Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-18
THE IDOL OF THE CADETS.
Sherman at West Point-How the "Boys
Looked Up to the Old Warrior.

Looked Up to the Old Warrior.
The sentiments with which the cadets of the
United States Military Academy at West Point
regard the memory of the late Gen. Sherman
are well exemplified by the following letter,
sent by member of the graduating class to a
friend in this city, which, though the cadet
sends with his usual cautions about not print
ing it. in accordance with the rules of the
academy which forbid cadets writing for publ
cation, is too well-drawn picture to be allowed
TO slumber il obscurity. The cadet writes:
MY Dear Friend When you ALL as we say
down home, come up to my graduation in
June one of its most stirring features will be
sadly missing. For several years past Gen.
Sherman has been coming to West Point nj
graduation time and giving one of those Off
hand but soul-stirring and patriotic addresses
for which he was SO famous. fancy when the
news of his death came that the first thought
OF every one Of the sixty-fivc of us in the
graduating class was: He will not be here to
give me my diploma in June He was idolized
by the corps of cadets and whenever he visited
the academy he was accorded most en-
thusiastic welcome He never failed to re-
spond in patriotic speech. To me this was
tine most beautiful feature of his coming-thc
ripe experience of honored old age exhorting
the enthusiasm of youth to honor. aye, to re-
we're, the grand old flag for which he had SO
nObly fought. An American always he never
failed to impress upon the youths before him,
gathered from Maine to Texas that all power
proceeds from the people, that the army i. but
| an agent and that he who would become a
leader IN peace or war must keep in touch with
the people. Lessons from patriots like these
must have a lasting influence upon the servants
Of the republic.
THE PICTURES IN THE LIBRARY
'In the library hangs the famous letter which
he wrote in 1861 to the governor of Louisiana
| in which occurs the memorable passage: .Pol
neither will do any act or think any thought
| hostile to the old government OF the United
States In the mess hall hangs draped il
| black today. the portrait presented by Mt
Geo. W. Childs- Next to il. in the center, i,
| the ore of Grant. and on beyond that Of Sheri
dan Near these is to hang one of the knight,
Thomas, second only TO these. How we cheeret
Gen: Sherman when these portraits were I'M
yeiled. only sixteen months ago! How the old
hero's voice broke when he told Us that h,
stood before the last OF the three, the trinity
of generals, and how soon he, too, must go
| How be charged Us to fight for the flag, I.
| cherish the institutions which his generation
must contide 10 ours for honored keeping.
when We took pert in the New York cen
| tennial i'm 80. as Gen. Sherman's carriage drov,
past Us, he sprang to his feet, waved his ha
AID said: These are my boysr And nov
Reeve OF 81 (you remember him. Horace May
nard Reeve OF iS7. at the Washington Higl
| School. one OF the dozen or more OF Us VIII,
have at some time worn the High School blu
and the West Point gray has embodied this il
a design for 4 floral tribute. The design il
superb one and well worthy Of the artist
talent which makes Reeve lead his class here il
drawing as he did in Washington. II ia shield
IN front OF which are crossed two swords on
of a cadet. the other Of general officer. Be
meath Ia the broken sliackle Of q slave Abov
is an eagle. In one corner is a laurel wreat
/ with 'lS4o, the generals class. Opposite thi
Is the inscription: To William Tecumseh Sher
man, from his boys at West Point
AcT-os OF THE CADETS.
LAST night the Dialectic Society, the neares