Cadet Life at West Point

by Hugh T. Reed

The occupation of West Point as a military post took place January 20, 1778, and has been continuous since then.

On March 30, 1779, the Board of War adopted regulations for the Corps of Engineers and for the Sappers and Miners: these were promulgated in Orders, July 30, 1779, by General Washington and provided for a plan of instruction to be carried into effect after approval by the Board and by the General-in-Chief. The plan contemplated lectures by engineer officers, on fortifications, mining, reconnaissance, encampments and the like, and as early as February, 1780, practical experiments in gunnery were conducted at West Point, and in 1781, at the request of Washington, the Corps of Invalids was marched from Philadelphia to West Point, where an engineer school, a laboratory, and a library had already been established in three separate buildings.

At Newburgh, N. Y., in 1783, Washington discussed with his officers the necessity of the government maintaining a military academy as a part of the regular army and as the first President of the United States he again referred to it in his message of December 3, 1793, which resulted in the law of May 9, 1794, authorizing the organization of a “Corps of Artillerists and Engineers” with two cadets to each company, thereby creating the new grade of “cadet” in our regular army. The artillerists and engineers were stationed at West Point that year and a school for the cadets was opened at once and continued until 1796 when the school buildings were destroyed by fire.

In his last message to Congress, Washington said: “The institution of a military academy is also recommended by cogent reasons. However pacific the general policy of a nation may be, it ought never to be without an adequate stock of military knowledge for emergencies. The first would impair the energy of its character, and both would hazard its safety, or expose it to greater evils when war could not be avoided. Besides that, war might not often depend upon its own choice. In proportion as the observance of pacific maxims might exempt a nation from the necessity of practicing rules of military art, ought to be its care in preserving and transmitting, by proper establishments, the knowledge of that art. Whatever argument may be drawn from particular examples superficially viewed, a thorough examination of the subject will evince that the art of war is at once comprehensive and complicated; that it demands much previous study; and that the possession of it in its most approved and perfect state is always of great moment to the security of a nation. This, therefore, ought to be a serious care of every Government; and for this purpose, an academy, where a regular course of instruction is given, is an obvious expedient, which different nations have successfully employed.”

In a letter to Colonel Hamilton, Ex-President Washington said: “The establishment of an Institution of this kind, upon a respectable and extensive Basis, has ever been considered by me as an object of primary importance to this Country; and while I was in the Chair of Government, I omitted no proper opportunity of recommending it, in my public speeches and other ways, to the attention of the Legislature.... I sincerely hope that the subject will meet with due attention, and that the reasons for its establishment which you have so clearly pointed out in your letter to the Secretary, will prevail upon the Legislature to place it upon a permanent and respectable footing.”

New buildings were put up at West Point and on July 20, 1801, the Secretary of War ordered all cadets of the corps of artillerists to proceed there, and on September 1st of that year the school was reopened with four army officers and one civilian as instructors.

An act of Congress approved March 16, 1802, authorized the President to organize a corps of engineers to consist of five officers and ten cadets, at West Point, to constitute a military academy, which he did and with the quota present the United States Military Academy was formally opened on the Fourth of July of that year.

But Congress did not appropriate any money for the Academy until March 3, 1803, and then in the Army Bill it gave only $2,000.00 for both the Academy and for War Department books and apparatus. The Army Bill of 1804 contained $1,000.00 for the Academy, and that of 1805 gave it $500.00. Then Congress ignored this institution until the war with England, when in the Army Bill of 1812 it gave the Academy $25,000.00 and authorized the erection of a library and other buildings, and the reorganization of the academic staff.

An Act of Congress in 1808 authorized 40 cadets from the artillery, 16 from the dragoons, 20 from the riflemen, and 100 from the infantry, but as no provision was made for them at West Point only a few of these were appointed. In 1810 the Military Academy was deprived of nearly all means of instruction and both officers and cadets experienced difficulty in getting their pay. During most of the year 1811, although war was then imminent, academic instruction was practically abandoned and in March, 1812, it was abandoned when the last instructor was ordered to duty elsewhere. Up to this time 88 cadets had graduated and they had been admitted to the academy without mental or physical examinations, at all ages, from twelve to thirty-four and at any time of the year.

By an Act of Congress approved April 29, 1812, the Military Academy was reorganized, and the provisions of this Act furnished the general principles upon which the Academy has since been conducted and controlled; a more adequate corps of professors was authorized, a maximum of 250 cadets was fixed, and age and mental requisites for admission of candidates were prescribed, and in 1817 under the able superintendency of Major Sylvanus Thayer, a graduate of the West Point class of 1808, the present era in the Academy’s history began, because he made it a school for the practical and theoretical training of cadets for the military service. Since then the requisites for admission have been increased from time to time by Congress and with its permission by the Secretary of War.