THE REALIZATION OF AN ARCHITECT’S DREAM
When the springtime rolls around and the Hudson River is at its best,
the annual influx of visitors begins to arrive at West Point. Trains
and boats disgorge official visitors, tourists, boy scouts, delegations
of various brotherhoods and sisterhoods, and picknickers galore. Little
groups of them appear in all corners of the Post, in the area of
Barracks, on the Plain, in the Public Buildings, and along the famous
Flirtation Walk. Their chief interest, of course, is to catch a glimpse
of the cadets, either _en masse_ or individually. When the Corps starts
either to meals or to dress parade, they gather along the sidewalks,
or at the visitors’ seats to watch the marching. Some openly express
their enthusiasm and pleasure, genuinely delighted at everything they
see, while others remain silent and phlegmatic apparently taking only a
languid interest in their surroundings.
As I watch my fellow-countrymen strolling about the grounds of the
Academy, I often wonder what are their impressions of this institution.
To many, of course, the historic traditions of West Point, as well
as its functions and purposes, are thoroughly familiar, but to a vast
majority West Point is a closed book. They see the cadets, the drills,
the buildings, perhaps parade, but they never have an opportunity to
acquaint themselves with the intimate life of the Academy. They do
not derive the full benefit from their visit, because they are in the
position of regarding the institution from the outside. In many cases,
the spirit of investigation is restrained by a feeling of timidity upon
their part, a feeling of awe in the face of military surroundings.
The Army is so little known to the people in the United States, that,
to the average civilian, there seems to be some sort of mystery
surrounding military life, and the presence of a man in uniform, with
a waist belt and pistol, doing plain police duty, appears to act
as a check on every natural impulse. The pleasure of his visit is
consequently marred to some extent and he feels somewhat ill-at-ease.
He wants to investigate with greater freedom, but he shrinks from being
told that his projects are “Verboten.” Upon his departure he must
of necessity have but a superficial idea of the great work done at
the Academy, unless he has been fortunate enough to have some friend
stationed at West Point who dissipates the apparently cold atmosphere
of military life.
I have often regretted, as I watched the crowds swarming around, that
each individual might not carry away a real appreciation of West
Point, instead of leaving with only the most superficial impressions.
Unless one has graduated from the Academy it is impossible to seize
fully the spirit of the institution, or have a clear idea of its
intimate life. My long familiarity with West Point, both as a cadet
and as an officer, prompts me to portray for the American people the
history, aims, ideals, and spirit of their National Military Academy.
[Illustration: Class Formation in the Area of Barracks]
West Point seen for the first time from the river, whether in sunshine
or through the mists, is a sight not soon forgotten. The monumental
Riding Hall that rises out of the cliff of which it seems to form a
part, first fixes the eye, but as one’s glance wanders a little higher
it drinks in the towering pile of Post Headquarters; higher yet, the
eye rests for a moment on the crenelated border of the roof of the
Academic Building, and then, higher still, it pauses to contemplate
the beauty of West Point’s crowning architectural achievement, the
Cadet Chapel. For a moment the beholder seems withdrawn from the sordid
material world, and filled with a multitude of noble impressions. He
experiences a spiritual uplift as he admires the majestic simplicity
and grandeur of the buildings, an architectural triumph worthy to have
inspired Ruskin’s beautiful thought, “frozen music.”
When the Government determined to rebuild West Point, nearly fifteen
years ago, the presence of two fine buildings of Gothic design--the
Library and the Cadet Barracks--decided the style of architecture.
These two buildings ranked as perhaps the most successful examples
of the Collegiate Gothic that was much in vogue for educational
institutions in the country half a century ago. A limited competition
was held for designs and all architects who had distinguished
themselves in Gothic work were invited to participate. Several
beautiful designs for a Renaissance treatment were offered, but one
group of architects, Cram, Goodhue, and Ferguson, submitted drawings
for so admirable a Gothic treatment that they received the unanimous
approval of a board of judges composed of eminent architects. The
construction of the new buildings lasted over a period of about
seven years, during which time the work was under the direction of
Colonel John M. Carson, Jr., Quartermaster, who was representing
the Government. In writing a book on West Point, any mention of the
buildings involves the name of Colonel Carson who performed his
difficult work with an unusual amount of zeal and intelligence. The
result is that the new buildings are splendidly constructed, and
because the architects had an eye for harmony these structures seem to
grow out of the rocks upon which they stand, emphasizing rather than
detracting from West Point’s natural beauty.
[Illustration: The Administration Building]
The north road from the station passes first, on the river side, the
Power House built of granite from local quarries. It is designed to
supply the entire institution with electricity for light and power,
and the central buildings with heat from exhaust steam. In a building
of this nature, a factory-like look would be taken for granted and
pardoned, but, on the contrary, its design is not only adapted for its
function, but the building forms an important link in the architectural
whole. It assumes its place quite naturally and modestly, almost
unobtrusively in the natural landscape, tying the buildings in the
upper terrace with the base. The tall smoke-stack is cleverly concealed
within the walls of an imposing granite tower.
On a slightly higher level, and paralleling the river, is the Riding
Hall splendidly impressive with its broad flat buttresses. The latter
seem almost akin to the classic order, and serve in a very large
measure to reconcile the classicism of the neighboring Cullum Memorial
Hall,--an exotic among its surroundings--with the dominant Gothic of
the place. The present Riding Hall occupies the site of not only the
old hall, but also of the old Cavalry stables, and barracks. The old
hall was built in 1855 and, for the number of cadets at West Point
during the ensuing fifty years, it was sufficiently large. With the
increase of the Corps of Cadets, and the quickened interest throughout
the Service in equitation, however, more spacious accommodations for
instruction were required. Usually when a building has served a useful
and honorable purpose for many years, its demolition is generally
viewed with regret. There was, however, no sentimental attachment for
the Riding Hall. Many a painful hour had cadets spent within its walls
learning to ride on the bare back of a raw-boned horse, or floundering
around in the spongy tanbark.
In the little plaza at the junction of the Power House and Riding
Hall, the road winds and passes under the mediæval arch of the Post
Headquarters, or Administration Building. At this point, the bulk and
dignity of the buildings are stupendous, and admiringly we stand,
imprisoned, it would seem, in a quadrangle of Middle Age fortresses,
whose sternness and solemnity seem symbolic of discipline and strength.
The main entrance to the Riding Hall branches from the road a few paces
beyond the arch, the lower level of the galleries being reached by a
flight of steps that cling to the steep retaining wall of the road. The
great arena is 150 by 600 feet and is covered by a cantilever roof,
so that when the eye first encounters this interior, a sensation of
its vastness holds the spectator in its grip. The roof is mostly of
glass so as to afford a maximum of light, and the floor is covered
with tanbark to make more endurable any sudden and unexpected descent
from the back of a capricious beast. The building is steam-heated and
electric lighted, for during the winter months, equitation drills
extend into the late afternoon. The hall can be divided by curtains
into three smaller halls, a scheme that permits three classes to
undergo instruction at the same time. In one portion of the hall are
stalls for one hundred mounts, but the majority of the horses are
kept at the cavalry barracks. The hall is so large that during the
winter months the U. S. M. A. Battery of Artillery uses it for a drill
ground, thereby keeping the horses in good condition and the men well
instructed. Moreover, the officers and cadets are enabled to keep
up their practice in polo. Every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon,
teams of cadets play each other, or try their skill against civilian
opponents. Along the full length of the west wall, and the north and
south end, are balconies for the accommodation of visitors who are
welcome whenever the hall is open.
[Illustration:
Administration
Building
Riding
Hall]
Passing once more under the arch, we admire again for a moment the
graceful Herculean proportions of the Administration Building whose
imposing square tower, tipped with four smaller towers at the corners,
rises precipitately one hundred and sixty feet. It is an interesting
fact in these days of steel construction that this tower is built of
solid masonry. At the southeast angle of the building, on a level with
the base of the main floor, is an enormous eagle carved in granite,
its head high, its wings outstretched and flattened back proudly
against the two sides of the edifice, as if proclaiming to the world
its mission of protection over the Academy whose administrative heart
is enclosed in this structure. As we ascend the stairway, alongside
the basement at the left, we pass a large Gothic window which affords
light to a vaulted hall used for courts-martial. The interior of this
hall is in keeping with the mediæval donjon appearance of the whole
building, and of such a chill and forbidding aspect as to inspire in
the accused a feeling of guilt, _nolens volens_. The flight of stairs
mounts to the level of the Post proper where an eastern view of the
building is disclosed. A large sally-port leads into the court around
which the building is constructed.
The exterior walls are ornamented with shields representing the
coats-of-arms of various states, territories, and foreign possessions
prepared from the official seals, and expressed according to the
laws of Heraldry. The only coat-of-arms of an individual is that of
George Washington, at the top of the east elevation of the courtyard.
The obverse and reverse of the great seal of the United States will
be found above the east and west entrances, respectively, of the
sally-port. Flanking the obverse of the great seal are the seal of the
War Department and the device of the Corps of Engineers. In addition
to the shields, the devices of the various staff departments, usually
associated with a headquarters, have been placed in the sally-port. Two
of them, the Adjutant-General’s Department, and the Quartermaster’s
Department, are on shields on the north side of the sally-port, and
the Subsistence Department, Signal Corps, Pay Department, Ordnance
Department, Inspector-General’s Department, Judge-Advocate-General’s
Department, Medical Department, and Chaplain’s Corps, are on corbels at
the bases of the ribs of the arch.
[Illustration: Colonel Jonathan Williams, Corps of Engineers
First Superintendent of the Military Academy
From the Painting by Thomas Sully, Library U.S.M.A.]
In the courtyard the names that are carved in the granite were selected
for the following reasons:
WILLIAMS Colonel Jonathan Williams, first Superintendent
of the Military Academy.
SWIFT Colonel Joseph G. Swift, first graduate
of the Military Academy.
TOTTEN General Joseph G. Totten, the tenth
graduate and _ex-officio_ the first
inspector of the Military Academy
while serving as Chief of Engineers
from 1838-1864.
THAYER Major Sylvanus Thayer, Father of
the Military Academy.
DELAFIELD Colonel Richard Delafield, Superintendent
from 1856 to 1861, under
whose administration much construction
was completed.
JEFFERSON Thomas Jefferson, third President
of the United States, during whose
administration, 1801 to 1809, the
Military Academy was founded.
MONROE James Monroe, fifth President of
the United States, 1817 to 1825,
under whose administration the Military
Academy developed and was
encouraged.
Upon the second floor is the Academic Board room, a Gothic hall
illuminated with stained glass windows containing emblems of the
various arts and sciences. The most striking feature of the room is the
massive stone mantel, modeled by Laurie and ornamented with statuettes
of the world’s greatest warriors.
The description of the statuettes and the reasons for selecting the
subject are given in a letter to Dr. Holden, late librarian, dated
November 23, 1906. An Advisory Board of officers recommended:
That the character of the figures on the mantlepiece be of a
general military type--historical or legendary--best suited to
harmonize with the architectural treatment and selected by the
architects themselves from the three lists in this letter of
November 23, 1906.
The heads appearing at the top of the mantel--in the crenelations--have
no relation to the statuettes underneath. The small shields immediately
below the statuettes are, however, indicative of the subjects as
follows:
JOSHUA. Sun and Moon--taken from the Biblical legend describing the
distinctly miraculous standing still of the Sun on the occasion of a
certain battle.
HECTOR OF TROY. Mycenæan Scroll--a sort of triangular fylfot, which
stands for Mycenæan civilization. This device would apply equally to
that of Troy of which Hector was the greatest figure.
[Illustration: Colonel Joseph G. Swift
First Graduate of the Military Academy
From the Painting by Thomas Sully, Library U.S.M.A.]
DAVID. King of all Israel, warrior and psalmist--the harp--selected by
the architects instead of a little sling, especially since the head of
Goliath is under the foot of the figure above.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT. A conventionalized Gordian knot severed.
JULIUS CÆSAR. The standard carried by the famous Roman Legions.
CHARLEMAGNE. King of the Franks--The imperial iron crown.
KING ARTHUR OF ENGLAND. The Holy Grail, symbolizing the whole purpose
of his career.
GODFREY DE BOUILLON. Heraldic cross of Jerusalem of which city he was
king and which forms a part of his own coat-of-arms.
JUDAS MACCABEUS. The hammer--which is the actual meaning of the name
“Maccabeus.”
In the mantel, the figures are arranged chronologically and
historically. Three of them, _i. e._, Hector, Alexander, and Cæsar,
were Heathen; three were Christians, viz.: Charlemagne, King Arthur,
and Godfrey; and three were Jews, viz.: Joshua, David, and Judas.
The choice of subjects was suggested to the architects by Caxton’s
preface to the first volume of Sir Thomas Malory’s _Morte d’Arthur_,
from which the following quotation covering the choice of the figures
is taken:
For it is notorly known through the universal world, that there be
nine worthy and the best that ever were, that is to wit, three
Paynims, three Jews, and three Christian men. As for the Paynims,
they were to-fore the Incarnation of Christ, which were named,
the first Hector of Troy, of whom the history is comen both in
ballad and in prose, the second Alexander the Great, and the third
Julius Cæsar, Emperor of Rome, of whom the histories be well known
and had. And as for the three Jews, which were also to-fore the
Incarnation of our Lord, of whom the first was Duke Joshua which
brought the children of Israel into the land of behest, the second
David, King of Jerusalem, and the third Judas Maccabeus, of these
three the Bible rehearseth all their noble histories and acts. And
since the said Incarnation have been three noble Christian men,
stalled and admitted through the universal world into the number of
the nine best and worthy. Of whom was first the noble Arthur. The
second was Charlemain, or Charles the Great, of whom the history is
had in many places, both in French and English. And the third and
last was Godfrey of Boloine.
[Illustration: Cadets at Equitation in the World’s Largest Riding Hall
(600 ft. × 150 ft.)]
Upon the same floor as the Academic Board room are the three offices
of the Superintendent, the Adjutant, and the clerks. The Headquarters
building houses, moreover, the offices of the Treasurer, the
Quartermaster, the printing shops, the Post Office, and the Ordnance
Museum, the entrance to which is at the left of the sally-port. Begun
in 1854, the Museum has throughout the years gathered some valuable
trophies of war, interesting relics, and models of the arms of all
nations. Visitors are well repaid by a visit to this interesting
spot. Historic relics abound in the rooms. I might mention among them a
portion of the flagstaff that was at Fort Sumter in 1861; presentation
swords belonging to distinguished American generals; General Grant’s
uniform and horse equipment; mementoes of the Philippine insurrection
and of the war with Spain, not to speak of a rare and beautiful
collection of weapons of all kinds. Not the least interesting part
of the exhibit are the trophies of the Revolution. In glass cases
are preserved five flags captured by the American army during the
Revolution, two of which were British royal colors, and three taken
from the German mercenaries sent over by King George. The former were
taken at Yorktown. All these flags were originally the property of
General Washington by whom they were bequeathed to George Washington
Parke Custis, the son of his adopted son, and grandson of Mrs.
Washington. He in turn bequeathed them to the War Department, which
came into possession of them in 1858. The same year Secretary Floyd
presented them to the Academy.
Across the road from the Administration Building is the Cadet Mess. It
is one of the oldest buildings, the main part dating from 1850. The
architecture conforms in a general way to that of the new buildings.
With its broad pavement in front, it sets well back from the road,
possessing not only the dignity of its more imposing neighbors, but in
addition a certain quaint charm.
The large central doors give access to the main hall whose walls are
hung with portraits of distinguished graduates, chiefly the former
Superintendents of the Academy. Perhaps the most interesting painting
is that of General Robert E. Lee, who was Superintendent in 1852.
Frequently I have heard visitors express surprise that General Lee’s
portrait should hang in the halls of the National Military Academy,
notwithstanding he was a graduate and afterwards a Superintendent. The
fact that he fought against the Union, they argue, should preclude the
bestowal of the honor. West Point, however, considers that since we are
a united people once more, his record should be recognized by his Alma
Mater from whom he learned the lessons that brought him his fame and
his glory.
Symmetrically arranged in the hall are the mess tables. They are made
to accommodate ten cadets, but occasionally, here and there, two
tables are shoved together for economy of floor space. At these tables
are twenty cadets. It is a pleasure to enter the Mess Hall prior to
any meal. Every table is immaculate with its snowy clean cloth, its
polished cutlery, and shining crockery. The cadets are not seated by
classes but by companies, each company having a certain number of
tables in the section of the hall assigned its battalion. As a rule,
the ten messmates are made up of three first classmen, two second
classmen, two third classmen, and three fourth classmen. The latter
are given, by custom of the Corps, various duties to perform at mess
such as carving the meat, procuring the coffee and milk.
[Illustration: The Carved Mantel in the Hall of the Academic Board
_Sculptor--Laurie_
The Nine Great Warriors of the World
_Note: There are also two figures on the sides, not visible_]
Three long passageways lead from the main dining-hall to the kitchen.
At first glance the super-cleanliness of the surroundings strikes the
observer, but his attention is soon attracted to the numerous clever
devices for cooking, and for saving time and labor. The preparation
of the food for cooking occurs outside of the kitchen proper. Each
department prepares its kind, whereupon it is carried to the chef to
be cooked and served. The labor of preparation is greatly reduced by
the liberal use of machinery. A clever electrical machine rapidly
peels the potatoes, a whole bushel of them, in a few minutes; other
contrivances make and cut the bread, sterilize the milk, freeze the
ice-cream; and wash and dry the innumerable dishes. Without the aid of
these labor-saving devices it would be impossible to maintain such an
excellent mess for the cadets. Even now the capacity of the plant is
tested almost to its limit, and with the increase in the Corps to 1200
cadets, it will be necessary either to enlarge the present Cadet Mess
or to build a new hall. The disappearance of the present Mess, Grant
Hall, will be viewed with great regret by many graduates who dined for
four long years within its really historic walls.
South of the Cadet Mess is the Hospital for cadets, a large granite
building perched on a terrace, well back from the road. It consists
of a central portion of three stories and basement, with two wings
of two stories each and basement. The older portions date from
1875, but the wings are of more recent construction. The wings are
practically detached from the main portion of the building for the
possible isolation of cases. The equipment is, of course, modern in
every respect. Each wing contains two wards, making four in all, named
respectively Cuyler, McElderry, McParlin, and Wheaton in honor of
former distinguished military surgeons on duty at West Point. I do not
suppose that there is a building on the Post which arouses in cadets so
many different kinds of feeling. To some it is a place to be avoided,
but to a large number, especially to those who succeed in entering for
minor ailments, it is viewed as a haven of rest. It is the one place
where the cadets are free from the irksome routine, where there is no
reveille, and where the convalescents revel in what appears to them
epicurean feasts. Vatel, the famous French chef, never enjoyed more
renown than does the cook at the hospital.
Almost every cadet has a secret longing to be in the hospital at least
for a short period during his course, and those who “break in” for
slight ailments are regarded with a special esteem by their fellows.
One of the first adages that a plebe learns at West Point is “faint
heart never broke into the hospital.” The surgeons, however, are
pretty clever men and they size up the situation very clearly in each
case.
[Illustration: The North Cadet Barracks]
I remember that upon one occasion when I was a cadet, a group of
convalescents were, one winter day, holding a mutual congratulatory
meeting in one of the wards, the burden of the conversation being their
luck and also their skill in remaining so long in this abode of rest.
Arthur C----, who was the most successful of the disciples of the “rest
cure,” was perched upon a bed explaining to an admiring line of heads
in little snow-white cots, the strategy necessary to remain in the
ward, finishing his discourse oratorically; “Some may come and some may
go but _I_ stay on forever!” when the door opened and in walked the
surgeon. Cadet C---- was next day returned to duty.
The officer in charge of the hospital is the Post Surgeon, who is
assisted by three or four captains of the Medical Corps, and by several
Dental Surgeons. These officers are also in charge of the Soldiers’
Hospital, a separate building for the enlisted men of the garrison, and
are responsible for the general health of the command.
The chief buildings of the Academy occupy relatively a small area
of ground. Just north of the Cadet Mess and flanking the main road
are the two Academic buildings, known as the East and West Academic.
The East building is new, having been completed in 1913, one of the
last provided for in the rebuilding of West Point. The West Academic
building, which was completed in 1895, is built of Massachusetts
granite and cost about five hundred thousand dollars. In this building
are located the Departments of Civil and Military Engineering,
Mathematics, Law, Drawing, Ordnance and Gunnery, and English and
History; in the East building the Departments of Modern Languages,
Chemistry and Electricity, Natural and Experimental Philosophy. The
latter building is provided with the most modern lecture rooms,
electrical and chemical laboratories, besides a mineralogical and
geological museum. The major portion of both buildings contain the
section rooms for recitation purposes. Visitors are admitted if
accompanied by an officer.
The architecture of both of these buildings is Gothic, but that of
the new or East building is of a more exquisite beauty. Splendidly
situated, it gives the impression of bulk and mass, much the same
feeling that one has in regarding a dreadnought for the first time,
but this impression soon gives way to an appreciation of a certain
delicacy of treatment, a simple dignity that pleases. One of the best
impressions of its beauty is obtained about dusk when the evening mists
dim its outlines and its surface is bathed in shadows relieved only by
the glimmering of the mediæval lanterns on either side of the main door.
Immediately facing the center of the East Academic Building and
across the road, is a large opening known as a sally-port through
which the sections of cadets must march to recitations in the East
Academic building. This passageway connects the main road with the
area of barracks, a space of ground that derives its name from the
brown-stone buildings that bound a portion of its perimeter. Along one
side is a cement walk on which the cadets form to be marched to their
recitations, and a sidewalk borders the barracks. With the exception
of a small plot of grass near the Academic building the area is devoid
of verdure, but is covered with a fine gravel that gives a clean and
well-groomed appearance to the ground. The word “Area” has great
connoting power. To a large number of cadets, it vividly brings to
mind the punishment tours that they wearily trudged on Wednesday and
Saturday afternoons across its surface. To the majority, however, it is
the “hub” of cadet life, the assembly place for recitations, sometimes
for meals; the scene of many an inspection or a guard mount, and most
important of all, it contains a small insignificant building with a
clock tower where dwell the Commandant of Cadets and his assistants,
the Tactical officers.
The building on the north and west of the area is the South Cadet
Barracks, built in 1848. This edifice, of 360 feet frontage, is
constructed of native granite, with crenelations and cornices of red
sandstone, and the Elizabethan style of its architecture harmonizes
perfectly with the Gothic of the new buildings. In fact, the old
Cadet Barracks is one of West Point’s handsomest buildings. There
are two hundred rooms in the building, 14 × 22 feet, each planned to
accommodate two cadets. It is completely supplied with modern plumbing,
heating, and electric lights. The barracks are divided into divisions,
each containing sixteen rooms. There is no lateral communication
between the divisions, but a certain number of them are assigned to a
company, according to its strength. At present the 1st Bn. Cos. A, B,
C, and D are quartered here.
I have often stood in the Area of Barracks and looked through the
north sally-port to enjoy the fine vista that it framed. A section of
the Plain fills half the picture, a beautiful foreground, either when
resignedly spread out to the heat of the Highland summer, or shivering
under its fleecy blanket of snow, over which the winter winds angrily
blow. In the upper half against the far-away background of the Highland
hills is the slender flagstaff, sometimes swathed in the folds of
our national emblem, sometimes resisting with all its strength the
fluttering of its precious charge which seems to implore its release to
join the flight of the breeze.
As we leave the north sally-port and turn toward the angle between the
two sets of barracks, high on the hill the monumental Cadet Chapel,
West Point’s spiritual fortress, looms above with extraordinary
effectiveness. It has a fine site on a commanding spur just above
the old Cadet Barracks on the west, from which point it dominates the
Post. It lies in the shadow of old Fort Putnam of Revolutionary fame,
and, built of stone quarried from its own hill, it seems a part of its
naturally beautiful surroundings.
[Illustration: The Chapel]
This edifice is in reality a large church with a seating capacity of
fourteen hundred persons. In plan it is a crucifix, surmounted by a
large central tower whose parapet is 130 feet above the pavement of the
interior and 420 feet above the level of the river. The tower contains
two stories: the bell-ringer’s story and the belfry above. There are
as yet no chimes, but on national holidays, Christmas morning, and
Easter, the band mounts to the bell-ringer’s story, and the airs
appropriate for the day float out through the louver windows in a weird
and mysterious manner, as if some invisible symphony was playing in the
clouds.
Just above the stately clerestory windows, and around the cornice of
the building, is a row of carved figures, little bosses, representing
the quest of the Holy Grail. Over the door of the main entrance is a
great two-handed sword, Excalibur.
One should pause for a moment on the terrace in front of the main
entrance to enjoy the magnificent panorama. In the distance, flows the
Hudson winding among the Highland hills, and skirting the great Plain
along whose edge stand the Bachelor Building, Cullum Hall, and the
Officers’ Mess. Directly below, in the shelter of the chapel hill,
are grouped all of the main buildings pertaining to the cadets, the
most conspicuous of which are the barracks. Viewed from this height
the arrangement of the buildings resembles a regular nest, _le nid des
cadets_.
A winding road back of the barracks leads to the Chapel. The interior
of the Chapel is 200 feet long, and across the transepts, 72 feet
wide. The nave contains fourteen large Gothic windows, now filled with
temporary glass but which will later be replaced with memorial windows.
The jewel of the interior is the great chancel window, with its noble
inscription:
Erected to the glory of the God of Battles and in faithful memory
of the departed graduates of the United States Military Academy,
West Point, by the living alumni.
The deep shades of purple and red give the window an extraordinary
richness. The best lights from the glass are obtained in the early
afternoon about four o’clock. It is of rare richness and beauty, and
for subject, color, and arrangement it is thought to be unexcelled in
our country. There are twenty-seven panels, each of which contains an
almost life-size figure representing one of the chief militant figures
in the Bible. Services are held in the Chapel every Sunday morning at a
quarter before eleven and are attended by cadets, officers, enlisted
men, their families, and a large number of visitors. In addition to the
regular service in the Chapel, where the cadet choir of one hundred
and five voices is a feature, a series of organ recitals, free to the
public, is given each year.
[Illustration: The Interior of the Chapel]
The organ is of unusually fine quality and is surprisingly effective
for an instrument of three manuals, or keyboards. But it is still
incomplete, being both undersized for this cathedral-like building and
inadequate to the proper performance of the finest music. The addition
of a fourth manual, with its pipes located in the gallery opposite the
present organ, now eloquently vacant, is needed to bring the musical
part of the service and the recitals up to the highest efficiency.
Upon the completion of the improvements contemplated the organ
will become one of the art glories of the country, and with the
Chapel,--perfect in architecture, surroundings, and acoustics--would
create an atmosphere of rare idealism. The acquisition of every new
stop given is indicated by a bronze tablet placed upon the console,
or key desk, of the organ. The significance of such tablets would
make this organ and console unique, not only in establishing historic
traditions but also in affording substantial encouragement to the
volunteer organist and to the choir.
The opportunity here presented is most worthy for anyone desirous of
establishing a memorial to a graduate of the Academy, for a graduate
wishing to honor the memory of one of his immediate family, for a class
gift, or for anyone interested in furthering an artistic influence over
the lives of the future officers of the Army of our country.
To assist in the completion of the organ, a fund, known as the “Organ
Fund” has been started, which is kept alive by recital offerings,
private subscriptions, and proceeds from sale of “The Corps,” a popular
West Point song.
In the transepts are galleries but they are not at present equipped
with seats. Along the nave also are covered galleries, almost hidden
from view by the suspended flags.
A request made to the sexton will enable the visitor to see the crypt,
a vaulted room beneath the Chapel that is designed to be the final
resting place of West Point’s illustrious military dead.
To care for the spiritual welfare of the cadets and other residents of
the Post, there is a Chaplain who is appointed by the President. His
term of office is for four years, but he is usually re-appointed.
The location of the Chapel makes it visible from many places on
the Post. In walking around the grounds, every once in a while an
extraordinarily effective view of the fine building strikes the
beholder. Each glimpse seems more beautiful than the previous one,
and a general impression remains that the Chapel holds a spiritual
dominion over the institution. Every corner of the main part of West
Point seems under its influence. This feeling is particularly strong
as we stand on the sidewalk between the old and new Cadet Barracks and
gaze at this monumental pile of ethereal beauty that seems to lose
itself in the sky. I never view the Chapel from this point without
thinking of one of Maxfield Parrish’s imaginative paintings of the
Arabian Nights.
In the southwest angle of the Plain, from where I like to view the
Chapel, is a white granite statue of Major Sylvanus Thayer, class of
1808. The funds for this modest but beautiful monument, which was
unveiled June 11, 1883, were contributed by loyal graduates of the
Academy and by loving friends. General Thayer was Superintendent of
the Academy from 1817 to 1833. He was the first to establish a real
curriculum, and so valuable were his services that he has since been
called “the Father of the Academy.” The body of the distinguished
officer was brought from South Braintree, Mass., and reinterred in the
Post cemetery on November 8, 1877. The sculptor of the monument was
Carl Conrad.
On the west side of the Plain is the North Cadet Barracks, one of the
new buildings completed in 1908. The Gothic style employed in the
treatment of this building, while resembling somewhat that of the old
barracks, has more dignity, beauty, and grace. Not enough difference
exists between the two to cause any lack of harmony. Chief among the
changes made in the new barracks are the windows which are triple
instead of single. As far as the interior is concerned the arrangement
is identical. Modern plumbing has been installed in the old barracks to
conform to its new neighbor, so that the cadets of today are no longer
obliged to run down to the area to draw their water from the hydrant.
The very mention of this ancient and picturesque custom brings back
many memories, chiefly centered around reveille on a bitterly cold
morning. Immediately upon the dismissal of the ranks, hordes of cadets
(it seemed to me), clustered around one poor little hydrant from which
a thin stream of icy water trickled into the _papier maché_ buckets.
Now, upon each floor of barracks are faucets with hot and cold water! I
wish that I were a cadet again!
No one would judge the building to be a military barracks. Rather, a
study of its lines would suggest that it was the home of some religious
order. It has an undeniable ecclesiastical character that impresses one
immediately. I have always derived great pleasure in contemplating its
beauty and my imagination at these times fancies it as the refuge, the
shelter, the sanctuary of a body of men separated from the material
affairs of the world. It seems made to house only the best and noblest
in nature, to be the environment from which high ideals receive their
greatest inspiration. A group of happy smiling cadets coming out
of their rooms at this moment tells me that my imagination has been
dwelling upon reality and not wandering into fantastic fields. This
building is indeed the home of a splendid Order, the inspiring order of
young manhood, clean-minded and honorable, trained in a school where
they are taught the most scrupulous regard for the truth, and where
they are given a _mens sana in corpore sano_.
In the quadrangle the light brick facing gives, in all sorts of
weather, a bright cheerful aspect, a sunny appearance, that contrasts
in a most welcome manner with the gloom of the quadrangle of the old
barracks.
Set well back from the Plain, and to the north of the new barracks,
is the Gymnasium. It is not built of granite like its neighbor, the
new barracks, but has received from the hands of the architect an
artistic and interesting treatment of brick and limestone. The broad
wall-like surface of the front is broken by six flat buttresses, whose
terminals are richly decorated. Viewing the building from the southeast
corner these buttresses appear like giant sentinels, fine specimens
of the building’s physical development. Far across the parade ground
the Bachelor Officers’ quarters, of similar design, serves with the
Gymnasium to link in one harmonious whole the old and new buildings
surrounding the Plain.
The second story is devoted to the gymnasium proper. It is lighted by
large skylights, and equipped with every possible device for physical
development. The remainder of the building houses a fine natatorium, 77
feet wide and 92 feet long, with a swimming-pool 40 feet wide and 80
feet long; a fencing-room, a boxing-room, a wrestling-room, besides the
necessary dressing-rooms for both cadets and officers. In the basement
is a shooting gallery for indoor rifle and pistol practice.
North of the Gymnasium and fronting the Plain, are the quarters of the
Superintendent of the Academy, an interesting old house that dates
from 1820. Surrounding the house is a quaint old ironwork porch of
later date, but old enough to be a curiosity today. A well-proportioned
central hall gives access to charming suites of spacious rooms on both
sides of the quarters, but the suite on the left is the more beautiful
for it offers a fascinating vista of three large rooms terminating in a
conservatory filled with exotic plants. Delightful hospitality has been
dispensed in these rooms to some of the most noted people in the world.
Royalty, distinguished foreigners, civilians, and soldiers, noted
American men and women are constantly visiting West Point to inspect
the school and are always entertained by the Superintendent. If the
walls of these quarters could speak they would relate some interesting
incidents of the official life of West Point. The beauty of the rooms
is today enhanced by a number of fine family portraits, painted by
Thomas Sully, and the property of the present Superintendent, Colonel
John Biddle, Corps of Engineers.
At any official function the guests usually crowd the fascinating old
porch to watch the evolutions of the cadets upon the Plain opposite, or
sometimes they indulgently stand on the front stone steps to pose for
the breathlessly impatient movie men and photographers. The quarters
are surrounded by beautiful, well-kept lawns and tall graceful elm
trees.
A traveler may go far before he will behold so majestic a view as that
of the Hudson River from Trophy Point and Battle Monument. For pure
beauty it is unsurpassed. In the distance lies the city of Newburg,
against a dim background of the Shawangunk Mountains, and in the
foreground the little village of Coldspring nestles close to the side
of rugged Breakneck. On the opposite side Cro’s Nest descends abruptly
to the water. At this spot the Hudson seems to be surrounded on all
sides by land so that the beholder might well imagine himself in Europe
among the Italian Lakes.
Upon this spot are a number of trophies, among the most interesting
of which is a portion of the old chain that, during the Revolutionary
War, was stretched across the river from just above Gee’s Point to
Constitution Island to prevent the passage of the British ships.
On a wooden carriage is a large Armstrong gun, captured at Fort Fisher
during the Civil War, and nearby are many other guns taken in the
Mexican and Spanish Wars. The Swartzkopf torpedo inclosed in an iron
railing was captured from the Spanish cruiser _Viscaya_ in the war with
Spain, and the twenty-pound stone ball was brought from Smyrna, Turkey.
The polished monolith of granite nearby upon whose tip stands winged
“Fame,” poised with trumpet and outstretched wreath, is Battle
Monument. The names which may be read upon its rolls are the victims of
the Regular Army of 1861, to whose memory their comrades in arms have
created this beautiful memorial.
IN MEMORY
OF THE
OFFICERS AND MEN
OF THE
REGULAR ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES
WHO FELL IN BATTLE DURING THE
WAR OF THE REBELLION
THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED BY THEIR
SURVIVING COMRADES
In the words of the late Colonel Larned, “this memorial was not built
by a grateful country, but by voluntary offerings from the hard-won
pay of comrades in the field within hearing of the roar of battle,
and in sight of the dead whose memory it preserves.... It is but right
to add that the designer, Stanford White, and the sculptor, Frederick
MacMonnies, have given a generous and enthusiastic labor to the work,
far beyond the money recompense received, and in the true spirit of the
artist and patriotic citizen.”
[Illustration: View up the Hudson River from Trophy Point]
Toward the east is an equestrian bronze statue of the Father of our
Country, seated upon his charger and with hand raised toward the
Academy buildings as if in benediction of the institution that he
labored so hard to establish. In these days of materialism, it is
interesting to note that this magnificent gift was recently made to
the Academy by someone who refused to disclose his name. The base of
the pedestal bears the simple inscription “Presented by a Patriotic
Citizen.”
The hotel, just in the rear of the Washington Monument, was built in
1829, and with the exception of a wing that was added in 1850, it
has remained practically unchanged. It is not difficult to imagine,
therefore, that its appointments fail to satisfy the luxurious tastes
of present-day Americans, so that many complaints are heard, and not a
few jokes passed at its expense. One humorist remarked that Washington
was raising his hand not in benediction of the Academy, but in a
warning to the guests to keep away from the hotel.
From the hotel, a steep little graveled path entices the visitor into
a most enchanting walk that skirts the steep precipice along the river.
For three-quarters of a mile, Flirtation Walk pursues its way with its
windings and abrupt turnings, its ascents and descents, past the site
of the old chain Battery, and farther on past old Lantern Battery on
Gee’s Point, past the Bachelor Officers’ quarters, until at the base of
Cullum Hall it ends in Kosciusko’s Garden. The latter is a cool little
sheltered plateau, said to have been a favorite of the Pole. When the
trees are in bloom, to stroll along the Walk is to feel the delicacy of
nature, to behold the quintessence of her refinement. The foliage seems
like maiden-hair fern through which charming little vistas of the river
and the opposite bank are framed. On summer days it is a favorite for
the cadets and their girls, who wander along its graveled path whiling
away the time, or who seek out the choice nooks and screen themselves
from profane eyes with a gaily colored parasol.
Near the end of Flirtation Walk alongside of old Battery Knox, a
Revolutionary relic, stands the Bachelor Officers’ quarters. This
building of brick and limestone, serves to tie the new buildings with
the classic Cullum Memorial Hall and the Officers’ Mess. Its color is
darker than the pink granite of Cullum Hall, to approach more closely
the dark brown of the Library and the gray of the Academic, while its
flat buttresses harmonize with the straight lines of Memorial Hall.
[Illustration:
_Photo White Studio_
“Spooning” on Flirtation Walk]
In this building there are forty suites of three rooms and a bath
each, besides rooms in the basement for the janitor and for officers’
servants.
Adjoining the Bachelor Officers’ quarters is the beautiful Cullum
Memorial Hall, built of Milford pink marble and resembling somewhat
in style, the Erechtheum, on the Acropolis at Athens. Just under the
cornice and above the four Ionic columns is carved: “To the Officers
and Graduates of the Military Academy.” To the left of the main hall is
a small assembly room, whose walls contain bronze tablets to graduates
who have been killed in action. The flags are guidons, carried by our
Cavalry, both regular and volunteer, during our wars, chiefly during
the Spanish War.
In the lower halls are tablets to Superintendents and to the deceased
Professors of the Academy, besides fitting bronze memorial shields,
recounting the battles of the Civil War in which graduates of the
Academy participated.
Bronze trophy cannon are freely used in the adornment of the walls,
both in the lower hall and in the hall on the second floor. They are
chiefly Mexican and Confederate trophies, but a few were captured from
the British at Stony Point (south of West Point) in July, 1779.
Among the most interesting perhaps of the cannon are the two large
bronze ones in front of the main entrance. Both were made at Douay,
France, in 1755, under the supervision of J. Béranger, royal
commissioner of foundaries. The one on the right (as one enters the
building) is inscribed “Le Fâcheux,” and the one on the left “Le
Conquérant.” Both were taken from the Punta Blanca Battery in the
harbor of Santiago de Cuba. These cannon are almost the exact duplicate
of the five cannon at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.,
and very similar to two cannon at the Virginia Military Institute,
Lexington, Va. The latter guns, cast about eighty years before the
others, are part of several cannon purchased from France by Virginia
in 1778 for use in the Revolutionary War. It is surprising that the
Spanish should have been using them in Cuba, since the Spaniards
manufactured guns of equally high quality.
The four inverted bronze mortars that surmount the corners of the
piazza were made, two at Sevilla and two at Barcelona, in Spain, and
were surrendered by the Mexicans to the American forces, April 22,
1847. These mortars were known as stone mortars, and they were employed
in siege operations to precipitate large masses of stone upon the heads
of the enemy in the advanced trenches, or in like manner to clear the
trench of its defenders preparatory to an assault.
The second floor is called Thayer Hall, a large, beautifully
proportioned room used for public functions, officers’ and cadets’
dances. At one end there is a small stage and a few scenic fixtures.
In this hall are the portraits of graduates who have not only gained
the rank of general officer, but have commanded _in time of war_ units
commensurate with their rank.
The building south of Memorial Hall is the Officers’ Mess, where the
bachelor officers obtain their meals. The building was constructed
and partially furnished from Government funds, but it is kept up and
managed by personal funds of officers on duty at West Point. In design
it conforms closely to Cullum Hall, although plainer and more modest.
It was so built as to be inconspicuous and not detract from the classic
beauty of its stately neighbor.
The interior of the Mess is quite beautiful, especially the main
dining-hall and reading-room, whose principal features are mantels
ornamented with small replicas of the figures of Day and Night, Morning
and Evening, that adorn the tomb of the Medicis in Florence. Both
Cullum Hall and the Mess were designed by the late Stanford White and
completed, the former in 1899 and the latter in 1903. The Mess is an
organized body incorporated under the laws of the State of New York as
the West Point Army Mess. It was started in 1841 by General McClellan.
There is no Mess in our Army that has had a continued existence for so
long a term as this Mess, and I have heard it stated that few English
or continental Messes are as old in the above sense.
The trip around the buildings brings us to the Library for which we all
entertain a genuine affection. The quiet and repose of its fine rooms
have an attraction for both officers and cadets that no other building
offers, so that it is usually filled with lovers of books, especially
on winter afternoons. Cadets, officers, enlisted men, women, and
children frequent the various rooms whenever an opportunity presents
itself. There is no greater pleasure, I believe, at West Point than to
draw a big leather armchair over in one corner of the library and there
forget the world in a good book.
Like so many of the buildings at West Point it was built of native
granite, and in the Gothic style of architecture. The present
building was erected in 1841 on the site of the old gun shed and
cost approximately $50,000. It was, however, entirely remodeled in
1900-1901. The Library was originally designed by a board of Army
officers and the style of architecture determined upon was used seven
years later in the present South Cadet Barracks. The dominant note
that these two buildings gave to the character of the structures at
West Point, determined the style of architecture in the comprehensive
rebuilding of the Academy that began in 1904.
The library proper was founded in 1812, and with the years has grown
until at the present time it contains 99,148 books. I am informed that
the 100,000 mark will be celebrated by the purchase of a memorable
volume. The Library may be said to be the oldest inhabitant of the
neighborhood, for all its former associates, the old Riding Hall, the
Cavalry Barracks, and the old Cadet Chapel are gone.
The latter building, however, has not permanently disappeared.
Sentiment against its demolition was so strong that an appropriation
was obtained to remove it to the cemetery to be used as a mortuary
chapel. Consequently in 1911 it was taken down, each stone marked,
and so carefully reconstructed that it is impossible to detect the
slightest change in its appearance. The tablets, and the painting of
“Peace and War” by the late Professor Weir have been preserved, but the
British flags have been removed to the Ordnance Museum.
The cemetery is a beautiful, peaceful spot set aside for the repose of
West Point’s dead. In the northeast angle is the cadet monument erected
in 1818, to Cadet Vincent M. Lowe of New York, by his fellow-cadets. On
New Year’s day, 1817, Cadet Lowe was killed by the premature discharge
of a cannon while he was firing a salute. The pedestal is covered with
the names of other cadets who died later on. Among the illustrious dead
buried in the cemetery are Major Sylvanus Thayer, General Winfield
Scott, Robert Anderson, and George A. Custer.
Along the main roads both north and south of the Plain are modest
dwellings furnished for the officers on duty at West Point. The
south end terminates in a broad plain used for the Cavalry and Field
Artillery drill of the cadets.
In order that thorough instruction in both of these arms may be
imparted to the cadets, detachments of Cavalry and Field Artillery are
stationed at the Academy. Their barracks and stables form part of the
new buildings, and are fine examples of what intelligence and taste can
do for comfort and convenience. Along the west side of the drill field
are the stables and, directly above, gracefully placed on the hillside,
are the barracks provided with the best and most modern equipment. The
presence of these two detachments of enlisted men, as well as that of
the detachment of Engineers, is absolutely essential to the efficient
instruction of the cadets.
An understanding of the uses of the buildings and some description
of the prominent landmarks is necessary to a correct appreciation of
the cadet’s life and activities. The survey that I have given in this
chapter will show that West Point is indeed fortunate in many ways. Few
places have been so endowed by Nature with such wonderful beauty and
picturesqueness, and, in addition, a generous Congress has adorned the
place with magnificent buildings equipped with the finest that money
can buy for the training of the future United States officers.