The semi-weekly messenger., 1901-02-22
LIEUTENANT PLATT.
WHINING TONS YOUNG WEST POINTER
WILL fERVt THIS MORNING,
He VIII be Met at the Depot and be
Escorted Home by Our Chief Military
Men 4 Reception Will be Given In
HIS Honor Tomorrow Night.


The Messenger of yesterday men
toned that the graduation exercises
were held at the United States mill
tary academy, at West Point, New
York. on Monday. The early gradua-
tated by the reorganization of the
army now going on.
The graduating class consisted of 73
members who graduated in the order
according to general merit. The men
graduated will be given furlough un-
til March 10th after which many of
them will be commissioned and assign
ed to duty in the Philippines.
The arst ten members OF the class
will be assigned to the engineers
branch of the service. This is an un-
Usual assignment, five being the usual
number allotted.
The six following will be given their
choice between the ordnance, artillery,
cavalry or infantry. Then 80 may go
into either the artillery, cavalry or in
fantry. The remaining 25 have a choice
only between the cavalry or infantry
In the class which graduated there
were four North Carolina cadets, and
the Baltimore Suns account of the ex-
ercises contained the following complf-
ment in the head lines: North Caro-
lima has Two Soldiers of High Rank >
The rank of merit of the four North
Carolina cadets was as follows: car
ence o. Sheriff.. End; Walter H. Lee
9th: William P. Plat. 18th; Willis S
Peace. 32nd. Lieutenant Platt, it viii
be seen has choice of a commission Ia
the ordnance, artillery, cavalry or in
fantry service.
The graduation Of our North Caro-
lima boys gives them all commissions
as lieutenant in the regular army. This
stand taken by our young townsman
Lieutenant Platt. who graduated ahead
of 81 of his fellows, is a source Of
great pride to Wilmingtonians and II
was the general topic of conversation
yesterday. Naturally one of the proud
est Wilmingtonfans was Professor
Washington Catlett. principal of Cape
Fear academy. who prepared Lieuten-
ant Platt for West Point. Certainly,
the young West Pointer has done him
self and his teacher great honor. He
is the first Wilmington boy in many q
year to graduate at West Point.
Lieutenant Platt will ARRIVE home
this morning at 9:20 o'clock by the At
Rantic Coast Line, and his record Al
West Point has been such a source Of
qualification that he will be given IL
special reception upon his arrival at
Front street station. He will be met
by that West Pointer. Captain E. w.
VanC- Lucas, chief of the United States
engineer corps here; Lieutenant Colo
mel VIM. A. Johnson, Second regiment
North Carolina state guard; Colonel
Walker Taylor, paymaster general of
the North Carolina state guard; Cap
tain A. P. Adrian, First Lieutenant j.
VanB Nets and Second Lieutenant
n. E Chilean. of the Wilmington light
infantry. and Lieutenant A. B. Skeld
ing, and Lieutenant II. NJ Chase, OF
Wilmington division. North Carolina
naval brigade. These military gentle
men will welcome him and escort him
from the railway station to the home of
his father. Mr. John T. Platt, COS Grac=
street. between Sixth and Seventh
streets.
This is not all the honors Lieuten
ant Platt will be accorded. A recep-
tion in his honor has been arranged al
the armory of the Wilmington light
infantry from $3.50 o'clock to IL o'clock
tomorrow night. The members of the
military organizations, Lieutenant
Plattis lady and gentlemen friends and
the public generally are invited to at
tend.