CADET LIFE AT WEST POINT
CHAPTER I.
THE APPOINTMENT.
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.
I learned a good deal from the soldiers about West Point. They told me that I could not go there until I was seventeen years old, and not then unless I was appointed as a cadet by my congressman. They also told me that I must be a good boy at school and study hard, for the reason that after securing the appointment I would have to pass a rigid examination at West Point before admission. This was bad news to me, because we farm boys never attended school longer than four or five months in a year. Fortunately, however, the family moved to “town” when I was fourteen years old. I was then assured that I would have my wish, and I never missed a day at school. I was so anxious to learn rapidly that I overtaxed my eyes, and was in a dark room for nearly a year. Still I did not give up hope, and when my eyesight permitted I returned to school again.
I found out that there could be only one cadet at a time at West Point from the same congressional district, and also that there was then a young man there from my district; still I had hopes of getting there myself before I got too old, that is, over twenty-one.[1] Then there was no book published about West Point, and magazines and newspapers never described it.
“MIGHT BE A CADET.”
One day I saw by the paper that the Hon. G. W. Julian was at home on a short visit, and I knew that he was my congressman; hence I wanted to go at once to see him. I confided in my mother and obtained her permission to be absent from school that afternoon. So I saddled old John, my favorite horse, and rode six miles to Mr. Julian’s house. He was at home, and was very kind to me. He asked my father’s name, and also my name and age, and he made a note of my address, saying that he might write to me from Washington. He also said that there would be a vacancy at West Point, from his district, the next year in June, and that he would make the appointment soon; that I was the first young man to apply for the place, but if any one who had served in the war applied for the cadetship within the next few weeks he would appoint him—that such a person could be just under twenty-four years of age. Nevertheless, if no old soldier applied, he would appoint me, as he knew my father well. He then said that if he did appoint me I must be a good student the next year, and prepare for the examination at West Point. Upon my return home I did not talk about West Point any more, nor did I speak to any one except my mother about having seen Mr. Julian, and I had five brothers and a sister, too!
About two months after my visit to Mr. Julian, I received a letter from him, taking it myself from the postoffice, but alas! the writing was such that I could not read it, although there were but eight words in it, so I hastened with it to my mother, but she could not read it, either. Then as I must confide in another person, I decided to speak to my father, and ask him to read the letter, under promise that he would not talk about West Point with any one except my mother and myself. He read the letter at once, and said that the writing was all right, but that the letter did not mean anything, as Mr. Julian had probably written the same to other boys. I did not believe this, and was surer than ever of obtaining the appointment. Many years have passed since then, but the words of that letter are still fresh in my memory. They are:
“Please inform me in reply your exact age.”
I wanted my father to write Mr. Julian in my behalf, but he declined to do so, saying that he did not want me to go to West Point. I then got him to promise not to write “that” to Mr. Julian, and I myself answered the letter by return mail.
About ten days after this I received another letter from the congressman, a great large one, in a long envelope, and all I could read of that was “I have recommended you”; but that was enough, as the appointment itself was enclosed, and I could read it, and I was a happy boy. I ran home to show the appointment to my mother, and then to the store to show it to my father, and also to get him to read the letter to me, which was as follows:
“I have recommended you, and enclose herewith your conditional appointment as a cadet to West Point, together with certain other papers from the War Department. I shall now expect you to prepare yourself for the examination next June, and I hope you will graduate with high honors, and that afterwards you will be loyal and useful to your country.”