The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-19

rant is not received until tn6 graduating
and furlough Glasses are out OF the way.
Within twelve hours of his arrival, during
which time he is entirely secluded from the
battalion itself, his physical examination Is
over and done with, and, if passed success
fully, he goes the very next day to the men
tai examination, so that within two, cor
tainly within three days, of his appear
ancs at the Point, he is either admitted or
rejected. Very often it happens that the
would-be cadet arrives at nine a. M. and
departs on the noon train, rejected, but
whether it be three hours or three days,
during the brief period of examination he
is carefully projected from all possibility OF
annoyance at the hands of the "old cadets"
he sees nothing Of them except the three
or four who are detailed to conduct him to
the examination or m%ess-hall. Night and
day an officer Of the army 10 practically on
guard over the new conner, and to all that
We fellows used to nave to undergo he is an
entire stranger.
Let me say at once that in the days /
speak of-the war davs-it was simply i'm
possible to maintain the discipline in tho
corps of cadets that is observed to-day.
Every officer worth his salt wanted to be st
the front with his brigade, battalion, bat
terry or squadron. The military academy
wal shorthandcd in the days of 81 and '62.
Officers were SO scarce that many of the ca
diets themselves were detailed as instructors.
Later we had officers in plenty, but. with
very few exceptions, they were suffering
from such severe wounds that bodily &C
tivity was out OF the question. When our
class reported for duty in June, 1862, the
superintendent was q ~superanuated veteran
Of the corps of engineers, who rarely left
the shadow of his own roof and knew next
to nothing of what was going on in the
barracks. The commandant and his senior
assistant were fine soldiers, but were there
on parole, having been captured in Texas,
and were only praying for orders %annouuc-
ing their exchange and assignment to field
duty. As for the corps itself, there never
was a %jollier, merrier, more mischief loving
gang of young scamps on the face OF the
earth than the set that received us with all
honors whom our meek and lonely lot began
to reach the scene.
In those days We were required to report
between the LIST and goth of June. Com
pany d of the corps was moved out OF 1ts
quarters in the Seventh and Eighth divi-
910n8 Juno N1uG1 anu 1eubQ uAO uOb tu0u
been built) and scattered around among
the other companies. One of the officers Of
the tactical department was designated
commandsnt of new cadets; a cadet lieu
tenant M three corporals, as now, were
assigned to duty over the new corners, and
a line was traced on the hard barrack area
from the angle to the gusrd-house, inside
which all old cadets were forbidden to set
foot-an order which they observed only
when somebody in authority happened to
be looking.
As carly as the morning of the LIST of June
the "plebes" began to arrive. The soldier
sentries at the dock would direct them to
the adjutant's Office, then in the library
building; their names would be recorded;
certain questions answered.; then a small
scamp of a ffer or drummer would appear
and, singly or by twos and threes, the
strangers be directed to follow him, and
then tho fun began.
No sooner did this little squad of stranR-
ers heave in sight of the cadet barracks
than the windows of that imposing struct-
ure would suddenly swarm with gray-coated
forms, and the instant the party got within
range dow upon their devoted heads came
shower after shower of belt-buttons. accom-
panied by the brayingo of donkeys. the howls
and roars Of all manner of wild animals,
and shouts of "Plebe,' Beasts (oandi-
dates were ~denominated beasts in those
haloyon days until drilled and in uniform
sometimes until the end of camp. Turn