The Washington herald., 1919-09-20
EARLY LIFE OF
GEN. JOHN ]. PERSHING
AUTHENTIC STORY
OF THE BOYHooD DAYS
OF THE FAMOUS GENERAL
by HAROLD r. WHEELER


CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY.
In that same letter, the one in
which the general told of the
"red-letter" day at Trenton. refer
ring to the days of which / now
write, the general said:
What memories come rushing
forward to be recorded! II was at
Col. Huse's school. now called The
Rocks believe. with splendid
Caleb at it's head. that several Of
US got the first idea Of what we
were really in for. Deshon. Frier,
Winn. Andrew, Clayton, Billy
wright, Stevens, Legare and the
rest of us at Calebs used TO
wrestle with examinations of pre-
Vious years and hy-speck page
after page OF stuff that we forgot
completely, before plebe first year.
or freshman students, at West Point
are called 'plebes) camp was over
But the grind at The Rocks" did
not last forever.
A few weeks and II was over.
West Point was a reality.
"Duty: Honor! County,
These are the watchwords-the
wstchword.of the corps OF cadets of
the United States Military Academy.
They became the shibboleth of
John Pershing that day in June OF
So when he entered West Point
They have been his shibboleth ever
since.
What day that was-that frst
day.
Early in the morning he left
The Rocks" the old military
prep" school conducted by Col.
Caleb Huse. How vague and indis-
tinct seemed all his past. John
Pershing. that morning. looked only
into the future. and what visions
were his as he tramped up the long,
steep, winding road that leads TO
the academy. Could he. that morn
Ing, have dreamed of the greatness
that now is his?
Today he holds the highest rank
that the United States Military
Academy at West Point offers her
corps OF CADETS full. foUr-starred
generalship in the United States
army. He holds that highest rank.
leading a fighting army Of Ameri-
cans on the battlefelds of France.
No American, no. none, not even the
immortal Washington. nor the i'm
mortal Grant, ever won such
honors
PershinE Enters West Point.
Meantime, the huge. massive gray
buildings Ioomed nearer.
The grandeur OF them. such
grandeur as one graduate OF West
Point has said might have inspired
Ruskin's thought, frozen music"
their sternness and solemnity, SO
symbolic OF the discipline and
strength Of the academy. made an
impression upon Pershing that has
never been cffaced.
He knew by this time-what
cadet entering West Point does
not?-West Points history. dating
back to the Revolution and so in
terwoven with the Revolution as tc
be a part of the very heart and soul
of it. But it had ALI been as a
dream. Now it was real-Johr
Pershing was there.
He reached at last the office
where the new cadets Of those DAYS
reported. There is at West Point
today a man who was there on the
day Of which ] write. He is Will
'am {. Woods. messenger to Col
Samuel f. Tillman. the present su.
perintendent of the academy. And
there is not West Point man alive
today but who remembers Billy,
Woods. Nor is there alive. either
West Point man but whom Billy
woods remembers. Woods enlisted
in the army in SO and has been in
1t ever since, most OF the time a.
west Point. True. he is retired
now-retired sergeant-but h,
keeps in the army just the same. a,
messenger to the superintendent 0,
the academy. He is a West Polnr
institution. is Woods.
Yes" the old man told me vher
] visited the academy. 81 was here
the day Jack Pershing'-usLng the
name which became John Perish.
ing's after he entered West Point
arrived. 1t was to me that he pre.
sented his letter OF appointment
All the young men did. Then I had
to line them UP and march them &c
barracks
What do I remember about Gen
Pershing-Jack? Not much Ee
was as the other boys who re.
ported that day: as the bows who
had reported before him. and a,
the boys who have reported since.
fine, clean. outstanding younl
man, worthy OF West Point and q
West Point traditions"
moments depression.
Plebes and YesrIincs.
New cadets enter the academ,
in June, Immediately follovinc
graduation. or else in September
Most cadets. however. even as JacL
Pershing. enter in June. and from tn,
moment of their entrance until tn,
day OF their graduation drills anc
study continue practically withou
cessation. There are leaves of alb.
sence, but they are very short
leaves-a week or month-not tn,
vacations of other colleges or uni
versities
And tho designation OF senior
junior, sophomore and freshman /.
not used at West Point. The ca
diets in the first years course con.
stitute the fourth class and arc
known as PIebes The cadets ir
the second years course constitute
the third class and are known as
Yearlings. The cadets in the thirc
and fourth year courses Consti.
tute, respectively. the second anC
first class. II has always been q
four years course at West Point