Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-20
POLO IN THE ARMY.
First Played by a Regiment in 1894
and at West Point in 1006

L
Letter from Maj. f. B. Cassatt to N. Y. Sun.
Col James Parker of the nth Cavalry
has drawn my attention to an item giving
to Col. Charles G. Treat the credit Of in
Producing polo at the Military Academy
when he was commandant Col. Parker
thinks that 1t was I who taught the
cadets how to play the game, and he asks
me to set the matter right. The fact is
that Maj Robert L. Howe had as much
to do With introducing the sport at West
Point as had.
During the spring Of 1894 was station
ed at Fort Walla Walla, Wash, as a
second lieutenant in the 4th Cavalry. AL
though We got plenty of exercise in the
line OF duty, l was at q loss to find some
active way of employing my spare time,
So l bought a pony for 81 and sent
east for polo balls and mallets.
The frst time appeared on the parade
ground with the pony 1 found it rather
and ball, and other officers derived much
amusement from my efforts. Mai, then
Lieut.. Robert A. Brown was so well
convinced that he could show me how to
hit the ball that he made me lend him the
pony and tried to give me a lesson. He
failed to hit the ball as completely as 1
had, and the next day he bought q pony
for 50. From that time on polo fiourished
in the regiment Nearly every officer I'M
der forty-five years Of age bought ponies,
and We played at every possible Oppor-
tunity.
we became SO expert, as we thought,
that In April 1905, we sent a team to the
polo tournament at Burlingame, near
San Francisco. The team consisted of H.
5. Hawkins, Paul Compton, Gordon Voor-
HES and myself, with Cecil Stewart, our
adjutant, as substitute, and we took
twenty ponies with us. We were full of
the confidence bred of ignorance, and We
were so badly beaten by the Burlingame
in disgust went back to Walla Walla
without even waiting to see the other
games of the tournament.
Since that time polo has been the IA
vorite sport Of the younger officers Of the
4th Cavalry. I do not say that this was
the origin of polo in the army but II it
was played prior to the day when Brown
tried to teach me 1 have never heard
of it.
Now as to West Point. In 1896 Gen.
Gen. Samuel NJ. Mills commandant of
cadets, Col. Parker senior instructor Of
cavalry tactics. while Howe and I were
instructors, he in tactics and in modern
languages Howe suggested to ME one
day that we teach the game to the cadets
of the first class, and together We carried
out our idea. With the hearty co-opera-
ton Of Gems. Ernest and Mills and Col.
Parker we got rev CADETS out on the
old cavalry plain and mounted them on
horses from the cavalry detachment.
The cadets took to the game like ducks
to water Howe left in the early spring
of 1897, throwing upon me the entire bur-
den and pleasure of polo instruction and
management until / myself left for the
Spanish war in May. 1898. AS Col.
Parker says. polo has continued at
West Point ever since, with the result
that there are today few. If any. regi-
ments of cavalry or field artillery that
do not play the game.
While on the subject of athletics at
West Point l will add that 1 think l am
entitled to the credit of having arranged
the first athletic event between cadets
of the Military Academy and an outside
team. In the summer OF $780, while
third-class man, invited some friends in
Philadelphia to come to West Point as a
base ball nine and play a game with a
nine of cadets Of the classes OF 1891 and
1893. This was. 1 believe, the first con-
test of any kind between cadets and out
siders. 1 wish 1 could remember the
names of the players on both sides. Per-
haps some Of your readers have better
memories and could furnish the names.