The times., 1897-05-11
GEN. SHERMAN AT WEST POINT.
His Inspection of Cadets at Drill
and Barracks.

OF all visits at the shrine or alma mater,
West Point, there was one cycionie in char
aeter Gen. william Tecumseh Sherman
got to West Point one Friday afternoon
in June and Just before dress parade He
viewed thai pageant, among the host of
spectators, asst took place on the grass plat
in front OF the superintendents quarters.
The acclaim this daily show of the cadets
wins did not on this occas sioa seem TO satisfy
one OF the spectators. AT any rate, just as
the adjutant, Cadet Oswald r. Ernst, now
superintendent OF the United States Military
Academy, was about 20 dismiss tn parade a
long, Ianky individual stepped out onto the
grass plat. strobe up to Col ''Pompey'
Black, coInmandant OF the corps Of cadets,
and touched him upon the shoulder.
The battalion OF cadets. as rigid as
row of tin soldiers" had sort of
electrical or gaIvanic spasnl run from right
to left OF the line at such grossness.
There seemed a mutual recognition be-
tween Col. Black aud the stranger. and
Col. ElacK hastily told the adjutant that
there would be review OF the corps. or
battalion II took place. and the stranger
sauntered down the line. and, recognizing
cadet or two. yanked his musset out of
his hand and brusquely shook hands with
him and commented in resonant tone
of voice about the corps as it was then
and as it was when Il was here
Somehow the cadets. stupefied as they
were at the startling conduct OF the
stranger and the appalling subserviency of
Col. Eiack. got on TO the fact that they
were being reviewed according to ''the
hummer tactics" of the armies on 1.-The
march to the sea" by Gen. William Tecun-
seh Sherman.
Next day Gen. Sherman visited and in
spected the barracks. Accompanied by a
retinue OF officers, he went 70 every room
in the barracks, peered under the beds.
looked Into the wardrobes, disarTanged
tile apparel of every cadet W hofn he visited.
Accosting one, he said
Where is your gas stove?''
''Sir?'' was the reply.
II want 10 know where you hide your
gas stove / used TO hide mine up the
chimney" and forthwith he went to the
fireplace and looked up the chimney, but
found nothing.
Where do you keep it?'' he insisted. and
the cadet moved his washstand. pulled up
board or two, and showed u first-class
gas range
Pretty good,'' calculated Gen. Sher-
man. and walked away satisfied, wholly
unconscious, seemingly. of having exposed
O cadet TO a severe report and his prop
erty to confiseation.
For a week or more Gen. Sherman tarriad
at the Point. and there was no exercise
that the cadets could be put through that
he did not require OF them He kept us in
a turmoil of industry from reyeille to re-
treat.
He delivered the diplomas to the grad
uating class of that year, and there was
one cadet who forgave him for all the labor
imposed upon him because of a compliment
paid him just as he doffed the gray Co don
the blue The cadet had for mis- subject at
examination in military engineering THE
Campaign gainst Atlanta" He acquitted
himself most creditably, and when hand
ing him his diploma Gen. Sherman said
Mr.. Blank il you do as well in the field
as YOU did at the blackboard many an At
lanta will fall before your prowess-"
That cadet walked out o { the library build
ing more elated over this compliment than
pleased with the diploma and commission
ne had won after four years Of hard stu,fy
and harder work Chicago Times-Heraid-