Cadet Life at West Point

by Hugh T. Reed

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND MILITARY ENGINEERING.

FIRST CLASS.

The course in civil and military engineering and the art of war is confined to the first class year.

The course in civil engineering begins September 1st and is completed during the first term, which closes with the Christmas holidays. It comprises brief treatises on the mechanics of civil engineering, framed and masonry structures, the materials of engineering, water supply and sewerage.

RECITATION SCHEDULE

Class.	Term.	Periods of Recitat’n				Department.	Subjects and Remarks.
New Cadets	Preliminary	A.M.	*80	†3 to 6	‡39	Mathematics	Algebra.
		A.M.	80	3 to 6	37	English and History	Geometry.
		P.M.	60	3	38	” ” ”	English.—(Saturdays A. M.)
		P.M.	60	3	38	” ” ”	History.—(Saturdays A. M.)
Fourth	First	A.M.	80	3 to 6	45	Mathematics	Algebra.
	”	A.M.	80	3 to 6	31	”	Trigonometry.
	”	A.M.	80	3 to 6	17	”	Conic Sections.
	”	P.M.	60	2 to 3	38	English and History	English.
	”	P.M.	60	2 to 3	38	” ” ”	History.
	”	A.M.	60	1	13	Tactics	Infantry and Artillery Drill regulations.—(Saturdays.)
	Second	A.M.	80	3 to 6	39	Mathematics	Conic Sections.
	”	A.M.	80	3 to 6	22	”	Solid Analytical Geometry.
	”	A.M.	80	3 to 6	62	”	Descriptive Geometry.
	”	P.M.	60	2 to 3	11	English and History	English.—(January only.)
	”	P.M.	60	2 to 3	11	” ” ”	History.—(January only.)
	”	P.M.	60	5	20	Practical Military Eng.	Surveying.—(February only.)
	”	P.M.	60	5	76	Modern Languages	French.—(March 1-June 4, inclusive.)
	”	A.M.	60	1	15	Tactics	Security and Information.—(February 1-May 15. Saturdays.)
Third	First	A.M.	80	3 to 6	71	Mathematics	Calculus.—(Has 6 per week in Sept. and Oct., and 3 per week in Nov. and Dec.)
	”	P.M.	120	2 to 3	21	Philosophy	Mechanics.—(The periods of 120 minutes in Mechanics are laboratory periods, September and October.)
	”	A.M.	80	3	20	”	Mechanics.—(November and December.)
	”	A.M.	60	6	91	Modern Languages	French.
	”	P.M.	120	2 to 3	38	Drawing	Freehand; Plane Geometrical.
	Second	A.M.	80	3	24	Mathematics	Calculus.
	”	A.M.	80	3	63	Philosophy	Mechanics.
	”	A.M.	60	6	49	Modern Languages	French.—(January 2-February 28, inclusive.)
	”	A.M.	80	1 to 2	20	” ”	French.—(March 1-June 4, inclusive.)
	”	A.M.	70	6	76	Chemistry	Chemistry; Heat.—(March 1-June 4, inclusive.)
	”	P.M.	120	2, 3, 5	81	Drawing	Descriptive Geometry; Topography; Field Work.—(5 per week after March 15.)
	”	A.M.	80	1 to 2	20	”	Descriptive Geometry; Topography; Field Work.—(5 per week after March 15.)
Second	First	A.M.	80	3	45	Philosophy	Sound; Light.
	”	A.M.	70	6	91	Chemistry	Heat; Mineralogy; Geology; Electricity.
	”	A.M.	60	2 to 3	45	Ordnance and Gunnery	Ordnance and Gunnery.
	”	P.M.	120	2 to 3	38	Drawing	Field Sketching; Building Construction; Projective Geometry.
	Second	A.M.	80	3	63	Philosophy	Light; Astronomy.
	”	A.M.	70	6	49	Chemistry	Electricity.—(January 2-February 28, inclusive.)
	”	A.M.	60	3	49	Ordnance and Gunnery	Ordnance and Gunnery.—(To May 4.)
	”	A.M.	60	3	38	Modern Languages	Spanish.—(March 1-June 4, inclusive.)
	”	P.M.	60	3	13	Hygiene	Principles of Hygiene.—(Also 6 lectures, P. M.)
	”	A.M.	60	3	38	Tactics	Cavalry, Artillery, and Infantry Drill Regulations.—(March 1-June 4, inclusive.)
	”	P.M.	120	2 to 3	50	Drawing	Building Construction; Mechanical and Engineering Drawing.
First	First	A.M.	80	6	91	Engineering	Civil and Military.
	”		60	2 to 3	45	Law	Elementary; Constitutional.—(39 in A. M. & 2 P. M.’s per week for 6 weeks for half class.)
	”	P.M.	60	5	70	Modern Languages	Spanish.—(5 per week, except half class 2 P. M.’s per week for 6 weeks.)
	Second	A.M.	80	6	126	Engineering	Military Engineering; Art of War.
	”		60	2 to 3	73	Law	International; Military.—(58 in A. M. & 2 P. M.’s per week for 15 weeks for half class.)
	”	P.M.	60	3 to 4	75	Modern Languages	Spanish.
	”	A.M.	60	3	12	Tactics	Hippology.—(February.)
	”	P.M.	120	1	15	Tactics	Lectures and Tactical Map Problems.

* Length in minutes. † Number per week. ‡ Total number.

The course in military engineering and the art of war begins on January 2nd and closes on the 3rd of June. Military engineering embraces the study of field and permanent fortifications and siege works. The art of war embraces the study of the organization of armies, employment of the different arms in combination, logistics and strategy. To familiarize the students with its principles, lectures are delivered on military subjects and the principal operations of about twenty selected campaigns are studied. During this course the students are taken to the battle-field of Gettysburg to familiarize them with the effects of topography on the employment of troops in the field.

TEXT BOOKS.

• Civil Engineering. Fiebeger.
• Field Fortifications. Fiebeger.
• Permanent Fortifications. Fiebeger.
• Elements of Strategy. Fiebeger.
• Siege Works. Mercur.
• Organization and Tactics. Wagner.
• Field Service Regulations. U. S.
• Campaign of Gettysburg. Fiebeger.

BOOKS OF REFERENCE.

• Campaigns and Battles. Department.
• Story of Civil War. Ropes. Cambria Steel.

The department has a well-selected reference library on civil engineering, military engineering and the art of war.