CHAPTER X.

THE WEST POINT AND ANNAPOLIS ALUMNI.

DEFECT IN WEST POINT STORY.

"A free people ought not only to be armed but disciplined, to which end a uniform and well digested plan is requisite.'

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-GEORGE WASHINGTON.

One fact was fully demonstrated during the Civil War, viz: That an efficient army cannot be immediately formed out of private citizens without previous thorough military training, and led successfully against the enemy. It does not matter how patriotic and brave they may be. At this time the country was comparatively young, but over fifty years have been added to its experience. Now every state of a united nation should cooperate with the federal government and maintain an adequate army and navy for defensive purposes.

It would be well if our congressmen and presidents when young had all been given advantages of this kind. Prominent officials in nearly all foreign nations, especially on the continent of Europe, have been given military instructions when young. If this had been the case here many of our present representatives would not display the ignorance they do on this subject.

The presidents of Switzerland are all in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, trained soldiers, like other citzens. The rulers of all European governments are trained military

men.

We are not so isolated today that we can neglect our coast defenses. We are in the same position as the republic of Switzerland, surrounded by strong military nations, with great fleets and armies, but on a much broader scale. England, Germany, Russia, France and Japan, have large standing armies and modern navies, which can singly or in conjunction with one or more nations attack our unprotected sea coasts, on the East and West, or on the North, with England's consent, or on the South by Mexico's willingness or assistance.

We have no army or navy now of sufficient magnitude to protect the Panama Canal, or repel an attack, or defend our

possessions on this Continent and our outlying provinces. Switzerland has provided for an adequate army in its constitution, which in this respect should be followed by the United States.

West Point and Annapolis have in a measure, prepared in the past, a limited number of efficient military and naval officers, who have nobly done their part in meeting those emergencies which have heretofore arisen. But if we had these present training schools duplicated, we would not have had any too many officers and soldiers to meet the demands in the past and a few may have reached Congress and even the president's chair to the best interests of the country.

In the Spanish War only about one per cent of shots fired by our war ships hit the mark, due to lack of practice. Even the signal corps was so deficient that our fleet fired on one of our ships coming from European waters. All of which shows. our need of trained officers.

One trained officer at the Naval Academy, commands, drills and makes perfectly drilled men of four or more hundred midshipmen. As with a chain letter we can see what these four or more hundred men could do with untrained men and so each year if we graduated two thousand officers, it would be no work for them to properly train thousands of men in a few weeks.

The President is Commander-in-Chief of the army and navy, and if not qualified on account of his lack of experience and education in military affairs, to enable him to successfully direct the policy of the army and navy in time of war, should at least appoint an experienced General as Secretary of War and an able Admiral as Secretary of the Navy.

President Lincoln, with all his natural ability and good judgment was not able to defeat the Confederate Army until he finally succeeded in finding in Gen. U. S. Grant, a competent acting Commander-in-Chief of the entire Union Army. Stanton, although not a military expert, was able eventually after several years of experience to act judiciously and properly as Secretary of War.

Our President and Governors, state Legislatures and Congressmen, may study out and enact laws, draft constitutional amendments and make treaties, but all their work will be powerless without an efficient organized military force to compel compliance with these laws and treaties.

A constitution of the United States would be like a morning mist, or a bunch of straw, and treaties like writings on the sand, "scraps of paper," were there no strong army and navy to enforce these laws and treaties if defied by a foreign or domestic foe.

The respect that other nations have for our territory, our assumed Monroe doctrine, and our treaty obligations, will be

ignored in this age, by other nations, if interfering with their plans, were we unable to maintain our ground by force.

The war of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War and the Spanish War were not settled by the statesmen in Congress, who did much to bring about the Civil War, but by the trained officers in the army and navy who were trained at West Point and Annapolis.

It was U. S. Grant at Vicksburg, who had his training at West Point, in 1843, along with his fellow alumni Gen. W. T. Sherman (1840), Gen. A. J. Smith (1838), Gen. James B. McPherson (1851), assisted by Rear-Admiral David B. Porter, who became midshipman of the navy in 1829, and Admiral Farragut, who together with other Union officers and soldiers captured the city and fortifications and opened up the Mississippi river to the Union Army.

It was Gen. George B. Meade, graduate of West Point in (1835), who led the Union forces at Gettysburg, with Gen. John F. Reynolds (1841), killed at the commencement of the battle, Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock (1854), Rutherford B. Hayes, (an attorney, afterwards president), Gen. Daniel E. Sickles (an attorney), Gen. John Sedgwick (1837), Gen. Henry W. Slocum (1852), Gen. George Sykes (1842), Gen. Oliver O. Howard (1854), Gen. Carl Schurz a noted German who came to America in (1852) with many other Union officers and soldiers, who encountered the well trained forces of Gen. Robt. E. Lee (1829), at Gettysburg, when the great decisive battle was fought that decided the war, the Confederate army being defeated and forced back to the Potomac river.

It was General George B. McClellan, a graduate of West Point (1846) who took part in the Mexican War and who later succeeded in organizing and training one of the finest armies in the United States, which was able eventually to conquer, under Grant, Sherman, and other Generals, the efficient army of General Robert E. Lee, and finally capture Richmond, the capitol of the Southern Confederacy, and terminating the war.

Oliver H. Perry received his commission as midshipman in 1796. His victory on Lake Erie, September 10, 1813, is well known. He secured a vast territory for the United States. Matthew Calbraith Perry became midshipman in 1809. His expedition to Japan is well known, (1853) and he opened that country to the commerce of the world.

It was Admiral David G. Farragut who entered the navy at the age of nine years in 1810, under the protection of his name father, then Captain David Porter, who was appointed to the command of the Western Gulf Black Sea Squadron, and reduced the defenses guarding the approach of New Orleans, taking pos

session of that city April 29, 1862. He also subsequently took possession of the port of Mobile, August 5th, 1864.

It was Samuel Francis Du Pont, appointed a midshipman in the United States Navy, December 19th, 1815, who was given command of the South Atlantic Squadron, and captured Forts Walker and Beauregard in 1862.

John Adolph Dahlgren entered the navy and passed midshipman in 1832 and was made Rear-Admiral in 1863, and was placed in charge of the South Atlantic blockading squadron. He conducted naval operations at Charleston Harbor and aided General W. T. Sherman in his South Carolina and Georgia expeditions.

Admiral George Dewey who graduated at Annapolis in 1858, achieved distinction and accomplished much for the United States during the Civil War and the Spanish War. He was a Lieutenant on the "Mississippi" and was with the West Gulf Squadron in 1862. In 1863 he was at Donaldsonville on a gunboat and at Fort Fisher in 1864 and 1865 on the "Agawam." He served two years on the Kearsarge and the Colorado and two years at the Naval Academy. In 1884 he took charge of the Dolphin in 1884 the Pensacola, in 1896 he was made commodore and in 1898 took charge of the Atlantic Squadron. In 1898 he distroyed the Spanish Squadron in Manila Bay. He was promoted to Rear-Admiral and in 1899 made Admiral of the United States Navy.

The United States Academy at West Point was established in 1802.

Many of the actors in the Mexican War, the War of 1812, and the great tragedy of the Civil War, learned their parts at West Point, in the navy, in the state legislatures and the United States congress.

It was Robert E. Lee, a graduate of West Point in 1829, who with other fellow alumni, including U. S. Grant and Geo. B. McClellan, S. B. Buckner, (1840) Confederate, Joseph Hooker, graduating Thomas J. Jackson, known as Stonewall Jackson (1846), Confederate, took part in the Mexican War, Jefferson Davis, Joseph E. Johnston (1829), Confederate, took part in the Mexican War. Palmerton, Sherman, Braxton Bragg (1837), Confederate, who took part in the Mexican War of 1845 and 1848, and through this War succeeded in adding to the territorial possessions of the United States, Texas, in 1845, California and New Mexico in 1848.

Two of the principal generals however, who took part in this war did not study at West Point, namely Gen. Winfield Scott, who was a student at William and Mary College in 1805; and General Zachary Taylor who did not receive a college education.