Cadet Life at West Point

by Hugh T. Reed

And in his address to the graduating class of 1903 the Honorable David B. Henderson, of Iowa, a former Speaker of the National House of Representatives, and then the President of the West Point Board of Visitors, said: “The Board (of Visitors) have all been here and have devoted such time as was possible to studying the conditions of West Point. I can speak for the Board that they have been delighted with what they have seen, and are unanimously of the opinion, which the world holds, I may say, that this is the greatest military educational school on earth.”

Many foreign princes and others interested in the education of young men for civil as well as for military pursuits visit West Point. Among the guests at the Academy’s Centennial were two German army officers sent by the Emperor as his personal representative.

After a careful inspection of the leading educational institutions of the world Major-General Sir Thomas Frazer of the British Army in a letter referring to West Point said: “I think the institution is better than any I have seen.”

And Field Marshal Lord Wolseley in writing about West Point said: “I have very often had the advantage of meeting men who have qualified at that best of all military schools and invariably found them interesting companions, with a thorough knowledge of their profession.”

Colonel Bridges, C. M. G., recently said: “After an exhaustive course of inquiries into the training of the young idea in military matters, I have returned to Australia imbued with the idea that the American methods in vogue at their celebrated institution at West Point are the best, with, of course, certain modifications for Australia.... It is an extremely efficient institution for the purpose for which it is intended.”

TABLE SHOWING DISPOSITION OF CANDIDATES.

Year Reported	Appointed	Reported	Alternates Passed for Whom no Vacancies Existed.	Admitted as Cadets	Cadets at Academy	GRADUATED CADETS.
						In One Year	In Two Years	In Three Years	In Four Years	In Five Years	In Six Years	In Seven Years	In from One to Seven Years	In Each Class	Year or Date of Class
1800	Records lost by fire in 1838.	Records lost by fire in 1838.	Alternates first appointed in 1878.	2	—	—	1	—	—	—	1	—	2	—	—
1				7	—	1	2	1	—	1	—	—	5	—	—
2				2	—	1	—	1	—	—	—	—	2	2	1802
3				8	—	1	1	3	—	1	—	—	6	3	3
4				9	—	1	6	—	—	—	—	—	7	2	4
5				10	—	4	2	1	—	—	1	—	8	3	5
6				9	—	3	4	—	—	2	—	—	9	15	6
7				17	—	9	—	—	1	2	—	—	12	5	7
8				41	—	7	—	12	11	—	—	—	30	15	8
9				10	—	—	3	3	—	—	—	—	6	7	9
1810				2	—	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	2	0	1810
1				0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0	19	1
2				10	—	1	7	—	—	2	—	—	10	18	2
3				87	—	23	31	—	3	2	3	—	62	1	3
4				148	—	9	—	13	16	15	11	2	66	30	4
5				58	—	—	1	4	7	8	1	—	21	40	5
6				34	—	—	1	2	9	—	—	—	12	0	6
7				55	—	—	2	2	18	8	—	—	30	19	7
8				115	—	—	—	3	32	9	—	—	44	23	8
9				86	—	—	—	—	26	6	1	—	33	29	9
1820				67	—	—	—	—	25	7	—	—	32	30	1820
1				77	—	—	—	—	29	5	—	—	34	24	1
2				108	—	—	—	—	36	7	—	—	43	40	2
3				103	—	—	—	—	31	9	—	—	40	35	3
4				79	—	—	—	—	24	4	—	—	28	31	4
5				105	—	—	—	—	42	8	—	—	50	37	5
6				91	—	—	—	—	34	3	—	—	37	41	6
7				97	—	—	—	—	30	10	—	—	40	38	7
8				106	—	—	—	—	35	8	—	—	43	33	8
9				113	—	—	—	—	35	12	—	—	47	46	9
1830				102	—	—	—	—	24	13	—	—	37	42	1830
1				94	—	—	—	—	43	5	—	—	48	33	1
2				102	—	—	—	—	44	6	—	—	50	45	2
3				112	—	—	—	—	44	9	—	—	53	43	3
4				65	—	—	—	—	36	—	—	—	36	36	4
5				72	—	—	—	—	31	6	—	—	37	56	5
6				97	—	—	—	—	36	6	—	—	42	49	6
7				118	—	—	—	—	46	2	—	—	48	50	7
8	132	114		111	—	—	—	—	54	5	—	—	59	45	8
9	91	79		76	—	—	—	—	34	3	1	—	38	31	9
1840	106	94		84	—	—	—	—	22	6	—	—	28	42	1840
1	131	122		114	—	—	—	—	34	12	—	—	46	52	1
2	144	135		109	—	—	—	—	47	9	—	—	56	56	2
3	77	74		60	—	—	—	—	29	4	—	—	33	39	3
4	96	90		75	—	—	—	—	34	3	—	—	37	25	4
5	98	91		81	—	—	—	—	40	3	1	—	44	41	5
6	121	109		103	—	—	—	—	41	6	—	—	47	59	6
7	84	78		74	—	—	—	—	35	5	—	—	40	38	7
8	84	83		81	—	—	—	—	38	10	—	—	48	38	8
9	95	90		88	—	—	—	—	42	6	—	—	48	43	9
1850	98	95		90	—	—	—	—	40	3	—	—	43	44	1850
1	81	74		71	—	—	—	—	31	4	2	—	37	42	1
2	102	100		90	—	—	—	—	45	1	—	—	46	43	2
3	97	90		83	—	—	—	—	35	7	—	—	42	52	3
4	120	111		103	—	—	—	—	20	22	4	—	46	46	4
5	99	94		80	—	—	—	—	—	37	1	—	38	34	5
6	101	93		73	—	—	—	—	—	44	2	—	46	49	6
7	132	117		82	—	—	—	—	34	4	—	—	38	38	7
8	108	98		75	—	—	—	—	24	5	—	—	29	27	8
9	91	86		60	—	—	—	—	20	—	—	—	20	22	9
1860	84	84		72	—	—	—	—	27	5	—	—	32	41	1860
1	148	123		108	—	—	—	—	63	2	—	—	65	79	1
2	96	92		81	—	—	—	—	39	5	—	—	44	28	2
3	126	111		99	—	—	—	—	58	8	—	1	67	25	3
4	101	88	73	—	—	—	—	46	3	—	—	49	27	4
5	101	94	74	—	—	—	—	36	13	—	—	49	68	5
6	95	88	70	—	—	—	—	44	7	—	—	51	41	6
7	84	75	55	—	—	—	—	34	4	—	—	38	63	7
8	127	113	76	—	—	—	—	53	1	—	—	54	54	8
9	112	101	70	—	—	—	—	40	4	—	—	44	39	9
1870	163	142	65	—	—	—	—	37	9	—	—	46	58	1870
1	131	119	76	—	—	—	—	34	3	—	—	37	41	1
2	165	150	95	—	—	—	—	45	3	—	—	48	57	2
3	230	205	118	—	—	—	—	73	5	—	—	78	41	3
4	175	159	89	—	—	—	—	38	3	1	—	42	41	4
5	206	195	121	—	—	—	—	64	4	—	—	68	43	5
6	167	154	98	—	—	—	—	47	8	—	—	55	48	6
7	200	186	96	—	—	—	—	45	11	—	—	56	76	7
8	174	152	3	102	—	—	—	—	26	13	—	—	39	43	8
9	146	122	4	88	—	—	—	—	39	3	—	—	42	67	9
1880	139	115	6	73	—	—	—	—	34	3	—	—	37	52	1880
1	200	152	3	85	—	—	—	—	36	7	—	—	43	53	1
2	216	192	8	129	—	—	—	—	70	5	—	—	75	37	2
3	235	209	9	141	—	—	—	—	59	8	—	—	67	52	3
4	178	155	4	100	—	—	—	—	36	6	—	—	42	37	4
5	171	143	6	95	—	—	—	—	43	3	—	—	46	39	5
6	215	190	10	128	—	—	—	—	51	11	—	—	62	77	6
7	256	210	9	127	—	—	—	—	54	11	—	—	65	64	7
8	210	181	6	101	—	—	—	—	51	6	—	—	57	44	8
9	231	196	7	96	—	—	—	—	45	11	1	—	57	49	9
1890	198	175	11	81	—	—	—	—	43	8	—	—	51	54	1890
1	209	161	9	97	—	—	—	—	43	12	—	—	55	65	1
2	302	258	15	114	—	—	—	—	61	6	—	—	67	62	2
3	326	268	10	108	—	—	—	—	61	4	2	—	67	51	3
4	303	258	12	101	—	—	—	—	55	9	—	—	64	54	4
5	327	282	17	105	—	—	—	—	61	3	2	—	66	52	5
6	308	248	18	110	—	—	—	—	51	8	—	—	59	73	6
7	315	285	23	129	—	—	—	—	64	8	2	—	74	67	7
8	311	273	15	101	—	—	—	—	46	12	—	—	58	59	8
9	321	257	21	145	—	—	—	—	79	14	3	1	97	72	9
1900	379	317	36	170	—	—	—	—	110	14	1	—	125	54	1900
1	374	311	47	160	—	—	—	—	97	10	—	—	107	74	1
2	269	211	26	114	—	—	—	—	66	9	1	—	76	54	2
3	425	324	28	163	—	—	—	—	102	9	—	—	111	93	3
4	353	279	42	153	—	—	—	—	98	6	—	—	104	124	4
5	368	289	41	145	1	—	—	—	97	12	—	—	109	114	5
6	315	228	30	123	8	—	—	—	70	—	—	—	70	78	6
7	387	308	34	143	92	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	111	7
8	461	351	7	132	88	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	108	8
9	482	366	4	128	118	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	103	9
1910	505	391	5	148	111	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	82	1910
Total	—	—	526	9,742	418	60	63	45	4,008	714	40	4	4,934	4,934	Total