Travels Through North America Part 8

Henry's Chemistry.

-------------------------------------------------------------- _Drawing._ Capt. Dougla.s.s.

DRAWING MASTER.

Gimbrede.

Landscape.

Topographical drawing.

============================================================== 3rd Cla.s.s. Course of 2nd year.

-------------------------------------------------------------- SCIENCES.

PARTICULAR SUBJECTS.

TEXT BOOKS.

============================================================== _Mathematics._ Prof. Davies.

Lieut. Ross.

Lieut. Webster.

Lieut. Greene.

Lieut. Mahan.

Differential and integral calculus.

a.n.a.lytic geometry.

Perspective shades.

Descriptive geometry and conic sections.

Traite du Calcul Differential et Integral, par Lacroix.

Essai de Geometrie a.n.a.lytique Appliquee aux Courbes et aux Surfaces du second ordre, par Biot.

Crozet's Treatise on Perspective, Shades and Shadows.

Crozet's Treatise on Descriptive Geometry and Conic Sections.

-------------------------------------------------------------- _French Language._ TEACHERS.

Berard and Ducommun.

Translation from French into English.

Histoire de Gil Blas, les 3 derniers tomes.

Histoire de Charles XII. par Voltaire.

-------------------------------------------------------------- _Drawing._ DRAWING MASTER.

Gimbrede.

Human figure.

============================================================== 4th Cla.s.s.

Course of 1st year.

-------------------------------------------------------------- SCIENCES.

PARTICULAR SUBJECTS.

TEXT BOOKS.

============================================================== _Mathematics._ Surveying and measuring.

Trigonometry.

Geometry.

Algebra.

Treatise on Plane and Spherical Trigonometry, and on the Application of Algebra to Geometry, translated from the French of Lacroix and Bezout, by Professor Farrar.

Legendre's Geometry.

Complement des Elemens d'Algebra, par Lacroix.

Lacroix's Elements of Algebra.

-------------------------------------------------------------- _French Language._ Translation from French into English.

Histoire de Gil Blas, tome I.

Berard's Lecteur Francais.

Berard's French Grammar.

I was surprised to learn that the young men clean their rooms and clothes themselves, as well as make their own beds: only the cleaning of shoes and boots, and carrying of wood may be done by servants. But Colonel Thayer thinks, that if too many servants were in the school, the cadets would have too great an opportunity of remaining in connexion with the world, without the knowledge of the officers. The cadets are divided in four companies, and live in two large ma.s.sive buildings, three stories high. In the older of the two buildings, two occupy one room; in the other, three are placed in one room. They sleep on mattresses, which are spread out on the floor in the evening, and have always two chambers, one for sleeping and the other for study.--This opens upon a long corridor. The cadets keep their arms also in their rooms. Their uniform consists of a grey jacket, with three rows of yellow b.u.t.tons, bound with black cords; in winter, grey, in summer, white pantaloons; white leather equipments, as worn by the army, and, for fatigue service, leather caps. The officers wear the uniform of the artillery corps, to which they belong. Notwithstanding the extraordinarily fine situation of the school, the cadets have not a healthy appearance, perhaps because they have too little recreation.

After having seen the rich private library of Colonel Thayer, he took us to the school. We met with a cla.s.s which was engaged in descriptive geometry. Several cadets, who stood at the board, demonstrated some problems of this science very correctly, and answered with great ease and accuracy some questions and objections, which Professor Davies made to them. We then attended a physical lecture of Lieutenant Prescott, which, however, appeared to be elementary; he explained the principles of the doctrine of heat, and then related the theory and history of the thermometer.

The inst.i.tution possesses a fine library and a collection of maps, which receives constant additions. We found several of the newest German maps.

Colonel Thayer is a man who labours under a disease with which they say I am also afflicted, namely, the bibliomania; on that account I continued a long time in this library. I remarked here, also, a full-length portrait of the former president, Jefferson, by Sully, of Philadelphia, and another of the engineer, General Williams, founder of the school.

The inst.i.tution possesses four princ.i.p.al buildings. The two largest serve as barracks for the cadets, a third contains the mess-room and inn, and the fourth the church, chemical laboratory, library, and the hall for drawing, in which are some of the best drawings of the cadets.

As a model of topographical drawing, they had taken the Montjoui of Gironna, designed according to the Atlas of Marshal G. St. Cyr. They have adopted the French manner of drawing plans; I saw, however, in the library, Lehmann's work translated into English. A very fine marble bust of the Emperor Napoleon stands in the drawing-hall.

A large level s.p.a.ce, consisting of several acres, lies in front of the buildings, forming a peninsula and commanding the navigation of the Hudson, above which it is elevated one hundred and eighty-eight feet.

Towards the river it is surrounded with steep rocks, so that it would be difficult to ascend, unless by the usual way. At its junction with the main land, it is commanded by a mountain, whose summit is five hundred and ninety-six feet above the level of the river. This position called to my mind the plain below Lilienstein, in Saxony, opposite to Knigstein. On the summit of this mountain lie the ruins of Fort Putnam, so that the plain on which the buildings of the academy stand, is entirely insulated, and may be very well defended as well in the direction of the river as of the main land. During the revolution this fort was erected, like Fort Clinton, and was impregnable. To seize it, the English had recourse to bribery, and General Arnold, who commanded West Point, was on the point of delivering this position to them. This disgraceful treachery was fortunately prevented by the seizure of Major Andre. The tragical end of the major, and the flight of Arnold on board the English corvette Vulture, which lay at Verplank's Point ready to receive him, are well known.

The above-mentioned Fort Clinton stood on the eastern point of the level, and was considered as a redoubt. It consisted of a crown-work of three bastions, and the redoubt which the two wings of the crown-work adjoined. The redoubt stands on the extreme point of the rock, and the remains of the battery can still be seen in it, which completely commanded the river, both above and below West Point. The fort is now in a state of dilapidation, and the foundations of the buildings alone, are to be seen. During the revolution, chains were extended here across the river. On the left side, in an oblique direction towards West Point, is another rock, not so high, and similar to a peninsula, washed by the Hudson on three sides and separated from the main land by a mora.s.s. Two redoubts stood on this rock, in order to have complete control over the river.

Besides the above-mentioned buildings, several houses and gardens are situated on the plain of West Point, occupied by the officers and professors. Large wooden barracks also stand here, inhabited by a company of artillerists, and some soldiers condemned to confinement in irons, who are employed to blast the rocks. These culprits have a long chain attached to one foot, and the other end of the chain is fastened to a twenty-four pound ball, which they must either drag or carry. Three iron six pounders stand in front of the barracks. The Americans use iron cannon, like the Swedes, and are very well satisfied with them. At another place on the same plain, we saw five six pounders, with which the cadets exercise. Three are French pieces, presented to the Americans by Louis XVI. decorated with the French arms; and the motto, ultima ratio regum. The two other pieces are English, were taken during the revolution, and as an inscription says, were given by congress to General Greene as a reward for his conduct in the south of the United States during the war. His heirs have not yet reclaimed them, and they consequently remain here. A pyramid of white marble not far from these pieces was, according to the inscription, erected by General Brown, to the memory of Lieutenant-Colonel Wood, a pupil of this school, who fell in 1814, at a sally of Fort Erie.

In the evening we saw the cadets exercise; they form a small battalion of four divisions, and are commanded by their officers, and the eldest cadets of the first cla.s.s, who wear officer's scarfs, and swords. The young men perform their exercises uncommonly well, and I was gratified at the good order which prevailed. A band of music, paid by the government, belongs exclusively to them, and is said to afford the best military music in the United States. Every one has his taste, but I must confess that even the celebrated music of the English guards, and the American music, are far behind that of the French, Netherlanders, and Germans.

In company with Colonel Thayer, we crossed the Hudson to visit an iron foundry which belongs to a society, whose director is Mr. Campbell, a friend of Colonel Thayer. Two high furnaces are in constant employment, as the foundry furnishes all the iron arms which government requires. One piece had just been cast, and we saw several other pieces cast from a new high furnace. Next to the foundry is a building for boring the guns, in which ten pieces may be bored at once; for this purpose they lie in a horizontal position, the machinery being turned by a large wheel. As, however, in hot and very dry summers, or in very cold winters, the water now and then fails, they contemplate subst.i.tuting a steam-engine in place of water-power.

Notwithstanding my injured side, I ascended the rocky mountain on which the ruins of Fort Putnam lie. My way led through a handsome forest of oak, beech, chesnut, and walnut trees. The fort occupied the summit of the mountain, was erected in an indented form, of strong granite, and is altogether inaccessible on the side next the enemy. It had but a single entrance, with very strong casemates, and two small powder-magazines. It was built during the revolution on private property; the owner of the ground claimed it, and government were obliged to restore it to him, after which he destroyed the fort. The government afterwards acquired the ground on which West Point stands, as well as the adjoining heights.

It appeared to me, if not necessary, still to be useful to build Fort Putnam again, in order to complete the important position of West Point, which can serve in time of war as a fortified camp, or place of refuge for the people, &c. as impregnable as it was before. But to my astonishment, I learned that this would probably not take place, that on the contrary, with regard to the defence of the country, reliance was placed on the fortified entrance of New York, and that in general in the interior of the country no fortifications would probably be made. They appear to think that the impregnability of the country particularly consists in having no powerful neighbours; that England could not send over a strong army, and that even if this should happen, England would be obliged to scatter her strength too much, so that single corps could be subdued with ease. This view appears to me doubtful; I wish from my heart that these excellent people may never find by experience, that they have deceived themselves. But security, when too great, is always dangerous. A very fine view is enjoyed from Fort Putnam of the plain of West Point, and of the Hudson, which here calls to mind the high banks of the Rhine. The view to the north is particularly handsome, in which direction Newburgh, lying on the river, is seen in the back ground. We saw nothing of the Catskill mountains.

We went with Colonel Thayer and the cadets to church. The chaplain of the academy, Dr. M'Ilvaine, an Episcopalian clergyman, performed divine service. The sermon was very good and sensible, and very well adapted to the young men. He proposed several objections which are made against the superiority of the Christian religion, and refuted them all, by deriving his arguments from the new testament and human reason. I was much pleased with the deportment of the cadets in the church, a deportment which is not always observed in young people in other countries at such times.

The topographical drawings which the cadets make, and according to which they are instructed in fortification, were shown to me by the excellent Captain Dougla.s.s, teacher of engineering. The so called modern system, or the Carnmontaigne system, improved by the French engineers, forms the basis of the instruction. Captain Dougla.s.s, who also instructs them in the formation of roads and bridges, makes use of Wiebeking. Many of the cadets who do not intend to remain in the military service as officers, being bound to remain but one year in service, after leaving the academy, serve each in his own state, as civil engineers, and perform very essential services. All officers of the army and navy are now supplied by cadets from the academy; for there are no cadets in the regiments, and in time of peace no subaltern officers are promoted.

I was very sorry that we were obliged on the third day after our arrival to leave this agreeable place, which had so extremely pleased me; but I was obliged to go to New York at last! Our West Point friends accompanied us to the steam-boat, and here we took an affectionate farewell. A Captain Randolph, of Virginia, with whom I had become acquainted at West Point, with his wife, went also to New York, so that I was agreeably entertained on board; the boat was so filled with people, we scarcely found room at the dinner-table. The sh.o.r.es continue to be handsome. We pa.s.sed several handsome places and country-seats, which denoted that we were on the road to a large and flourishing city.

At a turn of the river the sh.o.r.es approximate, and here stands a handsome country-seat with a garden, called Verplank's Point; opposite is a fort, Stony Point, the possession of which was disputed during the revolution by several b.l.o.o.d.y fights. The situation of Singsing, where there is a house of correction, is very handsome. We saw the offenders engaged in blasting rocks. The stream now becomes broad, and forms two successive bays, the former Haverstraw Bay, and the other Tappan Sea. On the right sh.o.r.e of the latter is the town of Tappan, where, condemned by the court-marshal as a spy, Major Andre was hung and buried. The English government ordered him to be dug up some years ago, and his remains to be transported to England, if I am not mistaken, to be laid in Westminster Abbey, whilst the remains of General Fraser, who fell like a hero in open battle, at the head of the royal troops, still lies without the slightest memorial in the old redoubt of Stillwater! The tree which grew on Andre's grave was also taken to England, and as I was a.s.sured, transplanted to the Royal Garden, behind Carlton Palace!!

Below Tappan Sea, the sh.o.r.es again approximate, and the right side becomes very steep, resembling the rocks near Pirna, on the Elbe, and are called the palisades. After sundown we came into the vicinity of New York, the largest city in the United States, which attracts nearly the whole commerce of the country, and now already numbers one hundred and seventy thousand inhabitants. We landed about eight o'clock in the evening, and on account of the incredible number of strangers could not obtain lodgings at five different taverns. At last we were very glad, after much fatigue from running about, to find a miserable bed-chamber in a common and ordinary tavern, the Theatre Hotel, handsomely situated near the park and theatre.

CHAPTER X.

_Stay at New York._

On the ensuing morning, we removed for the present to a French boarding-house, No. 76, Broad street; and I took a first walk through the city, in order to acquire some general knowledge of it. The city is partly built in a regular style; the streets are badly paved, but the side-walks are good, and there are not so many hogs running at large as in Albany. I was particularly pleased with Broadway, the princ.i.p.al street. This is three miles long, very wide, has elegant stores, and very pleasant side-walks. The Park is likewise very handsome, as well as the City Hall, which is situated in its centre, and is called one of the handsomest buildings in the United States. However, I was not exceedingly pleased with it, finding neither there, nor in the churches of this city, a remarkably fine style of building. There is a great number of churches, and most of them have church-yards attached; but for some years past they have interred their dead in cemetries, which are situated out of town. At a church near the Park, I observed a monument in memory of General Montgomery, who died in attacking the city of Quebec; this monument is not very tasteful.[I-11]

[Footnote I-11: [It was designed and executed in _Paris_.]

--TRANS.]