The Washington herald., 1919-09-30

west Point ended at last, though
Came one of those rare days In tho
June Of 1886. such a June day as
perhaps inspired the poet Lowell.
1t was graduation day. Jack Per-
came a second lieutenant in the
were realized. He held in his hand
a commission. He was a second
lieutenant of cavalry-soon to- be
detailed to Troop L of the Sixth
United States Cavalry.
Second Lieut.. John Joseph Per-
shing of the Sixth Cavalry, United
States army!
Such did Jack Pershing become
on July 1, 1886, following his grad
uation from the United States Mill
tary Academy at West Point Never
at any other time in his life, not
even when. on October 6. 1913, he
was given the highest honor the
United States army offers, q full
four-starred generalship, has COM
mission meant so much to him.
Dreams of childhood, dreams Of
boyhood. dreams Of early manhood
all had come true.
His ambition was realized at last.
He was an officer in the army Of
his country.
How the event was celebrated
West Point custom-an unwritten
fiat of the academy-decrees that
the very first affair after gradua-
lion shall be a class dinner. Thus
it was a day or SO later found the
entire class of 1SS6-all of its sew
enty-seven members, and those sew
enty-seven all second ieutcnants-
gathered in a hotel in New York
City.
Jack Persaing-Second Lieut. Per-
shing now, IL you please-as presi-
dent Of the class of 1886. presided
What a dinner! Into the next morn
ing II continued-such q dinner as
the class of 1886 had never held
before, such a dinner as the class
Of 1886 would never hold again
Jack Pershing was not to reach Fort
Bayard in time to take part in the
capture Of Geronimo and Natchez. Be-
fore joining his command on Septem-
Der 30 he first visited Washington. his
old home in Laclede. Mo-, and the new
home which his family had establish
ed in Lincoln, Nebr. When at last ne
reached Fort Bayard. Geronimo and
Natchez had surrendered and with a
large number OF their bands were on
their way. under guard. to Florida,
where they were placed on a reserva-
ton.
The story Of his visit to Washing
ton is worthy OF recording. Br1g. Gen
Charles c. Walcutt, jr., the chief OF
the insular bureau in Washington. told
me somewhat of it And Jack Per-
shing himself, in a letter written after
he had reached Fort Bayard-written
by a strange coincidence on the very
day that "Suke" Mott was shot-tells
more OF It and of his journey to his
"first post" Mott was with him on
that journey.
when we reached Washington"
Gen. walcutt told me, Jack and the
others, who were with US decided that
while the army offered much, civil lie
perhaps offered still more We talked
over a plan where one OF us should
resign from the service and go West,
there to make a fortune in a develop
ment scheme in Oregon The mar
who went West should be supported
by the rest of US while he was max
ing money for US. Then we would all
resign. Needless to say, the scheme
never materialized."
There Is in Washington an old, re-
tired army ofier. MAI. Gen William
H. Carter, who probably knows more
about the Sixth Cavalry than any
living person He has written a his
tory Of the Sixth-"From Yorktown
to Santiago with the Sixth Cavalry
which tells in detail about all the
engagements and movements OF the
regiment from the time II came into
being on August 3. 1861, to the time
of the Cuban campaign To visit
Gen. Carter at his home, 2l25 Ban
croft Place, In Washington. is to re-
live the Sixth's glorious achieve
ments.
Indeed, I do remember Jack Per
shing when he Joined the Sixth" the
general said to me the day 1 called
upon him. IT was quarterInaster OF
the Sixth at the time. Jack Pershing
was as fine a second lieutenant as
ever came out Of West Point-a per
feet type Of the perfect soldier. The
day he Joined his command he gave
promise Of becoming the great sol
dier he is today
With the ending Of his first Indian
campaign came one OF the most i'm
pressive reviews the army has ever