HOW SHALL BOYS BE SELECTED FOR THE MILITARY AND NAVAL ACADEMIES?

SIR: The present system of presenting candidates for appointments as Cadets and Midshipmen to the Military and Naval Academies of the United States, is through the nominations made by members of Congress, who select whom they please from among the young men of their districts. The objections to this practice are mainly these that it is not an impartial method-only families having political influence being able to secure the favor; that, taking boys at random, without regard to fitness, results in the failure of large numbers of them (from one-half to three-fourths) to come up to the rigid standard required in those institutions; and that, so many failures not only subject the Government to a heavy and unnecessary expense in endeavoring to train young men to duties which they can never perform, but cripple the Army and Navy by not supplying it with the needed infusion of young men capable of becoming officers.

These appear to be very serious defects of the system. They seemed to me so last June, when I had the honor of being a member of the Visiting Board of the Naval Academy at Newport; and in the little time there was for giving thought to it, I joined in a recommendation for the adoption of the plan of "competitive examinations" as a remedy. Without going too much into detail, that plan looked to competition among all the boys in the country, grouped into Congressional districts, for the privilege of admission: in other words, its operation would send there the very élite, so far as scholarship is concerned, of the land. It would, besides, do away with the complaint of favoritism, and open the doors of those Academies to every boy, high or low. In giving the subject more thought, I am not sure that that recommendation, in its main intent—that is, to give efficiency to the service-was a good one.

The movement of an army or a regiment; the sailing of a vessel; the handling of men; the attack or defence of a fortification; the varied requirements of a soldier or a sailor in active service, are not the matters of algebraical, of historical, of logical of rhetorical, solution. They do not require those accomplishments necessary for professorships in colleges. They require executive qualities; aptitude for dealing with men and things; an acquaintance and a faculty for coping with the elements— earth, air, fire, and water;-all based on the indispensable groundwork of a sensible, practical mind, and a strong, healthy body. That is one thing a man should be. If he be that, it will be no disadvantage, but probably an advantage, if he add another thing to it, that is, the highest possible educational accomplishments. But, if he cannot be both, we think that Yale and Harvard will agree with us in choosing, between the conditions with which he shall be endowed. There are men, probably, who combine all these; but they cannot be picked up in every Congressional district, nor in every State, nor, I will venture to say, in every nation. Napoleon, Wellington, Nelson, Paul Jones, Decatur, Perry, were not among them. Grant, Sherman Sheridan, Kilpatrick, Farragut, Porter, are not. It is possible that Washington and Lafayette were, and that Scott is. Of that, I only give way to the possibility. Farragut, beyond all doubt, can sail his ship through the untracked wilderness of the ocean and know exactly each day her position on the face of the great deep; but I doubt whether he can calculate for you the weight of the earth, or the moment when, ages hence, a new comet shall blaze upon the horizon. Sherman, we all know, can lead a host defiantly through the length and breadth of a hostile country; but we know as well that he writes crude if not illogical letters, though forcible and to the mark. And Cushing, whose splendid courage and shrewd enterprise rendered

the country a service equal to a naval victory, I am told, "bilged" at one or more of the examinations at the Naval Academy.

As a general rule, excessive mental endowment is not allied to great energy of character and robust physical organization. Of course there are many exceptions to this; but, I believe, not more than enough to prove the rule. They lead to tastes literary and scientific, and seek quiet and peaceful paths of life. Let the reader call up to his remembrance the finished scholars of whom he has any knowl. edge, and see if what I have asserted is true or not.

It is my belief, then, that the evils complained of in those Academies-that is, the great number of failures to pass the examinations, and the consequent wasting of the public money in carrying along for one or more years so many incompetent students -are really evils engendered by the Academies themselves. The standard of abstruse studies is placed too high. Too much importance is attached, for instance, to excellence in mathematics; and young men who are capable of developing all the qualities needed for the service, but who have not "mathematical minds," are thrown overboard. A system of basing admittance to these Academies upon "competitive examinations," would fill their study-rooms with young men who would come up to the rigid standard now in force, and make failures almost impossible-but, I believe, would tell disastrously upon our future Army and Navy.

The Board of Visitors to the Naval Academy for 1864, report that only about onefourth or one-third of all the midshipmen are successful enough to graduate. Would the Navy be worse off, if the standard of study were so lowered as that three-fourths could pass? Make a liberal slaughter of dunces; but, for the honor of the race, let us not declare officially that three-fourths of our sons, taken at random through the land, are blockheads. Devise some way, if you please, to get rid of the partiality which now afflicts the system of appointments, but take the boys who seek the service and have a taste for it, and promise to be an honor to the flag. Take a hundred boys at random from every part of the country, and seventy-five of them at least will develop, under liberal and intelligent training, into all that we want of them. A fraction of this number will prove a capacity for reaching the inner temple of mathematical science; they will preside at our astronomical observatorios, and fill the places of such men as Gilliss, and, I had almost said, Maury. Some will scarcely make their way through the outer entrance; but give them a chance at "Albemarles" and they will be Cushings. More of them will gain access to the body of the sanctuary, neither halting short, nor penetrating beyond, and come out successors to Farragut, and Foote, and Porter, and that host of gallant men who are making the name of the nation glad upon the face of the waters.

R.

LETTER FROM RICHMOND.

(From our Special Correspondent.)

RICHMOND, VA., April 11, 1965,

A SAIL up the James to Richmond is not yet so common an occurrence as to be without a lively interest. As one quietly sails past Varina Landing, with its sad memories of haggard, dying prisoners,-Dutch Gap Canal, a present failure, but destined some day to save a sail of eight tedious miles,-Chapin's Bluff, with its neatly turfed but seemingly impregnable earthworks, into the silent mouths of whose grim and formidable tier of guns we now fearlessly look,-Drury's Bluff, surmounted by the historic Fort Darling frowning down its sixty feet of embankment, and whose guns command ten miles of river approach,-on through the

partially removed river-obstructions of sunken vessels, closely driven piles, &c., up the newly buoyed channel, the shore of which is lined by torpedoes removed by our forces from the river,-through the open draws of the three bridges that Lee had used instead of more temporary pontoons, to a safe landing at "Rocketts,-"the thought of how different all the attending circumstances of such a sail would have been if made eight days earlier, constantly recurs to mind, and the memory recalls all the history of our four years' struggle over this fiercely contested territory.

Richmond itself-its best business section in ruins and its streets unlighted—is a sad sight, and the first impression is made only sadder when one learns the widespread distress existing among the inhabitants. Our authorities began, at once, the alleviation of this distress by the distribution of rations among the people; and it is a heart-touching sight to notice at every dépôt of distribution ladies of most evident refinement standing in the line, closely veiled and waiting by the hour for their turn to come. As I walked down the street from one of these dépôts, I passed a little group of a mother and her three little daughters, and as one who was carrying a basket, half hidden under her scanty shawl, and had been watching the slowly shortening line at the dépôt, urged her mother on with the remark, "Mamma, there are not many there now," I could not restrain a moisture of the eyes, as I thought of the experience of privation and suffering from which such a remark and such an errand were wrung. Many families who have not been reduced to such deep distress have quietly solicited our officers to board with them, that means of living may in this way be obtained.

It does honor to the hearts of our officers that the knowledge and sight of all this distress produce no word or thought of exultation, but rather an honorable sympathy.

The following actual quotations will show the almost utter worthlessness of the Confederate currency: Flour, $1,200 per barrel; commonest brown sugar, $20 per pound; boots, $500 per pair; felt hats, $500; children's shoes, $100 per pair; kid gloves, $100 per pair; common calico, $30 per yard; coarsest, unbleached muslin, $6.50 per yard; spool of cotton, $6, &c., &c.

The people have considered the currency well-nigh worthless for a long time, and now one can get as much of it as he chooses to carry away for the asking. The boys on the street will sell you a large lump of tobacco, wrapped in a one thousand dollar Confederate bond, for a one dollar greenback.

The mercantile community is well-nigh ruined, for almost all merchants had invested largely in cotton, tobacco, &c., which they knew would always be worth real money-and in the conflagration they have lost not only their buildings and stocks, but all such outside accumulations also.

The citizens all unite in warmest praise of the conduct of our troops--they have been entirely exempt from all annoyance or insult, and freely admit their relief at the deliverance from the petty despotism of subordinate officers under which they have lived. A most intelligent lady remarked that she did not understand how we could maintain such perfect discipline-they had known nothing like it. The rebel press and leaders had so constantly reiterated the assertion that our army would sack the city if they ever entered it, that almost all had come to believe the lieand their present gratified astonishment is easily understood. I could then fully appreciate the tale told by many ladies of the horror of the announcement made amidst the fearful fire lighted by the retreating army on the 3d instant, accompanied as it was by the indiscriminate plundering committed by their rear-guard, that "the Yankees are coming."

In regard to the feeling of the people here, I imagine real Unionism to be in scant supply. Almost every man has been connected with the rebel armies in some way-for their conscription included all classes and almost all ages-and their sympathy is all in that direction. But they are now very quiescent; they freely acknowledge that they have been thoroughly whipped in a fair fight, and are quite willing to give up the contest. One cannot fail to see, however, that they are thus tractable only because they are whipped, and not from any returning love for the old Union, or regret for their recent course. Still the universal sentiment is that the war is virtually over, and that we are again--or soon will be, the "United States." All are hourly expecting to hear of Johnston's surrender, which is considered inevitable.

The question of reconstruction, surrounded on all sides by difficulties, begins to assume the most august proportions, and will require for its proper solving all the wisdom and judicious firmness that our authorities can command. God guide us to a peace, that, in the words of President Lincoln, shall come to stay.

MILITARY NOTES AND QUERIES.

H.

YOUR correspondent, "10th ILLINOIS," from the Army of the Cumberland proposes, in your August number, a method of forming square to the rear from line of battle. This method seems to expect too much individual action from the soldiers of a majority of the companies of the regiment. I propose the following method as better:

Let the commands be, To the rear, on Third Division, form square. At this command, the chief of Third Division will cause it to stand fast. The captains of coinpanies 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9 face them to the rear; 1 and 10 are faced inwards by the flank. At the command, March, of the colonel, 4 and 7 wheel and form perpendicularly to ends of Third Division; 2, 3, 8, 9 make a half wheel, and then march forward till they come near their places in the square when they are dressed upon the lines of 4 and 7; 1 and 10 march by the flank to their places to form the rear face of the square, the file-closers of these companies passing inside the square. The lines for 4, 3, and 2, and for 7, 8, and 9, should be established by the guides of those companies throwing themselves out in advance of their companies, and being placed by the lieutenant-colonel and major. WEST POINT.

COMMENT.-(From a distinguished Correspondent and Tactician.)—There would be no particular necessity for forming square forward on the centre, unless imminently pressed by cavalry, and if so pressed, the moral effect of facing about, back to the enemy, would be bad. This, together with the greater intricacy of the movement is sufficient to reject the proposed method.

In answer to our California correspondent, J. W. McK.'s inquiries, we would state:

I. Bayonets should be unfixed after the inspecting officer has passed, in accordance with paragraph 239, page 60, Vol. I., Casey's Tactics.

II The following is the manner of posting the companies of a regiment:—

[II. At a military funeral, the music should be at the head of the column.

Editor U. S. Service Magazine:

SIR:-I read with interest your answers to the questions of "J. L., 128th Ohio Vols.," in the "Military Notes and Queries" of the MAGAZINE for July, and have since been waiting with the expectation that some other person would offer further comments upon those questions that have proved so puzzling to many volunteer officers. Permit me to ask for the authority for the rules you lay down in answer to the queries of "J. L." You make no distinction in your rules, between salutes made during the daytime and after sunset; but it is noticeable that the "facing to the proper front," concerning which “J. L.” inquires, is prescribed only after sunset, and then not as a salute, but only as a mark of attention, showing that the sentry is attending properly to his duties. Under the rule that a sentinel, on any one of the four sides of a camp, shall face outward and present arms, when a general or field officer approaches, if the officer approached from within the camp, the sentinel would be presenting arms to an officer behind his back; or rather would be committing the glaring impoliteness of turning his back to the officer he is required to salute, and then gravely presenting arms to nothing! which is hardly consonant with the customary courtesy required of all officers and soldiers toward their superiors. In the salutes prescribed in paragraphs 256 and 257, the inferior is required to direct his attention in a respectful manner towards his superior. In paragraph 248, salutes to officers who pass in the rear of a guard, are prohibited. Is there any good reason why the salute of a single sentry should not be made in a like respectful and courteous manner, facing toward the officer saluted? It is very clear, from paragraphs 251 and 423, that no salutes are paid after retreat, and therefore the "facing to the proper front," required by paragraph 423, is prescribed only between retreat and reveillé.

I understand the second question of "J. L." to be this: "Does the last sentence of paragraph 420, requiring sentinels to 'carry arms' to all officers below field officers, include the usual salute with the left hand brought to the shoulder, or not?" The inference from the language of that paragraph is, that the sentinel should stand at shouldered arms; but the common practice in the volunteer army is otherwise. This practice is doubtless derived from the requirements as to salutes in other cases. Indeed, it is hardly consistent that the single sentry should simply carry arms to a line officer, when walking on a beat; because the same sentry, if