and then the
infantry reappears, tramping up the east
ern edge. Like some perfected machine,
the fOng array wheels into line to the left,
the ranks are dressed, then brought once
more to review order. Again the trumpets
flourish, the standards droOp, and arms
clash 10 the present. Then comes brief
rest before some one Of the three com
mands is summoned To the front to show
what it can do in the maneuyers Of its
particular arm IL may be stirring
skirmsh drill. covering the entire valley,
By the bright plumed cavalry. Ii may be
a dashing series Of battery maneuyers,
with much smoke, noise, and odor IN
limited OF 'the viilainous saitpetrc." 1t
may be rapid eyolutions of the foot bat
talon but in each and all the student
officer must take his part.-Charles King,
L. 5. a, in Harper's Magazine.