As an amusement for him, I read chapter after chapter, as it was written, to a favorite nephew, and when the manuscript was written and in a temporary binding, I loaned it to this young relative, who, in turn, with my consent, loaned it to friends of his, and it was read by these youngsters and passed from hand to hand. I could not help but realize the interest that was taken by these young readers in what I had so carelessly and indifferently written, but at the same time, I should never have undertaken the publication of my notes if my nephew had not attended a military school and bombarded me with appeals to send him the old manuscript, so that his comrades might read about life at West Point.
The old manuscript wouldn’t do, so I edited what I had written, re-wrote some of the pages, added a few lines here and there, and finally concluded to publish it without the least expectation that it will interest very many persons, or bring me any material reward.
I have tried to write it naturally and without any attempt at literary excellence, and beg most respectfully to offer it to the public as a grateful tribute of my happiest years.
For valuable data I am indebted to Colonel Charles W. Larned, Lieutenant Colonel F. W. Sibley, Commandant of Cadets, Captains W. E. Wilder, F. W. Coe and O. J. Charles, Adjutants, Lieut. M. B. Stewart, Tactical Officer, Dr. E. S. Holden, Librarian, and Mr. William Ward, in charge of Cadet Records from 1851 to 1911, all of the Military Academy, and to Lieutenant Charles Braden, editor of Cullum’s Biographical Register of West Point Graduates.
IX. The United States Military Academy 259
Graduating Hop Invitation—Class of 1872 163
Graduating Hop Invitation—Class of 1873 203
Bird’s Eye View of West Point as It May Be in 1912 209
Bird’s Eye View of West Point in 1902 213
Seal of the United States Military Academy 221
Battalion Marching from Camp to Barracks 229
Officers’ Quarters Above Old North Gate in 1910 241
Officers’ Quarters Below Old South Gate in 1910 241
Coat of Arms of the United States Military Academy 247
Looking East from the New Chapel in 1910 257
Perspective View from River on the East 257
I was not more than eight years old when I first heard about West Point, and then I was told that it was Uncle Sam’s Military School; that the young men there were called cadets; that they were soldiers, and that they wore pretty uniforms with brass buttons on them. The impression made upon me at the time was such that I never tired talking and asking questions about West Point. I soon learned to indicate the site on the map, and I longed to go there, that I might be a cadet and wear brass buttons. I talked about it so much that my good mother made me a coat generous with brass buttons. I called it my cadet coat, and wore it constantly. Ah! for the day I should be a big boy and be a real cadet. With a wooden gun I played soldier, and when the war broke out and the soldiers camped in our old fair grounds, I was in their camp at every opportunity. The camp was about half-way between our home farm and father’s store in town, and many is the time I have been scolded for being so much at the camp. My only regret at that time was that I was not old enough to enlist, for I loved to watch the drills and linger around the camp-fires, listening to stories of the war.