Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-10
DIARIES OF THE CADETS
"reminiscences of the Military Acad'
envy Desired.
SOME STRIKING MEMORIALS
Interesting Relics-Site of Institu-
ton Selected by Washington.
Monument to Kosciusko.

Il
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record.
| Herald.
The late Gen. Alfred f. Bates, much
| lamented in both civil and military cir
| cles. preferred to be buried In the quiet
| and beautiful acre consecrated to the re-
pose of the dead upon the reservation OF
| the Military Academy at West Point. IT
| was laid out in 1917. fountain at the
entrance was presented by Mrs. James
Lawton Of New York in memory of her
father. Gen. Robert Anderson, the hero OF
Fort Sumter. who is buried there. The
| muster roll contains the names OF WIN
field Scott. Sylvanus Thayer. Judson Kill
| patrick, George A. Custer. Egbert Vice.
Daniel Butterfield and long list of other
distinguished soldiers.
| Among the many interesting manuscripts
in the library Of the academy is the
| original diary of Maj. Gen. S. p. Heintz-
Gilman, kept in 1S25-26. while a cadet. 1t
| has already been OF service in settling a
| vexatious historical question. 1t is hoped
| that a diary he kept during the civil war
may also be added to the collection.
1t would be a good thing IL every army
| ofiicer, especially graduates of the acad-
| envy. would send to the librarian per-
| sOnal sketches and printed references to
| themselves in order that the biograph-
ical records Of the alumni might be more
1 accurates and complete. Contributions of
| that kind would be very valuable today
| II they had been sent in by Grant. Sher-
| man or other heroes of the civil war. A
| modest cadet of today may be ma
| Monal hero tomorrow.
"Cullum Biographical Register" which
was originally brought out in 1890, has
| been carried down to 1900 by DR.. Ed
| ward S. Holden. but he has not received
much assistance from the officers them.
| selves. Graduates Of the academy should
| be willing to give an account OF them
| selves, and there Is no Improperly. but
an obligation, for every one of them to
deposit with the library diaries, records
| of military interest and other biographt-
| cal and historical material. Four sur
viving' members Of the class of 1860, for
example, Horace Porter. James H. Will
son, John NJ. Wilson and Wesley Merritt,
not to mention other classes. could con-
tribute volumes Of valuable information
| to the records of the academy. even If
they were limited to their own expert
ence.
The library building, which was erected
in 1871. Of native granite after the Tudor
esque school Of architecture. will remain.
1t was almost entirely reconstructed ten
wears ago, and Is In excellent condition.
1t is entirely appropriate and of sufi1cient
capacity to accommodate the 5000 books
which adorn its shelves. The collection
Of military authorities and biographies
is complete and we'll arranged. although
the allowance for new publications is
rather limited.
Noted Names Dropped From Roll.
The walls bear tablets to Whistler, the
artist, and Edgar A. Poe, both of whom
were cadets and were dismissed from the
academy before their classes graduated
Poe for mischief and violation Of the
regulations and Whistler for deficiency
in chemistry. Whistler once said that
III silicate had been a gas. i would have
been a soldier instead of an artist
which explains why he became separated
from the academy. Whistler was APP
pointed q member at large of the class of
1854. He remained for two years and a
half and. according to the records, was
dropped for deficiency in his studies. The
tablet erected to his memory designed by
st. Gaudens. Is narrow sab of pure
white marble. bearing his cipher. which
was q butterfly in relief. and the in
scription:
James M ,s;.';sos Whistler.
The story of the beautiful is already
complete: heWn In the marbles of the
Parthenon and broidered with the buds
upon the fan of Ho-ku-sai.
Poe was appointed from Virginia,
member OF the class of 1884, and remained
at the Academy for nearly two years.
The inscription upon his tablet is as mys-
terious as some of his stories. Nobody
pretends to understand 1t:
Edgar Allan Toe.
Born 1909 Died 1si9
How dark woe: Yet how sublime a hope.
How silently serene q Of pride.
How daring an ambition. yet how deep!
How fatbomess capacity for love.
In the academy building. which is also
Of Tudoresque architecture. designed by
the late Richard NJ. Hunt and erected of
Massachusetts granite In 1901. are a num-
Der Of drawings by Whistler when he was
a cadet, and others by Gen. Grant Gen.
Sherman. Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte,
who was appointed from Maryland in
1852. and many others Of interest offered
by cadets since 1920. There are a number
OF fine oil portraits, including life-size
painting of Presidents Jefferson and Mad
ison by Sully.
Memorial Hall.
The greater number of trophies, how
ever. are in Memorial Hail. erected by
Mckim. Mead & White in 1900, upon a
bequest by the late George w. Cullum of
the class of 1879. 1t stands upon the rim
Of the cliff that overlooks the Hudson.
is built of Milford pink granite. and is
one of the most beautiful buildings In the
world. being a modified replica Of the
Erechtheum. built I'm the fourth century
before Christ, on the Acropolis at Athens.
Graduate reunions are held in Thayer
Hail. on the second floor. which is hung
viii trOpHles, pOFlfdltS anu OrndmenteU
with cannon. mortars and other captured
ordnance. The hall will seat about 800.
and since the number OF cadets
outgrew the capacity OF the chapel. divine
worship has been held there. 1t is also
used for banquets. balls and graduating
exercises and for theatrical and other en-
tertainments. In the basement, which IL
formed by a sharp slope on the bank upon
which the building. stands. are forty bed
rooms completely furnished for the use
of visitors who can take their meals at
the officers mess next door, and during
the graduation week they are crowded.
Another collection of captured cannon
and other ordnance. witnesses of valor of
the American soldier. u grouped In a
picturesque manner under the shade of
a noble group of trees, around 1.-THE
Battle Monument" which was dedicated
in 1897 to 2,23O officers and soldiers of
the regular army, whose names are
chiseled on the base Of the shaft. and
the bronze plates encircling a group Of
granite balls. The monument consists
of circular pedestal approached by
flights Of steps, and supporting a mono
lith of polished granite forty-slx feet
long and FIVE feet in diameter, which Is
said to be the largest mOnolith OF gran
Fame stands upon q cannon ball at the
summit of the shaft. blowing a trumpet
and holding q wreath Of laurel In the
right hand. which 10 outstretched to-
ward the narrows OF the Hudson--One of
the most sublime pictures of nature that
the human eye has ever seen.
The View From West Point.
The river encircles the bluff upon which