The instruction and examinations in the Junior Department were, in the year 1855, conducted on the following system: There was a division of the department into upper and lower school; but, practically, the division was of little importance. The most important division was made by the line which, in each separate branch of instruction, divided the cadets in the Board class from those not in the Board class.
A cadet was in a Board class who was actually preparing for the public examination, which took place before the “Board of Commissioners for Regulating the Affairs of the Institution.” The Board was, however, in most cases, represented by not more than one or two of its members. In any given subject, a cadet had to pass through certain grades of elementary instruction before he could be placed in a Board class. Moreover, he was only moved from one grade of elementary instruction to another on passing examinations, which were held monthly by the senior instructors in the several subjects. The junior instructors reported those of their cadets whom they regarded as ready for promotion, and the senior ascertained that the proper degree of proficiency was obtained. Thus, in mathematics, a cadet had to pass examinations in Fractions and Decimals, mixed numbers, Rule of Three, Interest, and Square Root, Algebra up to the end of Quadratic Equations, and logarithms,—four successive examinations in all. He had then to spend a half year in the study of Euclid’s Geometry before admission to the Board class. It will be understood that all the cadets were not examined monthly, but only such as were reported as fit for examination; so that any one cadet might pass a long time without examination, or he might be examined for several successive grades in one subject, and not undergo any examination in another. There was, in fact, scarcely any mutual dependence of one branch of instruction upon another. I believe the only exceptions to this were, that a cadet was required to have passed his examination in algebra before getting into the lowest fortification class, and to have gained a certain proficiency in military drawing before getting into the surveying class.
The Board class in each branch was taught by the senior instructor in that branch, except that the Board class of history was taught by the chaplain. When a cadet had passed an examination in any subject before the Board, he was said to have taken up a step. The steps which it was possible for him to take up were as follows, and I have arranged them in three groups, for conveniences of reference:
A.—(1.) Euclid’s Geometry. (2.) Fortification. (3.) Surveying.
B.—(4.) Trigonometry and Mensuration. (5.) Attack and Defence of Fortification. (6.) History and Geography. (7.) Latin. (8.) French. (9.) German.
C.—(10.) Elements of Mechanics. (11.) Elements of Coördinate Geometry and Differential Calculus.
To gain a commission without purchase, it was necessary to take up the three steps in the group A, and any three in the group B,—six in all. But if a cadet took up more than six steps, the fact was mentioned in the certificate given him on leaving the College. For gaining this honorary distinction, the steps marked in group C were allowed to count; but I believe not otherwise. I may mention that, in many cases, more than six steps were taken up.
The process of examination before the Board was this: About seven weeks before the end of the half year, the senior instructor in each branch reported the cadets in his branch whom he thought capable of taking a step. Thus the senior instructor or professor of mathematics reported those cadets in the Euclid Board class whom he judged capable of taking up the step. Shortly after, these cadets were examined before the Lieutenant-Governor; about a week before the end of the half year, they were examined again, on this occasion, before the Governor; lastly, they were examined publicly before the Board. Failure was possible in either of these examinations, and not unfrequently occurred at the preliminary examinations, and sometimes, though rarely, at the Board examination. The effect of failure was, that the cadet could not pass his step without going through his examinations at the end of the next half year.
The examinations were conducted entirely vivâ voce. The Governor’s and Lieutenant-Governor’s examinations were searching; they sometimes lasted from six to seven hours; but, of course, the cadets, severally, were under examination only during a part of that time. The Board examination, though less searching, was a real examination. A cadet under examination had not the least notion of what was going to be asked, except that it was fairly within the subject of the step.
The system thus briefly described was invented by Major Proctor, who was at first Adjutant and, afterward, Superintendent of Studies. It was in operation, at all events, as early as the year 1818. It was open to several objections; but it possessed this capital advantage, that it was calculated to bring, and, in point of fact, brought a large majority of the cadets up to a certain moderately high standard of proficiency. The instructors were under no temptation to take great pains with a few clever boys, and to neglect the rest; they were nearly sure to assist every cadet showing the least inclination to work, and to assist those most who were in need of assistance.