personal memoirs-1-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



system；　the　customers；　being　mostly　farmers；　never　expecting　to　pay

till　the　product　of　their　farms　could　be　brought　to　market；　and　even

then　usually　squared　the　book…accounts　by　notes　of　hand；　that　were

often　slow　of　collection。



》From　the　time　I　ceased　to　attend　school　my　employment　had

necessitated；　to　a　certain　degree；　the　application　of　what　I　had

learned　there；　and　this　practical　instruction　I　reinforced　somewhat

by　doing　considerable　reading　in　a　general　way；　until　ultimately　I

became　quite　a　local　authority　in　history；　being　frequently　chosen　as

arbiter　in　discussions　and　disputes　that　arose　in　the　store。　　The

Mexican　War；　then　going　on；　furnished；　of　course；　a　never…ending

theme　for　controversy；　and　although　I　was　too　young　to　enter　the

military　service　when　volunteers　were　mustering　in　our　section；　yet

the　stirring　events　of　the　times　so　much　impressed　and　absorbed　me

that　my　sole　wish　was　to　become　a　soldier；　and　my　highest　aspiration

to　go　to　West　Point　as　a　Cadet　from　my　Congressional　district。　　My

chances　for　this　seemed　very　remote；　however；　till　one　day　an

opportunity　was　thrown　in　my　way　by　the　boy　who　then　held　the　place

failing　to　pass　his　examination。　　When　I　learned　that　by　this

occurrence　a　vacancy　existed；　I　wrote　to　our　representative　in

Congress；　the　Hon。　Thomas　Ritchey；　and　asked　him　for　the　appointment；

reminding　him　that　we　had　often　met　in　Fink　&　Dittoe's　store；　and

that　therefore　he　must　know　something　of　my　qualifications。　　He

responded　promptly　by　enclosing　my　warrant　for　the　class　of　1848；　so；

notwithstanding　the　many　romances　that　have　been　published　about　the

matter；　to　Mr。　Ritchey；　and　to　him　alone；　is　due　all　the　creditif

my　career　justifies　that　termof　putting　me　in　the　United　States

Army。



At　once　I　set　about　preparing　for　the　examination　which　precedes

admission　to　the　Military　Academy；　studying　zealously　under　the

direction　of　Mr。　William　Clark；　my　old　teachers；　McNanly　and　Thorn；

having　disappeared　from　Somerset　and　sought　new　fields　of　usefulness。

The　intervening　months　passed　rapidly　away；　and　I　fear　that　I　did　not

make　much　progress；　yet　I　thought　I　should　be　able　to　pass　the

preliminary　examination。　　That　which　was　to　follow　worried　me　more

and　gave　me　many　sleepless　nights；　but　these　would　have　been　less　in

number；　I　fully　believe；　had　it　not　been　for　one　specification　of　my；

outfit　which　the　circular　that　accompanied　my　appointment　demanded。

This　requirement　was　a　pair　of　〃Monroe　shoes。〃　　Now；　out　in　Ohio；

what　〃Monroe　shoes〃　were　was　a　mysterynot　a　shoemaker　in　my　section

having　so　much　as　an　inkling　of　the　construction　of　the　perplexing

things；　until　finally　my　eldest　brother　brought　an　idea　of　them　from

Baltimore；　when　it　was　found　that　they　were　a　familiar　pattern　under

another　name。



At　length　the　time　for　my　departure　came；　and　I　set　out　for　West

Point；　going　by　way　of　Cleveland　and　across　Lake　Erie　to　Buffalo。　　On

the　steamer　I　fell　in　with　another　appointee　en　route　to　the　academy；

David　S。　Stanley；　also　from　Ohio；　and　when　our　acquaintanceship　had

ripened　somewhat；　and　we　had　begun　to　repose　confidence　in　each

other；　I　found　out　that　he　had　no　〃Monroe　shoes；〃　so　I　deemed　myself

just　that　much　ahead　of　my　companion；　although　my　shoes　might　not

conform　exactly　to　the　regulations　in　Eastern　style　and　finish。　　At

Buffalo；　Stanley　and　I　separated；　he　going　by　the　Erie　Canal　and　I　by

the　railroad；　since　I　wanted　to　gain　time　on　account　of　commands　to

stop　in　Albany　to　see　my　father's　uncle。　　Here　I　spent　a　few　days；

till　Stanley　reached　Albany；　when　we　journeyed　together　down　the

river　to　West　Point。　　The　examination　began　a　few　days　after　our

arrival；　and　I　soon　found　myself　admitted　to　the　Corps　of　Cadets；　to

date　from　July　1；　1848；　in　a　class　composed　of　sixty…three　members；

many　of　whomfor　example；　Stanley；　Slocum；　Woods；　Kautz；　and　Crook…

…became　prominent　generals　in　later　years；　and　commanded　divisions；

corps；　and　armies　in　the　war　of　the　rebellion。



Quickly　following　my　admission　I　was　broken　in　by　a　course　of　hazing；

with　many　of　the　approved　methods　that　the　Cadets　had　handed　down

from　year　to　year　since　the　Academy　was　founded；　still；　I　escaped

excessive　persecution；　although　there　were　in　my　day　many　occurrences

so　extreme　as　to　call　forth　condemnation　and　an　endeavor　to　suppress

the　senseless　custom；　which　an　improved　civilization　has　now　about

eradicated；　not　only　at　West　Point；　but　at　other　colleges。



Although　I　had　met　the　Academic　board　and　come　off　with　fair　success；

yet　I　knew　so　little　of　Algebra　or　any　of　the　higher　branches　of

mathematics　that　during　my　first　six　months　at　the　Academy　I　was

discouraged　by　many　misgivings　as　to　the　future；　for　I　speedily

learned　that　at　the　January　examination　the　class　would　have　to　stand

a　test　much　severer　than　that　which　had　been　applied　to　it　on

entering。　　I　resolved　to　try　hard；　however；　and；　besides；　good

fortune　gave　me　for　a　room…mate　a　Cadet　whose　education　was　more

advanced　than　mine；　and　whose　studious　habits　and　willingness　to　aid

others　benefited　me　immensely。　　This　room…mate　was　Henry　W。　Slocum；

since　so　signally　distinguished　in　both　military　and　civil　capacities

as　to　win　for　his　name　a　proud　place　in　the　annals　of　his　country。

After　tapsthat　is；　when　by　the　regulations　of　the　Academy　all　the

lights　were　supposed　to　be　extinguished；　and　everybody　in　bedSlocum

and　I　would　hang　a　blanket　over　the　one　window　of　our　room　and

continue　our　studieshe　guiding　me　around　scores　of　stumbling…blocks

in　Algebra　and　elucidating　many　knotty　points　in　other　branches　of

the　course　with　which　I　was　unfamiliar。　　On　account　of　this

association　I　went　up　before　the　Board　in　January　with　less

uneasiness　than　otherwise　would　have　been　the　case；　and　passed　the

examination　fairly　well。　　When　it　was　over；　a　self…confidence　in　my

capacity　was　established　that　had　not　existed　hitherto；　and　at　each

succeeding　examination　I　gained　a　little　in　order　of　merit　till　my

furlough　summer　came　roundthat　is；　when　I　was　half　through　the

four…year　course。



My　furlough　in　July　and　August；　1850；　was　spent　at　my　home　in　Ohio；

with　the　exception　of　a　visit　or　two　to　other　Cadets　on　furlough　in

the　State；　and　at　the　close　of　my　leave　I　returned　to　the　Academy　in

the　full　expectation　of　graduating　with　my　class　in　1852。



A　quarrel　of　a　belligerent　character　in　September；　；1851；　with　Cadet

William　R。　Terrill；　put　an　end　to　this　anticipation；　however；　and

threw　me　back　into　the　class　which　graduated　in　1853。　　Terrill　was　a

Cadet　Sergeant；　and；　while　my　company　was　forming　for　parade；　having；

given　me　an　order；　in　what　I　considered　an　improper　tone；　to　〃dress〃

in　a　certain　direction；　when　I　believed　I　was　accurately　dressed；　I

fancied　I　had　a　grievance；　and　made　toward　him　with　a　lowered

bayonet；　but　my　better　judgment　recalled　me　before　actual　contact

could　take　place。　　Of　course　Terrill　reported　me　for　this；　and　my　ire

was　so　inflamed　by　his　action　that　when　we　next　met　I　attacked　him；

and　a　fisticuff　engagement　in　front　of　barracks　followed；　which　was

stopped　by　an　officer　appearing　on　the　scene。　　Each　of　us　handed　in

an　explanation；　but　mine　was　unsatisfactory　to　the　authorities；　for　I

had　to　admit　that　I　was　the　assaulting　party；　and　the　result　was　that

I　was　suspended　by　the　Secretary　of　War；　Mr。　Conrad；　till　August　28；

1852the　Superintendent　of　the　Academy；　Captain　Brewerton；　being

induced　to　recommend　this　milder　course；　he　said；　by　my　previous　good

conduct。　　At　the　time　I　thought；　of　course；　my　suspension　a　very

unfair　punishment；　that　my　conduct　was　justifiable　and　the

authorities　of　the　Academy　all　wrong；　but　riper　experience　has　led　me

to　a　different　conclusion；　and　as　I　look　back；　though　the

mortification　I　then　endured　was　deep　and　trying；　I　am　convinced　that

it　was　hardly　as　much　as　I　deserved　for　such　an　outrageous　breach　of

discipline。



There　was　no　question　as