HOURS OF RECITATION.

Cadet __________________________ 4th Class.
MathematicsFrom8A. M.to9:30A. M.
Use of the sword, etc.From12M.to1P. M.
Modern LanguagesFrom3P. M.to4P. M.

Each cadet obtained a blank form (and there is a special form for each class), put his name on it in block letters, filled in his hours of recitation and put it on the mantel, and he also put his name in block letters over his alcove, on the orderly board, on his clothes-press, and on his gun-rack. Every cadet not in his room at inspection, and not at recitation at the time, was reported absent, unless his room-mate was in and could properly account for the absence. We at first thought that our studies, being so few, would be easy, but when we saw the great long lessons and had experienced the thoroughness required at recitations, we changed our opinions, and decided that much hard study was necessary.

Promptly at eight o’clock on the morning of September first, the bugle was sounded for sections to form. One half of each class “fell in.” The Cadet Officer of the Day commanded—“Front, Call your rolls.” Line was formed in the area of barracks, first classmen were nearest the Academic Building, next to them were sections of the second class, next third classmen and then the plebes. Each section-marcher facing his section, called his roll and faced to the front, then beginning with the ranking section of the first class, the section-marchers reported. The Officer of the Day then commanded “March off your sections.” If there were any absentees not excused, he hunted them up and sent them to their section rooms. The sections marched to the Academic Building, and each went to the room previously assigned, the members of each section hung their caps in the hall on hooks near the door and then filed into the room. The section-marcher took post near the center of the room, facing the instructor, who was seated on the platform opposite to the door. The members of the section went one half to the right, and the other half to the left, in front of two benches. The section-marcher saluted and reported, “All are present, Sir,” or, “Mr. ⸺ is absent, sir,” the instructor returned the salute and then the cadets sat down, the section-marcher taking seat on the right of the first half of his section. On a blackboard behind the instructor, was written the lesson for the next day, and each cadet noted it. The instructor then called Mr. ⸺, who took post in the center of the room facing the instructor. The instructor assigned to him a topic in the lesson, care being required on the part of the cadet to understand the topic which is called his “enunciation.” When he understood it, he went to a certain blackboard, and in the upper right hand corner wrote his name and number thus—Brown 1. The instructor called up another cadet who, after understanding his enunciation, went to the next board, and wrote his name and number, thus—Smith 2, and so on. Topics in the lesson of the day were assigned to the first four, and topics in the lesson of the day before were assigned to three or four others. Then one was called who took post in the center of the room, and the instructor questioned him for ten minutes or more upon such parts of either lesson that he elected, and when through said “That’ll do,” when this cadet returned to his seat. The cadets at the boards wrote on them such work as they wished pertaining to their own subjects and when ready to recite, each took a pointer in his right hand and stood at ease facing the instructor. Beginning with the cadet who was ready and had the smallest number, when he was called upon to recite the cadet, said: “I am required to” and then gave his enunciation, after which he proceeded in his own words. If the instructor was satisfied with the recitation, he said, “that’ll do” and the cadet faced about, laid down his pointer, cleaned his board, and took his seat; but if the instructor was not satisfied with the recitation, he asked such questions as he deemed proper to draw out, if possible, further information on the subject, and when through, said, “That’ll do.” This drawing out process is necessary with plebes, until they learn what is required of them in the way of recitations. No communication between cadets is allowed in the section room. When the time expired the instructor said, “That’ll do, gentlemen; section’s dismissed.” If the bugle was sounded before all had recited, those at the board who were ready to recite and had all necessary work on the board, were marked the same as if they had recited. The cadets filed out of the room, got their caps and “fell in,” then marched to the area where the line was formed and there the section was dismissed. The mark for a perfect recitation is a 3, 2.5 is a good mark, 2 is fair, 1.5 is medium, 1 poor, .5 very poor, and a zero a complete failure. Recitations go on every day except Saturday afternoons and Sundays. On Monday the marks of the previous week were posted so that the cadets could see them. The instructor never told the cadets what marks he gave them, and he could not excuse a cadet from recitation. A cadet who was sick enough to require it was taken into the hospital, or by the surgeon excused from reciting, but a cadet excused from reciting had to go to and remain in the section room, and there report to the instructor that he was excused. Nothing is gained by not reciting, because every cadet must make satisfactory recitations and pass the examinations[31] in January and June or be found deficient. At the end of the fifth or sixth week, and at times after that, transfers from one section to another were made, and some cadets were sent up and others down to other sections. By Christmas, the plebe class was pretty well dissipated by transfers.

Days, weeks and months passed with a firm, steady grind. In my day up at 5, but now 5:45 a. m., and nothing but study, recitations and drill till 9:30 p. m., except during the short half hour for recreation after each meal, the welcome half holiday on Saturdays and the change of routine on Sundays. No visitors at the Point, no hops, no nothing but hard study and drill to look forward to until the next June. It is true that Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s are always acceptable days to a cadet, but he generally eats so much turkey then, that he receives a poor mark at recitations the next day.

Not long before examination the instructor selects as many topics as there are cadets in his section and writes each topic on a separate piece of paper, turns them face down, mixes them, and then numbers them; number one being for the first cadet in the section, number two for the second, and so on, or otherwise mixes them so that no partiality be shown on examination.

Of course we could not study all of the time set apart for study, so we often devised ways and means to lighten our burdens.

All of our coats buttoned up to the chin and the white collars of my day were made so that we had to fold them lengthwise and pin them on the coat. As white shirts were not used to fasten the collar to we quit wearing them, and pinned our cuffs to the inside of the coat sleeves. We got the knack of dressing down to a fine point, no cadet wore suspenders then, so all we had to do for reveille or tattoo, was to jump into our pants, stick our feet into our oldest shoes, from which the strings had been removed, and called “reveilles,” put on the coat and cap to be worn and hustle, buttoning up just before going out of the hall-door. Two minutes gave us ample time to get from our rooms to the line in the area. Now the cadets are required to wear white shirts and the style of the white collar[32] having been changed it requires a white shirt to fasten it to.

A cadet generally carries his lead pencil stuck into his coat near the throat, but I made a little pocket on the underside of the tail of my dress-coat, just big enough for a little pen knife and a pencil an inch and a half long, and I never got “skinned” for it either. In my day, the last section was called “the Immortals” but I am told that the “Goats” have captured the name I once knew so well.