Cadet

“ The officers gave a dance one evening, and Pops and Connell, as was perfectly proper, attired themselves in their newest gray coats, with the gleaming chevrons and lozenge of first sergeants, and immaculate white trousers set off by the sash of crimson silk net. The ladies, young and old, declared the cadet uniform far more effective than the army blue ”

“ When I left my battalion for the cadet school I shed no tears. They were in the [2] trenches, or, rather, in the mud. And it cost a pair of brand-new boots to get on to the road. However, I survived, and in due time landed at Windmoor. This is a ‘blasted heath,’ swept by the winds, and isolated from picture-shows, barmaids, and revues; not a petticoat in sight, and at every corner a notice which amounts to: ‘England expects that every cadet this day will do his duty.’
‘This is no Utopia,’ I muttered, falling into the first hut by the way. Ye gods! ”

“ Their presence is ever a reminder to the cadet that he has consecrated his life to an ideal, for on their exteriors are carved in conspicuous places the shields of his Alma Mater and of his country, bearing their motto of duty and honor. ”

“ That when any Cadet of the United States Military Academy has gone through all its classes and received a regular diploma from the Academic Staff, he may be promoted and commissioned as a second lieutenant in any arm or corps of the Army in which there may be a vacancy and the duties of which he may have been judged competent to perform ”

“ The new cadet whose name comes first in alphabetical order is the “class-marcher” whenever the class is called out by itself, and it is his duty to call the roll of the class and to report absentees. After our preliminary examination Baily became the class-marcher, and he marched us over to the Library, where we took the oath of allegiance. [16] We were now assigned to Companies, the [56] tallest were put in A and D and the rest in B and C Companies, but the new cadets were still drilled by themselves in small squads, then in larger ones, and later on all in one squad as a company. ”

“ There is something strange about the partiality young ladies manifest for the cadets. I have seen many an instance where a young lady would use all her power to be with a certain cadet, and at his graduating hop and afterward she would bestow her favors on some member of the next class; a cadet and an officer, although one and the same man, were different persons in her eyes. ”

“ The cadet officers and non-commissioned officers are selected from those who have been most studious, soldier-like in the performance of their duties, and most exemplary in their general deportment. In general, the cadet officers are taken from the first class, the sergeants from the second, and the corporals from the third. ”

“ No cadet will go away with heartier wishes for his future welfare.
When the last of the diplomas had been given, the line reformed, the band struck up a lively tune, the cadets marched to the front of the barracks, and there Cadet Black, the Adjutant, read the orders of the day, they being the standing of the students in their various classes, the list of new officers, etc. This occupied some time, and at its conclusion Colonel Neil, Commandant of Cadets, spoke a few kind words to the First Class, wished them all success in life, and then formally dismissed them. ”

“ The poets and rhetoricians have been profuse in their praises of the cadet who appears in The Nights as an adviser of calm sound sense, an intercessor and a peace-maker, and even more remarkable than the rest of his family for an almost incredible magnanimity and generosity—une générosité effrayante. ”

“ For purposes of discipline a member of a Senior Cadet unit shall be considered to have been on duty although not in uniform, in respect to any act done, or omitted to be done, by him in a military capacity, or with intentional reference on his part to his military capacity. ”

“ But that half hour passed just as the other half hours had passed, that is, by the candidates furnishing amusement for the old cadets.
Upon going to our rooms at the signal of “Call to quarters,” Cadet H⸺d called to say that if we expected to pass our preliminary examination we had better “bone up” for it; he also informed [47] us that we could not retire until after “Tattoo.” A cadet’s bed is “made down,” when it is ready to get into, and it is “made up” when it is piled according to regulations and not ready for use. We were too tired to talk. At 9:30 we were turned out to Tattoo. ”

“ Many a cadet has taken zero and a report for neglect of studies rather than make a bungling performance, but the instructors are ordinarily men of such mould that they soon get to gauge their pupils thoroughly, and instead of letting a young fellow doom himself to failure, they patiently question, "draw him out," and there demonstrate that he knows not a little of the subject, and mark him accordingly. Recitations go on every morning in the week, Sundays alone excepted. ”

“ After each cadet is heard, he is given other problems with which to wrestle while the other cadets are reciting. When a principle of particular importance is to be demonstrated, all of the cadets are required to face about and give their close attention in order that they may all benefit from the instruction. ”

“ The cadets who actually exercise command are the First Classmen. They are detailed by roster, irrespective of whether they are privates or cadet officers, so that every man has many opportunities to command a company before he graduates. It is highly important that the cadet should be given practice in appearing before a body of men and in giving them instructions. Nothing helps so much to give him confidence in himself. ”

“ A cadet without head-dress, or when carrying any­thing which prevents him from saluting properly, will, if halted, come to attention as an officer passes or addresses him. If walking, or on a bicycle, he will turn his head and eyes towards the officer in passing him. ”

“ Woods on marching off guard on the morrow, or else give full satisfaction, cadet fashion, in fair fight with nature's own weapons, but he must be taught at once that he had too big an idea of his importance as a sentry. ”

“ This made the whole number of cadets thirty-two; and for this corps of artillerists, engineers and cadets, the secretary of war was directed to procure books, instruments and apparatus. The term cadet signifying in French, the youngest brother of a family, and in Spanish, a young volunteer officer, became naturally applied to young men, who were junior, volunteer officers. In England, the cadet of a family was a young son, who volunteered for the India service; and in the United States has been properly applied to the youth, who enter the military academy. ”

“ Occasionally a cadet or an officer may be so modest or unobtrusive or so slow of development as to escape the critical observation of his associates, but in most cases he becomes sufficiently known to justify a correct estimate of his character and a fair prediction, under favorable opportunities, as to his probable course and success in life. ”

“ It is on the above grounds that it is contested that the cadet system, as popularly understood, is not considered to be reliable as a solution to the fulfilment of the requirements laid down for the training of a citizen soldier. ”

“ Each class is divided into convenient sections of from twelve to fifteen Cadets, for instruction in its special branches of study, the first Cadet on each section roll being its squad-marcher, and being responsible for its punctual attendance and deportment. The recitation hours are sounded on a bugle, when the sections for the hour are formed at the Barracks, their rolls are called, and they are marched to the Recitation-rooms by their several [68] squad-marchers. ”

“ During the winter cadet life is a serious round of drill and duty, but after that comes a three months' holiday, when cadets put on their best uniforms and welcome mothers and sisters and other fellows' sisters to the post. ”

“ Lately, a cadet has come forwards, and has taken the direction of these matters; he has apprehended several persons of infamous character, but of determined courage; he has done much good, risking his life under circumstances of great danger, and even to extreme rashness has he been carried by his zeal. This young man well deserves promotion. ”

“ The next half-year I should become a corporal, and should be one of the seniors, and should, consequently, have far more authority than I possessed as an old cadet only. It would be my last also at the Academy, for on joining the practical class we were removed to the Arsenal, and there occupied so exalted a rank that we did not mix much with cadets at the Upper Academy, as it was termed, in consequence of its standing on higher ground than the cadet barracks at the Arsenal. ”

“ This latter use of the term arose in France, where it was applied to the younger sons of the noblesse who gained commissioned rank, not by serving in the ranks or by entering the écoles militaires, but by becoming attached to corps without pay but with certain privileges. “Cadet Corps,” in the British service, are bodies of boys or youths organized, armed and trained on volunteer military lines. Derived from “cadet,” through the Scots form “cadee,” comes “caddie,” a messenger-boy, and particularly one who carries clubs at golf, and also the slang word “cad,” a vulgar, ill-bred person. ”

“ Cadets who elect to devote their time to other forms of athletics, however, are regarded with no reproach, but men who absent themselves in order to attend teas or to go “spooning” are looked upon with some disfavor. Corps spirit ranks everything in the eyes of the cadet, and he justly demands that it come first. ”

“ In this way we spent four years very profitably and happily at the Academy. Remembering how keenly I had felt the restrictions and surveillance of cadet life, I determined to spare those who fell under my charge as much as possible. One night while office in charge, I came upon a young cadet asleep upon his post. ”

“ The boy is father to the man. The present is the mold in which the future is cast. The dominant characteristics of the cadet are seen in the future general. You have learned here how to command, and a still more useful lesson, how to obey. You have been taught obedience to the civil, as well as to the military, code, for in this land the military is always subordinate to the civil law. Not the least valuable part of your education is your service in the cadet ranks, performing the duties of a private soldier. ”

“ Cadets of the First Class are therefore detailed for every kind of duty. They are company commanders, acting adjutants, lieutenants, officers of the day and of the guard. Whenever there is a chance to place responsibility upon the cadet, advantage is taken of it by the Commandant. ”

“ Besides the troop schools in each regiment or independent battalion, there is one of the cadet schools for the education of all those, from the rank of sergeant downwards, who aspire to the rank of cadet, or who desire to acquire the preparatory knowledge necessary to be admitted into the schools for officers aspirant.
The number of pupils depends on the number of individuals qualified. ”

“ It would seem that the thing might go on indefinitely, and the coming of a new officer produce a regular 1st of May state of affairs."
"I perceive that you are slyly providing an antidote against the cadet fever. What large building is this?"
"The cadet barracks. There are over two hundred young fellows in the building. They have to study, I can tell you, nor can they slip through here as some of us did at college. All must abide the remorseless examinations, and many drop out. There goes a squad to the riding hall. ”

“ All gentlemen cadets are subject to such rules and regulations as are, or may be from time to time, established for the maintenance of good order and discipline.
34. Every gentleman cadet will be liable to be removed from the college at any time should his conduct be such as to render it obvious that his remaining would be either hurtful to the institution or unprofitable to himself. ”

“ It is simply astonishing to see how these young men can stoop when they want any thing. A cadet of the second class—when I was in the third class—was once arrested for a certain offence, and, from the nature of the charge, was likely to be court-martialed. ”

“ Many things occupy the cadets’ attention. The First Classmen can think of little else except graduation. They are busy looking over samples of uniforms, boots, civilian clothing, or ordering same, or trying on uniforms. Some few have the added responsibility of planning for their approaching marriage. Naturally, the interest of First Classmen in cadet activities begins to wane. The Second Class anticipate their First Class camp when the reins of power pass to them, the Yearlings dream and dream and dream of furlough. ”

“ Any curious or interested person may learn all about the Academy as it is, but the strange life led by a cadet thirty years ago—the singular inconsistency of highly honourable conduct in some matters, and proceedings which can only be termed “brutal” in others—exhibits peculiarities in the character of English youths which we do not believe is entirely worn out in large educational establishments at the present day. ”

“ Promotion to the rank of non-commissioned officer and 2nd Lieutenant shall ordinarily be from those who are serving in the ranks of the Senior Cadets, and the appointments and promotions allotted to those in the next lower grade who are the must successful in competitive examinations. ”

“ Drill.” We “fell in” promptly and were corrected in the manner indicated when we fell in for dinner. Even now I seem to hear Cadets A⸺n, H⸺d and M⸺n shouting themselves hoarse at us poor, stupid candidates. There were about twenty “yearlings,” classmates of Cadets A⸺n and H⸺d, standing around our line, waiting to get a chance at the candidates, so as to compete with them and with one another for “Corporal’s chevrons.” We were separated into squads of four or five to the squad, and a cadet instructor assigned to drill each squad. Cadet H⸺d had the squad I was in. ”