personal memoirs-1-第2章

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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　to　Terrill's　irritating　tone；　but　in　giving

me　the　order　he　was　prompted　by　the　duty　of　his　position　as　a　file

closer；　and　I　was　not　the　one　to　remedy　the　wrong　which　I　conceived

had　been　done　me；　and　clearly　not　justifiable　in　assuming　to　correct

him　with　my　own　hands。　　In　1862；　when　General　Buell's　army　was

assembling　at　Louisville；　Terrill　was　with　it　as　a　brigadier…general

（for；　although　a　Virginian；　he　had　remained　loyal）；　and　I　then　took

the　initiative　toward　a　renewal　of　our　acquaintance。　　Our　renewed

friendship　was　not　destined　to　be　of　long　duration；　I　am　sorry　to

say；　for　a　few　days　later；　in　the　battle　of　Perryville；　while

gallantly　fighting　for　his　country；　poor　Terrill　was　killed。



My　suspension　necessitated　my　leaving　the　Academy；　and　I　returned

home　in　the　fall　of　1851；　much　crestfallen。　　Fortunately；　my　good

friend　Henry　Dittoe　again　gave　me　employment　in　keeping　the　books　of

his　establishment；　and　this　occupation　of　my　time　made　the　nine

months　which　were　to　elapse　before　I　could　go　back　to　West　Point　pass

much　more　agreeably　than　they　would　have　done　had　I　been　idle。　　In

August；　1852；　I　joined　the　first　class　at　the　Academy　in　accordance

with　the　order　of　the　War　Department；　taking　my　place　at　the　foot　of

the　class　and　graduating　with　it　the　succeeding　June；　number　thirty…

four　in　a　membership　of　fifty…two。　　At　the　head　of　this　class

graduated　James　B。　McPherson；　who　was　killed　in　the　Atlanta　campaign

while　commanding　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee。　　It　also　contained　such

men　as　John　M。　Schofield；　who　commanded　the　Army　of　the　Ohio；　Joshua

W。　Sill；　killed　as　a　brigadier　in　the　battle　of　Stone　River；　and　many

others　who；　in　the　war　of　the　rebellion；　on　one　side　or　the　other；

rose　to　prominence；　General　John　B。　Hood　being　the　most　distinguished

member　of　the　class　among　the　Confederates。



At　the　close　of　the　final　examination　I　made　no　formal　application

for　assignment　to　any　particular　arm　of　the　service；　for　I　knew　that

my　standing　would　not　entitle　me　to　one　of　the　existing　vacancies；

and　that　I　should　be　obliged　to　take　a　place　among　the　brevet　second

lieutenants。　　When　the　appointments　were　made　I　therefore　found

myself　attached　to　the　First　Infantry；　well　pleased　that　I　had

surmounted　all　the　difficulties　that　confront　the　student　at　our

national　school；　and　looking　forward　with　pleasant　anticipation　to

the　life　before　me。









CHAPTER　II。



ORDERED　TO　FORT　DUNCAN；　TEXAS〃NORTHERS〃SCOUTING　DUTYHUNTING

NEARLY　CAUGHT　BY　THE　INDIANSA　PRIMITIVE　HABITATIONA　BRAVE

DRUMMERBOYS　DEATHA　MEXICAN　BALL。



On　the　1st　day　of　July；　1853；　I　was　commissioned　a　brevet　second

lieutenant　in　the　First　Regiment　of　United　States　Infantry；　then

stationed　in　Texas。　　The　company　to　which　I　was　attached　was

quartered　at　Fort　Duncan；　a　military　post　on　the　Rio　Grande　opposite

the　little　town　of　Piedras　Negras；　on　the　boundary　line　between　the

United　States　and　the　Republic　of　Mexico。



After　the　usual　leave　of　three　months　following　graduation　from　the

Military　Academy　I　was　assigned　to　temporary　duty　at　Newport

Barracks；　a　recruiting　station　and　rendezvous　for　the　assignment　of

young　officers　preparatory　to　joining　their　regiments。　　Here　I

remained　from　September；　1853；　to　March；　1854；　when　I　was　ordered　to

join　my　company　at　Fort　Duncan。　　To　comply　with　this　order　I

proceeded　by　steamboat　down　the　Ohio　and　Mississippi　rivers　to　New

Orleans；　thence　by　steamer　across　the　Gulf　of　Mexico　to　Indianola；

Tex。；　and　after　landing　at　that　place；　continued　in　a　small　schooner

through　what　is　called　the　inside　channel　on　the　Gulf　coast　to　Corpus

Christi；　the　headquarters　of　Brigadier…General　Persifer　F。　Smith；　who

was　commanding　the　Department　of　Texas。　　Here　I　met　some　of　my　old

friends　from　the　Military　Academy；　among　them　Lieutenant　Alfred

Gibbs；　who　in　the　last　year　of　the　rebellion　commanded　under　me　a

brigade　of　cavalry；　and　Lieutenant　Jerome　Napoleon　Bonaparte；　of　the

Mounted　Rifles；　who　resigned　in　1854　to　accept　service　in　the　French

Imperial　army；　but　to　most　of　those　about　headquarters　I　was　an

entire　stranger。　　Among　the　latter　was　Captain　Stewart　Van　Vliet；　of

the　Quartermaster's　Department；　now　on　the　retired　list。　　With　him　I

soon　came　in　frequent　contact；　and；　by　reason　of　his　connection　with

the　Quartermaster's　Department；　the　kindly　interest　he　took　in

forwarding　my　business　inaugurated　between　usa　lasting　friendship。



A　day　or　two　after　my　arrival　at　Corpus　Christi　a　train　of　Government

wagons；　loaded　with　subsistence　stores　and　quartermaster's　supplies；

started　for　Laredo；　a　small　town　on　the　Rio　Grande　below　Fort　Duncan。

There　being　no　other　means　of　reaching　my　station　I　put　my　small

personal　possessions；　consisting　of　a　trunk；　mattress；　two　blankets；

and　a　pillow　into　one　of　the　heavily　loaded　wagons　and　proceeded　to

join　it；　sitting　on　the　boxes　or　bags　of　coffee　and　sugar；　as　I　might

choose。　　The　movement　of　the　train　was　very　slow；　as　the　soil　was

soft　on　the　newly　made　and　sandy　roads。　　We　progressed　but　a　few

miles　on　our　first　day's　journey；　and　in　the　evening　parked　our　train

at　a　point　where　there　was　no　wood；　a　scant　supply　of　waterand　that

of　bad　qualitybut　an　abundance　of　grass。　　There　being　no

comfortable　place　to　sleep　in　any　of　the　wagons；　filled　as　they　were

to　the　bows　with　army　supplies；　I　spread　my　blankets　on　the　ground

between　the　wheels　of　one　of　them；　and　awoke　in　the　morning　feeling

as　fresh　and　bright　as　would　have　been　possible　if　all　the　comforts

of　civilization　had　been　at　my　command。



It　took　our　lumbering　train　many　days　to　reach　Laredo；　a　distance　of

about　one　hundred　and　sixty　miles　from　Corpus　Christi。　　Each　march

was　but　a　repetition　of　the　first　day's　journey；　its　monotony

occasionally　relieved；　though；　by　the　passage　of　immense　flocks　of

ducks　and　geese；　and　the　appearance　at　intervals　of　herds　o