The Tupelo journal., 1909-10-01

HRMGGd llCl 10 Ghot hphAA
" w thing Of the past, both at
the military and naval
academies, despite a recent outbreak
at West Point. Perhaps the officers
are right, perhaps they are wrong
time and the human nature, or the
devil, if you will. that is in boys may
some day get working again and
show itself in an outbreak of the old
hazing custom.
Some time ago there vas a hazing
case at Annapolis and many cadets
were implicated. They were all
placed in arrest and the number OF
the arrested ones was SO great that
officials thought that a record had
been broken, but such was not the
case.
The officers had forgotten, if they
ever knew 1t, that once upon a time
the entire corps of cadets at the
United States Military academy was
placed in arrest and that 1t was nee
essary to break all army rules by
drawing on the ranks of the culprits
to secure men for guard duty, a duty
ordinarily considered too honorable
to be discharged properly by any
man or body of men against whom
charges of serious misconduct had
been laid.
There was a riot at the United
States Military academy at midnight
December 81, 1879. The authorities
not only called the proceedings a
riot, but they said that it was rebel.
lious in its nature, and as the ,result
of it Gen. John M. Schofield, superin.
tendent of the academy, placed the
800 cadets under arrest.
The riotous demonstration at the
academy on that night broke all
academy presidents. 1t was planned
by a dozen daredevil cadets of the
first class who were to graduate the
following June and who wished to
mark in a manner unprecedented the
ushering in of their graduating year.
About 20 cadets by a continued
course of good conduct had succeed.
ed in securing leave for two days at
Christmas. When they returned from
their short furlough they brought
with them in valise and in trunk ev-
cry variety of fireworks known to
the ingenuity of the manufacturer
Roman candles, ~skyrockets, cannon
crackers and other noise and fire
making articles. They were carefully
hidden away in the mattresses of the
cadets all over the barracks. For
nearly a week the boys slept on veri
table mines of powder.
1t was curious that the authorities
at the academy did not note and in
quire into the fact that at least &c
cadets "cut" supper every night fol
a week prior to New Years eve. II
is dark at supper time in late Decem
Der, and under v of the darkness
diets detailed for the purpose made
Trophy point and from there they b
the barracks scores of round shot, /,
weight, which had been made yea
for use in the old muzzle-loading
siege guns. The round shot were !
the "cock loft" of the barracks.
The cadets who had acted as cal
porals at light artillery drill had ma
abstract, unseen of the authorities,
or 40 canvas bags of powder. TIL
slowed away in the chimneys whic
into the unused fireplaces in the cad
tiers.
Ten first classmen "fell out" frol
on New Years eve. They stole unt
of darkness down to Battery Knox
they loaded the old smooth-bore cam
had been frowning harmlessly owe
son for a quarter of a century. From
Knox the cadets went by way of
walk to the seacoast battery, and Il
loaded the cotton smooth-bore, the BIZ
at that time in the service. The small
of the seacoast batteries also were
doubly loaded were a better way to
and then the six 30-pound PARROTS of
battery were fed with powder. Into
of every piece Of the three batteries
primers were inserted and lanyards
tached ready for the pulling. Then t
went back to barracks.
The bell in the tower of the old
building tolled the first stroke of
Before the second stroke came thel
roar from the river front, followed b.
roar, another and yet another. Til
came a shock that shook the plateau
the echoes rolling from Gro Nest 10
nam and far away to the hill of Mad
Wayne. The old 20-ton smooth-bore
If not trebly, charged, had spoken. IT
the sharp reports of the PARROTS and
snappy bark of the field pieces
simultaneously with the roars
river batteries there came the his
screaming of rockets. etc., fired FRI