The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-13

exemplifying the art of war in its highest
sense, while we were meekly struggling
with it's first principles at the Point. 1t
was a harsh experience, but 80 far as | was
concerned, never made me wish for an in
slant that I had never entered. | had had
no other ambition. I had encountered So
rious opposition; had won my appointment
from Mr.. Lincoln himself, and knew per
fectly we'll what to expect when tempting
Providence as a candidate for a commits
sion through the United States military
academy in the days when nobody had time
to think of what was transpiring within it's
hallowed walls.
So it was with delight we hailed the near
approach of breaking camp" and then NOV
ing into barracks where, BY the unwritten
laws of the corps, we would be released from
daily servitude and nightly disturbance that
our bewildered faculties might recuperate
and grapple with Bourbon and goose
tracks, .#
A week before the first Of September
came the first of the "seps''-an arrival that
thrilled us-how thoroughly drilled, tanned,
uniformed, hardened and looking like old
cadets-almost as much as it did the year
lings. OF course these newcomers were
to be our classmates and we could
not devil" them, but we could and did re-
gard them as of a plane beneath our own.
Years before the war there was a saying in
the old army. mo officer has won his
spurs until he has served in Texas" And
in the same measure at West Point did we
through plebe camp was aver a full-1edged
cadet. To this day such men are distin-
guished from their kind by the soubriquet
sep" and of late years a movement has
taxed shape to do away entirely with the
September admissions-so essential is the
discipline. as we'll as the teaching OF the
plebe camp regarded.
The appearance of four or i've shy,
strange, awkward, young fellows trudging
across the plain toward camp, conveyed by
the familiar drum-boy orderly, was greeted
with a howl of rejoicing by the year
element by ''ours." It brought the COM
mandant hurrying from the telegraph office,
and then, to the unspeaknble indignation of
the third classmen, who were promising
themselves the wild Joys of an limitation
in camp, a cadet lieutenant and two cadet
the newcomers over to barracks and as
sumo charge Of them and all who should
arrive to swell their numbers. That night
at parade the adjutant read an order de-.
claring the barracks off limits to I'll cadets
except the three or four detailed for duty
over them, and f%orbiddine any communica-
ton whatsoever with the newcomers. And
thus was the array of old cadets to be
baked of its time-honored festival in honor
of the ''seps."
That night a ito OF yearlinas slipped
across the post of Number Five, stole noise
lessly through the guns of the field battery
south OF camp and so on to the friendly
shadows of the big elms in front of the
chapel. 1t was after twelve O'Clock; lights
out all over the sleeping Point. The soldier
sentry at the corner Of the old academic
was always deaf and blind when cadets
camo scudding down the pathways in his
charge. Softly they tip-toed throu oh the
echoinR sally-port and up the iron stairway
of the barrack wing, now occupied as a
harbor of refuge for the belated cadets. In
one room, sleeping perhaps for the first
time of their lives on the floor, were the
| talIest and shortest of this days batch-two
young fellows who bore two OF the most
prominent names known in the western
states. Gently but firmly they were hidden
to rise, take up their beds and follow.
Unhesitatingly they obeyed, and, blanket
laden, were marched round by way of the
across the post Of Number Four. who was
most a~ccountably at the other end of it ut
the moment. and were conducted straight
way to tho sanctum sanctorum of a soldier
camp-the big marquee Of the commanding
officer. On the wooden floor they again
made Town the beds. obedient to the calm
instructions of their guides, nj were bid
ben to go to sleep and fear no disturbance.
"aoms of YOU fellows will probably have
a rough initiation over In barracks after the
clock strikes one, but for the sake Of the
names you bear (heaven forgive the whop.
per, the bigger the name the more had the
bearer to be taken DOWN We have brought
you here out of harms way. Tomorrow
sometime, you may be aroused by the mar
who has charge OF the tent-a rather good,