guage is :-" principally with a view to a more enlarged cultivation and diffusion of the advantages of such institutions, by providing professorships for all the necessary branches of military instruction; and by the establishment of an additional academy at the seat of government or elsewhere." And, in the latter, he adverted to the hostile spirit and acts of the British cabinet, "in trampling on rights which no independent nation can relinquish ;" and the necessity" of putting the United States in an armour and attitude of war ;" adding, "nor can the occasion fail to remind you of the importance of those military seminaries which, in every event, will form a valuable and frugal part of our military establishment."

Accordingly, the act of April 29, 1812, was passed, providing for an addition to the corps of engineers; for a company of bombadiers, sappers, and miners, to be formed and officered from that corps; that the military academy should consist of that corps, and, in addition to the teachers of French and drawing, of a professor of natural and experimental philosophy, one of mathematics, and one of the art of engineering, with assistant professors, not to have a separate command in the army. It further extended the number of cadets to be appointed in the service to two hundred and fifty; and provided that they should be attached, at the discretion of the president of the United States, as students, to the military academy; and be subject to its established regulations; be arranged into companies of noncommissioned officers and privates, and be officered from the corps, for the purposes of military instruction; that the corps should be trained, and taught all the duties of a private, a noncommissioned officer, and officer; be encamped at least three months in the year, and taught all the duties incident to a regular camp; that the candidates for cadets should be not under the age of fourteen, nor above the age of twenty-one years; that each cadet, previously to his appointment by the president, should be well versed in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and that he should sign articles, with the consent of his parent or guardian, by which he should engage to serve five years, unless sooner discharged; and all such cadets to receive a certain pay. The act further provided that a cadet, upon receiving a degree, should be held as a candidate for an army commission in any corps, according to the duties he might be competent to perform; and, in case of no vacancy, the president might attach him by brevet to such corps. Provision was further made for the necessary buildings, apparatus, library, and implements. This law, and the consequences flowing from it, present the subjects of conflict between the favourers and the opponents of the institution. But, for the present, let us pass on with its history.

After the war, which, as we have seen, gave the impulse to legislative patronage in favor of the school, had ceased, and when the army had been reduced from the war force of upwards of fifty thousand to the peace establishment of ten thousand, the administration, whether executive or legislative, deemed that the wants of the country required that there should be no corresponding reduction in the scope of the academy or number of its members. Indeed, President Madison thought that true policy demanded still further favourable legislation. In his message of December 15, 1815, he holds this language:-"I recommend, also, an enlargement of the military academy already established, and the establishment of others in other sections of the Union." Beyond a doubt, Mr. Madison, in the progress of the war, through which the country had passed during his administration, had deplored-for he had severely felt, in common with the whole people over whom he had been called to preside-the disgraces and disasters that had fallen on our arms by land on several occasions, as the necessary consequence of the want of skilful subaltern officers. To prevent this deficiency in case of another war, was most probably his object, and he felt it a duty to warn the country against shutting out the light of experience.

We have now detailed the essential principle and design of the academy. The plan and regulations, however, of the war department, under the general provisions of the law, did not practically carry into effect all the intentions of its founders, and complaint was made to the proper authorities. By a report1 from the engineer department, several important facts were brought to light. They are thus stated:

"The military academy may be considered as having been in its infancy until about the close of 1817, or beginning of 1818, prior to which there was but little system or regularity. Cadets were admitted without examination, and without the least regard to their age or qualifications, as required by the law of 1812. Hence the institution was filled with students more or less unfit for their situations. In 1817, at which time the present superintendent took charge of the academy, there were two hundred and thirteen cadets, of whom one hundred and three have resigned or been discharged. Of the one hundred and seventynine on that list, one hundred and twenty-two left the academy in consequence of being deficient in their studies, and nine were dismissed or compelled to resign in consequence of bad conduct."

In an official paper (18192) of General Bernard and Colonel McRee, of the engineer corps, it is stated that, prior to 1817, "the elementary school at West Point has been inferior as such, and altogether inadequate to the objects for which it was established. If any [cadets] have been so fortunate as to render

1 2d vol. Mil. Affairs, p. 381. 2 Ho. Doc. 115, p. 7. 2d ses. 15th Con.

themselves serviceable either in the artillery or engineers, the cause must be sought for in their own industry, and not in the education received by them at West Point, which was barely sufficient to excite a desire for military enquiries and of military pursuits. A project has, however, been presented, calculated to place this school upon the footing of the MOST PERFECT OF THE KIND THAT EXISTS." The project here referred to-and which, when subsequently tested, wrought a radical changewas that of the then superintendent, Major (now Colonel) Thayer, and is the plan of its present organization. It was finally matured, sanctioned by the president in 1822, and carried into the most successful effect by the officer just named, who continued in the superintendence until 1833, during which period of eleven years former evils were abolished; the practical results were in the hightest degree beneficial to the army and the country; and the school obtained a reputation which did honour to its conductors and the nation. Up to the present day, no sensible change has been made in its plan or organization, except in some slight particulars which experience may have demonstrated, and thus fairly tried, during a space of fifteen years since it was brought to its present state, it is acknowledged by all competent judges as fully answering the ends of its establishment. It is further due to the subject to state that, since the time of President Madison, it has met with favour at the hands of every successive administration.

Such, in brief, is the history of the origin, conception, extent and growth of the institution. Up to July 1, 1837, there have been 940 graduates. The following tables are not without interest, as they exhibit their allotted services and destiny.

The academy is situate on a high point of land on the west bank of the Hudson, about fifty-five miles from New York,

1 Of this number it is to be observed that a very large proportion were in the service from five to fifteen years before they resigned; many of them served through the whole of "the late war."

containing about fourteen hundred acres, and bounded by the river and mountains. The country around abounds with the remains of no less than forty redoubts and forts erected during the revolution; and the summit of the mountain overlooking the plain, on which are the academic buildings, is crowned with the ruins of the celebrated Fort Putnam,' which was commenced before, but not finished till after the revolution. On a large and beautiful plain, devoted to military exercises, are the academic buildings, consisting of the halls of instruction of the different professors, libraries, depositories of the philosophical apparatus, the staff offices, cadets' barracks, chapel, mess hall, hospital, gun and storehouses, laboratory, &c. Surrounding the campus, and near to what may be termed the esplanade of the place, are the officers' and professors' quarters, a fine hotel, built by the government for the accommodation of visitors, subject to the post orders, and the quarters of the musicians, privates of the army, workmen, and servants. A more beautiful, convenient, or healthy location could hardly have been found. The library is well selected, the philosophical and chemical apparatus is admirable, but there is a deficiency of models in the engineering department, which is in course of gradual supply. An extensive geological and mineralogical cabinet has not as yet been formed, though measures have been taken in relation to this subject. Some of the buildings are not very well arranged, but amendment, in this particular, can only be gradually attained. The officers of the post are the military staff, consisting of the superintendent and commandant, post adjutant, quartermaster, paymaster, surgeon, and assistant surgeon. There are attached to the school a chaplain and professor of ethics; a professor and assistants in engineering; a commandant of cadets, who is the instructer in tactics, and assistants; a professor and assistants in natural and experimental philosophy; a professor and assistants in mathematics; a teacher and assistants of French; an instructer and assistant of artillery practice, gunnery, pyrotechny, &c.; a professor and assistant in chemistry; a teacher of sword exercise; and an officer of the ordnance department acting as the military storekeeper. The academic staff excludes most of the military staff of the post, some of the assistant instructers of the lower grades, and the officer of ordnance. Its province is to designate the class books, maps, models, and apparatus; to examine the cadets, decide on their relative merit, grant diplomas, and recommend for promotion, and generally to supervise the system of instruction. A board of visitors, of not less than five persons, are

Called after Colonel Putnam, the engineer of the work, and not after "Old Put," as Gen. Putnam of the revolution was familiarly styled.

annually appointed by the secretary of war, who attend during the general examination in June, to ascertain the improvement of the cadets, examine into the police, discipline, and general management, and who report to the war department. The academic year begins about the middle of June, at the close of the annual examination. All candidates selected by the war department report at this time, are examined, and must be able to read and write well, understand the four ground rules of arithmetic, of reduction, simple and compound proportion, and the fractions. No cadet is admitted who is below five feet nine inches in height, or has any physical disqualification. The cadet does not receive his warrant until he has satisfactorily passed an examination in the succeeding January, and his conduct has been approved. The whole number of cadets may not exceed two hundred and sixty. For military purposes, they form a battalion of four companies, under the charge of the commandant of the corps, aided by his assistants; and the companies are officered by cadets, holding rank according to their classes, and selected for their peculiar merit. The following synopsis exhibits the whole course of instruction at a glance :

1. Engineering, including Field and permanent For

Text Books.

Mahan's' Fortification.

Mahan's Civil Engineering
Paley's Moral Philosophy.
Blair's Rhetoric.

Kent's Lectures.
Bayard's Exposition.
U. States' Regulations.
Lallemand's Treatise,
U. States' Regulations.

Kinsley's2 Notes.

Blackwell's Geology.

Cleveland's Mineralogy.

Statics
Dynamics

Hydrostatics

Courtenay's Boucharlat's
Traité de Mechanique.

Roget's Electricity.

Magnetism

Electro-magnetism

Light
Astronomy

1 Dennis H. Mahan, Esq., graduated at the military academy in 1824, and now holds the professorship of engineering. His works are among the best text books on the subjects treated of, in this or any other language.

2 Captain Kinsley graduated at the military academy in 1819. He subsequently obtained permission of the French minister of war to attend the school at Metz. His "Notes" combine all the valuable points of instruction of that celebrated school in the important departments to which they are devoted.