Cadet Life at West Point

by Hugh T. Reed

CHAPTER IV.
THE PLEBE IN CAMP.

About two weeks after I reported we were directed to prepare to go to Camp McPherson, a half mile or so from Barracks, out beyond the Cavalry plain, near old Fort Clinton. We were told just what articles to take for use in camp, and that we must put the balance of our effects in our trunks and carry them to the trunk rooms in the angle. We sorted out our camp articles, and each cadet made a bundle of his small things, and used a comforter or a blanket to hold them. D⸺n, M⸺s, and I, having arranged to tent together, we helped one another store away our trunks. When the call sounded to “fall in” we fell in with our bundles, brooms and buckets, and marched over to the camp. There were trees all around the camp site, with quite a grove at the guard tents. The tents were all pitched and they looked very pretty through the trees, with the trees and green parapet of Fort Clinton as a background, which could be seen over the tops of the white tents as we approached the camp. The tent cords were not fastened to pegs in the ground, but to pegs in cross-pieces supported upon posts about four feet high, which brought the Company tents only four or five feet apart. All of the tents for cadets were wall tents, and each had a “fly” on it. There was a wooden floor, a gun rack, and a keyless locker (that is, a four-compartment long box), and a swinging pole hung about eighteen inches below the ridge pole of the tent, and nothing else in it. After the assignment, which, of course, was made according to rank, we proceeded to our respective tents, that were to be our homes till the 29th of August, the day to return to Barracks.

The “Yearlings” and first classmen, too, began to take a greater interest in the plebes than ever. They were anxious to teach them how to fix up their tents, and this is the way they did: “Come here, Plebe, and I’ll show you how to fix up your tent. Untie those bundles, fold the blankets once one way then once the other way; that’s it. Now pile them in the rear corner over there, farthest from the locker; put the folded edges to the front and inside; that’s not right, turn them the other way; now that’s right. Lay the pillows on the blankets, closed ends toward the locker; that’s it; now fold the comforters just like you folded the blankets, and pile them the same way on top of the pillows; that’s it. Why, you’re an old soldier, ain’t you? Straighten the pile a little, so that the edges are vertical; that’s it. Now hang the mirror up there on the front pole; that’s it. Put the washbowl out there against the platform, bottom outward; that’s it. Put the candle-box behind the rear tent pole. Put the white pants, underclothes, etc., in the locker. Throw the overcoats, gray pants, etc., on the pole. There, that’ll do. Say, wait a minute. When you go after water, why I want some; just set the bucket down there by the washbowl when you come back.” After having been given several lessons the plebes were permitted to fix up their own tents, and in a very short time every tent was ship-shape. The yearlings kindly showed the plebes how to clean rifles, too, and this is the way they did it: “Come here, Plebe, you’ll soon be getting your guns, so I’ll teach you how to clean yours; just get that gun over there in my rack; that’s the one; get the cleaning materials in the candle-box, take out a rag, put oil on it; that’s it. Lay the gun in your lap, muzzle to the left, half-cock the piece, open the chamber. Why, you’re doing well. See the rust in the breech block? Well, get a small stick out of the candle-box, put a bit of the rag over it, pour a little oil on the rag, now be quick, rub it on the rusty place, rub hard, elbow grease is what counts most, so don’t be afraid to use plenty of it,” and so on, till the yearling’s gun showed an improvement. “I’ll call you again soon to give you another lesson; that’ll do now.” Strange as it may appear, even the first classmen condescended to teach us some things, and even the cadet officers showed us how to clean their breast plates. The old cadets never told us, in so many words, to do anything of a menial character, but their broad hints and insinuating ways were very persuasive. Every day the plebes were called to the tents of the Army Officers in charge of cadet companies, and asked if they had any complaints to make against upper classmen, and the plebes invariably answered “No, sir.”

We continued to take our meals in the Mess Hall, and we marched to and fro as usual, but as the distance was a half mile or more we were now cheered en route (notwithstanding the plebes still carried palms to the front) by the inspiring music of fifes and drums; and we now sat at tables with the old cadets, and had the pleasure of pouring water for them before helping ourselves, no matter how thirsty we might be, but such is the life of a plebe, and it is a necessary part of his training.

The first day in camp we were initiated in police duty; the other classmen turned out with us, and, as usual, they did the talking and we did the work. The detail from each company had a wheelbarrow, a shovel, and a broom. The grounds, to us plebes, seemed clean when we began, but we got half a wheelbarrow load of dirt all the same, which we dumped into “police hollow,”[21] near camp and just west of Fort Clinton. We gathered up burnt matches, cigar stumps, tobacco quids, bits of paper, etc. Whenever there was a sign of rain we turned out and loosened tent cords, and after a rain we turned out and tightened them—always by command, of course. We dreaded the nights in camp, but we were not yanked often, unless we got too fresh or rapid, and then, of course, we had to be taken down.[22]

The parade ground was changed during camp from the grassy plain in front of Professor’s Row to the space between the guard tents and the west line of company tents. In fair weather the battalion stacked arms on the camp parade ground, and the colors were furled and laid on the center stack. The arms and colors, that is, the United States flag, were left there from after guard mount till 4 p. m., and a sentinel posted to require everybody crossing his post, which is known as the “Color Line,” to salute the colors by lifting the cap.

We plebes were very anxious to get guns, but after we did get them we wished we did not have them, for we were again put into small squads and drilled three times a day, notwithstanding the fact that our right arms were very sore, and each rifle seemed to weigh a ton, and, again, we had to spend several hours a day, for weeks, cleaning the guns before they would pass inspection. Each cadet knows his own gun by the number on it. The upper classmen had already taught us how to clean their guns, so we knew something about cleaning our own, and they now were considerate enough to allow us more time to ourselves, and some of the plebes finished cleaning their guns in less than an hour’s time. But, alas! at the first drill with arms the cadet instructors told them that their guns, cartridge boxes, and waist plates were very dirty. After drill we set to work on them again, but still they were said to be dirty. In the course of time we were told that our guns were passable, and later on that they were in fair condition. We soon learned to attend to them immediately after a rain, as it was easier to clean them then than after they had stood awhile.

We were kept busy at first complying with requests (?) of upper classmen, but they were very considerate and dispensed with our services long enough to let us attend drills three times a day, police service twice a day, and to other military duties. We were still required, both in and out of ranks, to carry palms of the hands to the front, but nothing more was said about depressing the toes.