Instruction is communicated gratuitously to the cadets, each of whom receives monthly eight dollars from government as wages. A public examination of the cadets takes place every year at the end of June, by a commission, appointed by the secretary of war. This commission consists of staff-officers from the army and navy, members of congress, governors of states, learned men, and other distinguished citizens. After this examination, the best among those who have finished their course are appointed as officers in the army; the very best may choose the corps in which they wish to serve. The others receive stations, according to their capacity, in the following order: engineers, artillerists, infantry, marines. Should even these corps have the necessary number of officers, these young men as supernumeraries, receive full pay. At the examinations also, the cadets advance from one class to another. The names of the five best in each class are made known in the newspapers, and also printed in the army list, which appears every year. This is certainly an encouraging arrangement, and worthy of imitation.
The discipline of the cadets is very rigid; they leave the school only as officers, on which account their noviciate in the corps of cadets serves as a practical school of passive obedience. The punishments consist of arrest, which, however, does not interrupt the course of instruction; but when a case occurs that a cadet is to be punished a second time for the same fault, he is dismissed. The same takes place when after two public examinations he has not learned enough to advance into a higher class.
The day is thus divided in this school:—
From day-break till sunrise.—Reveillé at day-break—roll-call after reveillé—cleaning of rooms, arms and dress—half an hour after roll-call, inspection of the rooms.
From sunrise till seven o’clock.—First class, military engineering.—Second, natural and experimental philosophy.—Third and fourth, mathematics.
From seven till eight o’clock.—Breakfast at seven o’clock.—Parade at half past seven.—Class parade at eight o’clock.
From eight till eleven o’clock.—First class, recitations and engineer and military drawing.—Second, natural and experimental philosophy.—Third and fourth, mathematical recitations.
From eleven till twelve o’clock.—First class, lectures on engineer and military sciences.—Second, lectures on natural and experimental philosophy.—Third and fourth, mathematical studies.
From twelve till one o’clock.—First class, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, lectures on chemistry applied to mechanics and the arts, or mineralogy and geology.—Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, studies on the same subjects.—Second, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, lectures on chemistry.—Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, studies on the same subject.—Third, French recitations.—Fourth, French studies and recitations.
From one till two o’clock.—Dinner very plain and frugal at one o’clock—recreation after dinner till two o’clock.