ent Military Academy. As this legal outline has been little changed since, it is necessary that we should look to its provisions, for correct ideas of what the law intended, and what has been substantially carried out in its growth and development.

1st. It was provided, that the number of cadets might be increased to two hundred and fifty, and attached at the discretion of the President as students to the Military Academy at West Point, and be subject to the regulations thereof.

2d. That these cadets should be between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one, and previous to his appointment should be well versed in reading, writing, and arithmetic.

3d. That the Military Academy should consist of the Corps of Engineers, the Professors of Philosophy, of Mathematics, of Engineering, with their assistants, and the teachers of French and Drawing.

4th. That when any cadet shall receive a regular degree from the Academical Staff, he shall be considered a candidate for a commission in any corps for which he shall be deemed competent.

In addition to these provisions for education, money was appropriated for buildings and books, and for a band of music. The expenditure provided for was very small, compared with the need of the Academy; but it was enough for a beginning. It was far easier, as we shall see, to provide for all its material wants, than to bring it into that state of moral and intellectual discipline, which was essential to the attainment of great results. The institution, in its former period, was in an inchoate condition. A few young officers, raised up partly as teachers, and partly as pupils, without a course of studies, without regulations, and without discipline, could furnish no just ideas, from experience, of what a highly intellectual, well-ordered school of science should be; and accordingly the want of just ideas of education was precisely what first stood in the way of making West Point what it subsequently became.

For more than five years there was a wrestling between old and new ideas. There was a positive ignorance of what high education should be. In fact, the country had no models for it. Then there were old habits to overcome. Lastly, there was a willfulness on the part of some in authority, opposed as long as opposition was possible, to any new idea of things. For people are aware, in this day of change and novelty, how strongly the vis inertia of intellectual habits opposes intellectual improvement. This very vis inertia, at first, almost nullified the power of law itself to improve and enlarge the studies at West Point. How it acted we shall see. The first

difficulty at West Point was, (after preparing the accommodations and material) in complying with the spirit of the law, and placing the academic instruction on the high ground really intended. To understand this we must here advert to some provisions of the law which were either overlooked or neglected. First, the law expressly recognized an Academic Staff, who should confer degrees. Secondly, that the cadets of West Point should be students, subject to the regulations of the Academy. All this evidently meant that these two hundred and fifty young men should be placed, like students in college, under regular academic instruction, and that the professors and teachers should constitute an academic faculty, with power to regulate the education of the cadets, and confer degrees according to merit. Ultimately this was accomplished; but it took much effort on the part of the Professors to bring the military authorities into a just conception of this scheme. During the years 1812 and 1813, little was done except in commencing buildings, buying apparatus, appointing the cadets, and getting ready for the real business of the institution. Here we must record the first academic faculty organized at West Point. The professorship of Natural and Experimental Philosophy, which was higher in rank and emoluments than the others, was instituted expressly for Col. JARED MANSFIELD, who, having retained his commission in the corps of engineers, while he was surveyor-general in the north-western states, was now (October, 1812,) appointed to the same professorship which he held ten years before. ANDREW ELLICOTT, who had been astronomer of the United States, and had a wide reputation for mathematical knowledge, was appointed professor of Mathematics, in September, 1813, at which time, also, ALDEN PARTRIDGE was appointed professor of Engineering. The teacher of drawing was CHRISTIAN E. ZOELLER, reappointed; and of French, FLORIMOND De MASSON. This was the first academic faculty. Subsequently, the principal professors were allowed assistants, and other teachers were at still later periods provided in the departments of Ethics, Tactics, Artillery, Chemistry, &c., as the institution was enlarged, and its wants were better known. The gentlemen above named were, however, the first professors and the first faculty. They had the real labor and responsibility of taking the initial steps, and to a large extent, of forming the Military Academy. At the very first step a difficulty occurred, which could not have been anticipated. Captain ALDEN PARTRIDGE, (who was professor of Engineering) was superintendent of West Point, from January, 1815, to November, 1816-nearly two years. He was a man of strong will; of in

dependent and rather eccentric ideas, who quite naturally as a military man, long resident at the Point, wished to forget that the law required the education of the institution to be decided by an academic faculty, and governed by regulations. He chose rather to remember that it was a military post, governed by a military commandant, and sought to gratify his own ambition by grasping its sole direction. Professors Mansfield and Ellicott, who held no command in the army, took a different view of the subject. They justly thought, that the object of the institution was to give a thorough scientific education, especially adapted to the art of war; that this required discipline, and a course of studies systematic and complete; and that all this was evidently contemplated by the law, which said that the Academy should be governed by regulations, and hence an academic faculty. This difference of opinion was vital. It led to a controversy of two years, which belongs to the private rather than the public history of the Academy. Little of it was known to the public, and we are now concerned only in the issue. Had the views of Captain Partridge prevailed, the institution never could have become what it is.* Fortunately, the Professors had the law on their side, and also the good opinion of the administration, and eventually gave to the scientific college the cast and features which it now has. For three years, between 1814 and 1817, this internal controversy continued, gradually tending to give the Academy a systematic organization. General JOSEPH G. SWIFT, (head of the corps of engineers,) who was officially inspector of the Academy, took up his residence at West Point, in November, 1816, but remained only two months. While there, there could be no controversy, as to the government of the Academy, since the commander of engineers was legally its chief. After the removal of General Swift, Captain Partridge, as senior officer, again took command. It was determined, however, to remove him; and the Government most fortunately hit upon an officer, whose character, education, and accomplishments, most eminently fitted him for the post of governing, and disciplining the young men, who were in turn to become the savans as well as the ornaments of their country. This officer was SYLVANUS THAYER, a native of Massachusetts, commissioner in 1808, from West Point, to the engineer corps, and who had recently traveled in Europe, examining the military schools of France and Germany. The arrival of Colonel Thayer constitutes

* Captain Partridge, who was a useful and energetic man, had subsequently full opportu. nity of carrying out his popular views in the military schools of Norwich and Middletown, which he founded by his own efforts.

the most important epoch in the history of West Point. Why it is so will appear evident when we trace out the scientific culture of the Academy, and the discipline which it furnishes. Up to 1813, we have seen that the Military Academy was merely a small company of officers and cadets, who, being stationed at one post, were required while there to pursue certain mathematical and military studies. It had no one element of organization. From 1814 to 1817, professors Mansfield and Ellicott were struggling with no more than partial success, to give it organization and systematic instruction. But, in 1817, Colonel Thayer, who had seen in France what such institutions required, and where enlightened mind realized the necessity of adopting better methods, at once coöperated with the Professors, in making a permanent and successful reform.

At this point we should notice the additions made to the academic staff, between 1816 and 1819, and the steps taken by the war department toward carrying out the views of the Professors, and Colonel Thayer. CLAUDE CROZET was appointed professor of Engineering, in March, 1817; DAVID B. DOUGLAS was appointed assistant professor of Natural Philosophy, in January, 1815; CHARLES DAVIES was appointed assistant professor of Mathematics in December, 1816. Rev. THOMAS PICTON was appointed Chaplain, and professor of Ethics, in July, 1818. THOMAS GIMBREDE was appointed teacher of Drawing, in January, 1819. Major JoHN BLISS, instructor of Tactics, in April, 1818; Lieut. GEORGE W. GARDINER, instructor of Artillery, in September, 1817. CLAUDIUS BERARD Succeeded Francis Masson, as teacher of French, in January, 1815; JOSEPH DU COMMUN was appointed second teacher of French, in March, 1818. Of the old professors, Captain Partridge and Francis Masson were gone; all the others remain. Thus, in 1817, when Colonel Thayer took charge of the Academy, the corps of teachers was composed of professors Mansfield, Ellicott, and Crozet; teachers Zoeller and Berard; and assistant professors Douglas and Davies, exclusive of the military teachers and of those appointed in 1818 and 1819. This was properly the Academic Staff, and Colonel Thayer was willing and pleased to have them take their proper part in organizing the institution, and raising it to that high standard of discipline and excellence to which it has since attained. In the meanwhile, the war department, under the enlightened administration of Mr. Crawford, had endeavored to supply some of the obvious defects of the Academy, by new regulations.

So far we have pursued the history of the Academy, as it progressed from a germinal idea to actual being and life. It is now

necessary to trace that system of scientific culture which is its essential element and peculiar character. In this the student of education may be more interested, and as we trace it still further, in its fruits, the education and services of more than two thousand young men, who have held the most important positions in all the departments of life, we shall be better able to pronounce a just judgment upon its merits and services.

Mr. CRAWFORD, one of the most enlightened men who have appeared in public affairs, was, we believe, the first to understand and attempt to remedy the defects and irregularities which professors Mansfield and Ellicott had pointed out.* In March, 1816, “Rules and Regulations" were drawn up by Mr. Crawford. The main points in them were—

1. There shall be a Board of Visitors, to consist of five suitable gentlemen, who shall attend each annual examination.

2. There shall be two General Examinations twice in each year; in July and December, and an annual vacation in July and August. 3. Cadets shall be admitted in September, and examined in spelling, reading, writing, and arithmetic.

4. A course of studies, embracing definitely all branches of science and instruction to be procured, and rules for classification shall be drawn up, and comprise a complete course of education at the institution.

According to the last regulation, a course of studies was drawn up by the Academic Faculty, and approved by Mr. Crawford, in July, 1816. This course comprised four years, and was substantially the same (although largely increased,) which has been pursued since.

The first year studies were English Grammar, French, Algebra, Geometry, and Logarithms.

The second year comprised French, Geometrical Construction, Application of Algebra, Mensuration, Plain and Spheric Trigonometry, the Conic Sections, and Drawing.

The third year, Natural and Experimental Philosophy, Astronomy, and Drawing.

The fourth year, Engineering, Geography, History, and Ethics. In the first draft, Engineering was put in the third year; but since 1817, has been placed in the fourth. In a year or two afterwards was added the Calculus; and in a few years, Chemistry, Min

These defects and irregularities arose from not obeying the law, and not pursuing the ideas it pointed out. The great effort of Professors Mansfield and Ellicott, was to get the spirit of the law followed practically.