Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1906-12-20
A WEST POINT STORY
ODD INCIDENT THAT MADE GENERAL
Bugtl BREAK A RECORD.

A fragrant Breach of discipline Tkat
Was Grstesaue .es 10 Make fhs
General who Never Laughed Roar
In Spite of Hfs Grfmness.
General Buell., whose timely arrival
at Shiloh, some military critics hold,
saved General Grant from defeat, vas
known In the old army as the man
who can't laugh" General Buell. was
not grave merely; he was grim. Yet
tive yeariing cadets at West Point
made General Buell. break n record.
II was hot on the plateau above the
waters of the Hudson, hotter than the
cheek OF a fieldpiece that has been in
action, so hot that the leaves on the
elm tree shriveled and the feet of the
pacing sentries burned from contact
with the only paved path OF the gov
ernmeHt reservation.
The pleDes had reported and were
quartered In two divisions Of barracks,
the upper class men having been turn
ed out to share quarters with their
comrades I'm the other divisions.
The June examinations were on.
The board Of visitors, of which Gen
eral Buell. Was a member. had paid Its
perfunctory visits to mess hall, 10 AGA
demic building and to barracks. II
was 10 o'clock in the morning. Two
cadets had been thrown by fate and
by the arrival OF the plebes int the
same room Of the ffth division Of bar
racks. The thermometer In the shade
OF the guardhouse registered 90 de-
gress. In the room In which the two
cadets were quartered doubtless 1t
stood 1e degrees higher.
There had been enc morning inspec-
ton Of quarters by an army officer, and
the two y~earhngs. gasping for breath
In a room into which the san beat with
no regard for cadet feelings, had every
reason to believe that there would he
no further inspections that morning.
They had stood the ordeal Of the exam
inging board at 9 o'clock, and, with 40
studies In hand, they thought they were
safe until the first call for dinner.
BY the law Of the academy every
cadet In quarters was to be in full dress
uniform until IL o'clock. He was not
allowed to smoke. His bedding was to
be neatly piled at the head OF his bunk.
In other words, the cadet room and the
cadets person were to be properly or
dered and properly arrayed for inspec-
ton.
Its hot" said the cadet whs was to
become an artillery oficer.
"It's hotter than that" said his com
rade.
Lets strip" said the enc.
"Done," said the ether.
And forthwith they stripped. Then
the mattresses were pulled from the
hunks and thrown under the window,
through which occasionally zane a
Whit Of breeze, grateful Though heat
laden
I'D like to smoke" said the future
artilleryman as he threw himself N
one u the mattresses.
"Tm going to smoke" said his com
rade.
And l~astanter pipes were lighted, and
the room began filling with fragrant
blue fog.
There was a clink Of a sword heard
In the hallway. Its sound brought cen
~sternation. An inspection was on. Be
fore the two yeariings had time TO
think there was a rap, and the door
was thrown open, and In came, not the
ordinary second lieutenant inspecting
sfAcer, but Lieutenant Colonel Henry
N. Lanelle. commandant Of cadets, and
Major General Don Carlos Bnefi, Unit
ed States army.
Discipline strikes In. The tive cul-
prit cadets sprang to attention In
%stantly. heels together, arms hanging
naturally and the little fingers where
the seams Of the rousers would have
been II they'd had any trousers On.
The future a~rtilleryman was clothed
In n sock, and in this attire he was
n sock the better of his comrade.
They stood there rigid. The position
Of a soldier was never better main
tanned. Commandment Lazelle turned
purple with rage at this graceless
breach of discipline actually paraded
before a major general of the United
States army and a member Of the
board of visitors.
The cadet who one day was to com
mand a battery had dropped his pipe.
The hot bowl touched his great Toe,
and the burning was too much for
even a soldiers s~tolidity, and he emit
ted q. very boylike OUCH
General Don Carlos Buell. took In the
spectacle and all the glorious humor
Of the situation. His grlmness was
not proof against such a sight as this.
He leaned back against a table and
roared, and not ven the wrath In the
commandments face could check his
roaring.
"Come, general" said the comman-
dant: 'let Us 6 q. l shall report these
young men for three fragrant viola
lions Of the rules Of the academy"
General Buell. looked at the guilty
ones and roared again. The comman-
dant led the way out Of the room. but
the culprits heard the laugh Of Buell.
an the way through the hall. across
the area Of barracks, until finally II
came as a sort of chuckling echo from
the ONCE Of the guardhouse.
The culprits were confronted with
the probability OF about three months
condnement to quarters anc about
1tty tours Of extra guard duty as q re-
sult Of their disregard for discipline.
Thoy were In the depths for twenty