New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-09
CADETS HAVE A REST.
ONLY DRILL IN THE AFTERNOON AT
WEST POINT.
TO-DAY THEY WILL SHOW HOW MODERN BAT
TIES ARE FoUGHT-INE WORK
IN DRAWI Nc.


wes, Pom, y. V. June GpcciaD.-A day ~ beau
tIfu ever dawncd broke the purple hill ms
morning and sent "Old Glory nuttcring TO the top
OF the lofty staff at Trophy Point as the drums anu
flies sauted the rising day. All Is military here, ana
politicians, journalists and statesmen are swept away
and obScurcd in the fierce light that streams from
every battlefield from Arbcla 10 Gettysburg, ana
nothing Is commonplace.
Take the card room Of the officers club. There
look down from the wall the death masks OF Napoleon
and OF Frederick the Great; oil painting Of an old
man contemplating the portrait OF himself. painted
when he was young and saw the gliterins vistas rs
OF the future before him. Lear In an ancient print
Is railing against ingratitudc, picture often looked
by officers who. laden with uncXracted bullets drag
out their lives retired pay within the shadow OF
the mountains surrounding the post. The dream with
which they graduated have passed away, but
the eternal shcltcring hin remains and some day they
will go with Scott and Custer to Join the Nations
pantheon there In the graveyard on the point
under Gro Nest. Ii may be that they Will have no
stone on which the unlettcrcd swain can spell their
names and number Of their years. but still their
influence will endure. fixed in eternal youth exempt
from muability and decay" those eternal prn-
cipleS which have made tho Army Of the Republic
a military power uncqualed in the history Of the
world. Capable OF infinite expansion, the same In
neglect defeat glorious victory IL remains, and has
remained unique, since Valley Forge and the Plains
OF Monmouth.
To-day has Deem a day of comparative rest for
the cadets. II WIS not until afternoon that the
exercises for the Board Of Visitors began. Meantime
the members invited TO nose about anywhere
and see II they could find "A defect to be remedlcd.
In the afternoon Colonel Mills, the commandant Of
cadets took the entire corps out the plain and
put them through "A battalion drill. The drill was
conducted according To the new system OF tactics
and showed great proficiency. The battalion was
manoeuyred across the plain and fired ut imaginary
foes from all points of the compass. The cadets
fired by section and I'm every other manner which
Is laid down in the sacred writings Of the new drill
book, and several thou,and people came out 10 See
them.
But the great show will be tomorrow when the
drill will be In extended order and the cadets will
show how modern battles are fought. From n
spectacular point Of view 1t will not lie ~ pretty
the drill Of to-day. but II will be nm object lesson
TO critics Of military aiiairs.
The results Of the work Of the fourth class In
drawing were opened To the public today and IN"
finished work sho~ Cd great advancement. especially
In the matter Of military r'connossances. The cadets
had been sent out alone with nothing but compass
and n notebook and told 10 make map OF the
country they passed over. The results In some case
almost amount Ia a typographical survey. and there
Is no cadet ia IN. fourth class who need he ashamed
Of his work In that respect. The Importance OF such
work as this may BE- emphasized by the of-rcp'ated
statement that when the Germans invaded France
they Possessed better military maps Of the country
than the French themselves
A good story Is going the rounds OF the post now.
II may be an old story revived, but 10 every one
here Ii seems 10 be- fresh one. "A cadet and n
cadet girl "spoOnlng' down at Battery Knox
and he said: , .
Would you be willing to give up all the ease
and comforts Of your Eastern home ana share the
rude lot OF "A soldier In the far Wcst!'
Df course she said She wouii and fell upon MS
Just then the moon rose over the eastern
Well said he, my roommate, sandy McPherson,
is going with the cavalry ana I'll tell him about H.
Tonight there an informal hop In The mess.
hall Among the guests ut the hotel Is Miss Winnic'
Davis, the daughter OF jefferson Davis.