In the olden days when troops were stationed on isolated frontier posts, the officers’ families were entirely thrown upon one another for society. Although the necessity for these posts has long since disappeared, Congress has never authorized their abandonment, because their presence near some city or small town means a financial benefit to the towns people. The influence of the Representative of that district is sufficient to retain it, and consequently, as of yore, officers’ families must live together as one tribe.

This condition does not exist to the same extent at West Point as at other posts. The Adjutant is the peacemaker, diplomat, aide, buffer for the Superintendent in his administration of military and social duties. As may be imagined, he must be a man of great tact, good judgment, and possessed of Machiavelian diplomacy. He is always being called upon to make decisions, and since every decision affects somebody adversely, he has great need of a feeling for humanity. His official decision is tantamount to that of the Superintendent in whose name he is always supposed to act.

The Superintendent’s Quarters
Built in 1820

All official letters to the Superintendent, or between officers, must pass over the Adjutant’s desk, so that in a sense he is the central operator, making connections of the invisible ties for the time being, between the various departments and persons on the Post. He also acts as a shield to the Superintendent, saving him from the annoyance of the minor routine details.

In addition, he is regarded as the hub of the Post’s social wheel. He initiates the public entertainments and authorizes the general social events of the officers and cadets. Naturally, he has nothing to do with functions of a private character, but for hops, dances, or other forms of distraction where one of the public buildings is used, he gives the authorization of the Superintendent. He makes it his duty to mingle freely with the officers of the command; at the dances he sees that visitors are introduced; when very distinguished guests arrive at the Post, he puts on his full-dress uniform and goes to the station to meet them. If the guests are merely distinguished, he details some officer to act in his stead, and if they are plain sightseers with letters of introduction, a young subaltern gets the job. He is Adjutant of the Military Academy and of the Post of West Point. The duties of the former office pertain solely to cadets, their discipline and instruction, whereas the duties of the latter concern the officers, enlisted men, and other residents of the Post.

A sort of Damon and Pythias are the Adjutant and Quartermaster: a mention of one suggests the other. The Quartermaster is in charge of the public lands and buildings; of the material for the erection of buildings, and for the repairs and improvements, and for all other public property for which no other person is especially responsible. Under the direction of the Superintendent, he enters into contracts and makes purchases for the Academy and prepares all accounts, returns, and rolls relative to the public property under his charge. He is also in control of the workmen employed in the erection or repairs of the public buildings, or in the improvement of the grounds.

A Quartermaster is in reality a supply officer. Everything necessary for the up-keep of the Post and the command, come from his storehouses. Clothes, trucks, wagons, frying-pans, rakes, road-rollers, twine, furniture, garden hose are a few of the diverse articles that he must keep on hand. In his work at West Point he is assisted by several officers, among whom he distributes the various duties pertaining to the care of the property, purchase of supplies, pay of officers and enlisted men. The supply of the cadets, however, is not under his jurisdiction.

Colonel John Biddle, Corps of Engineers
Superintendent