Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-11

who became superintendent about seventy
five years ago. and earned, during a SER
vice of some fifteen years in that position,
the title of father of the Military Acad-
emy." His statue, with that Inscription,
faces the parade ground, but his most en-
during monument is the institution itself
The academy is divided into eleven de-
partments, whose heads compose the
academic board, corresponding to the facul-
ty of a college, and presided over by the
superintendent. The most important de-
partment is that of tactics. at the head Of
which is the commandment of cadets, with
the local rank of lieutenant colonel. AS
sisted by a captain and seven lieutenants,
-FOUR or whom command companies of
cadets, he has charge, not only of all prac-
teal and theoretical instruction in the du-
ties and drills of infantry, artillery and
cavalry, but of military discipline as well.
Inc jurisdiction of each of the other de-
partments attaches to the cadet only dur
ing the brief period of recitation, but that
of the tactical department, embracing dis
cipline never relaxes night or day. This is
what gives the department it's great i'm
portance, for viewed from every other point
the departments are coordinate, and it
would be difficult to say that any one Is
more important than another for the gen.
eral object in view. Among themselves.
the cadets invariably speak of the superin-
tendent as 1.-The supe," of the commandment
as the conn.," and of the tactical officer as
"a tao"
The other ten departments are: Mathe-
perimental philosophy, chemistry, including
mineralogy and geology drawing, civil and
military engineering, history, law, practi-
cal military engineering, and ordnance and
sunnery. The first seven are presided over
by professors who reside permanently at
West Point, being appointed for life by the
President, with the rank and pay of lieu
tenant colonel, or, after ten years service,
of colonel. The professor of history is also
chaplain, but the other six have usually
been officers OF the army and instructors
at, as well as graduates of, West Point
The heads of the other three departments
are. like the superintendent and the COM
mandant, officers of the army detailed on
account of fitness for the particular duty,
FOR tour OF from four to six years. The
heads of departments supervise and direct
but the actual teaching is done by lieu
tenants of the army who have served not
less than four years after graduation
Their tour is four years, and they are so
detailed that about one-fourth are relieved
every August. There are about forty-five
lieutenants on duty in the various depart
mentS, each one selected on account of his
peculiar aptitude for the study in hand
This changing of instructors causes a
steady infusion of fresh blood and outside
ideas, held in wholesome check by the per-
manent professor. All told. there are about
sixty officers on duty at West Point, but it
will be observed that only seven are at all
permanent Cadet classes come and go. in
structors change professors die, but the
abstract system goes on forever.
The classes are divided into sections of
about ten cadets each. The recitations are
from an hour to an hour and a half in
length, so the chances are that every man
will be called upon to recite and none get
what the cadets call a 'stayback.'' Each
instructor has only one section at tine
and only two during the day. The instruct
or has to spend several hours in preparation
every day, so that his position is no sine
cure. The system of sections is one of the
main reasons for the thoroughne of the
instruction at West Point. Occasionally the
whole class is instructed by lecture from