you wish to see my father; but you must be there punctually, for he goes out at eight o'clock. 5. My friend dines with me on Sunday, which habit he has had for years. 6. He said that they were in the same town the whole summer through, without seeing each other a single time. 7. I have had to act thus, because my brother wished it; in this matter I am determined not to act against his wishes. 8. Our whole family was yesterday evening at a concert at Mrs. S.'s, where there was much dancing. 9. Can you remember how his summer house by the river side looked? 10. Without heeding 1 my express 2 commands, he has run away, in order to amuse himself somewhere, or to attend to his own affairs.

1

8

1achten auf. 2 ausdrücklich.

irgendwo. besorgen.

4

Third Year. May, 1875.

DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY SCIENCE AND

TACTICS.

President J. D. Runkle:

SIR, In this my report for 1875, the centennial year of the first battles of the Revolution, I may be pardoned for adverting to the importance of causing a certain degree of military instruction to be given, side by side with instruction in the arts of peace. The fruits of the latter can only be fully assured to us, by ability to defend them against aggression. I can not do better than quote the words of Washington:

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(From Inaugural Speech, April 30th, 1789.)

"Among the many interesting objects which will engage your attention, that of providing for the common defense will merit particular regard. To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.

"A free people ought not only to be aroused, but disciplined; to which end a uniform and well digested plan is requisite ;"

(From Speech to both Houses of Congress, Dec. 3d, 1793.)

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"I cannot recommend to your notice measures for the fulfilment of our duties to the rest of the world, without again pressing upon you the necessity of placing ourselves in a condition of complete defense and of exacting from them the fulfilment of their duties towards us. The United States ought not to indulge a persuasion that, contrary to the order of human events, they will forever keep at a distance

those painful appeals to arms, with which the history of every other nation abounds. There is a rank due to the United States among nations, which will be withheld, if not absolutely lost, by the reputation of weakness. If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it. If we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known that we are at all times ready for war."

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Until the entire nature of the human race has become changed, it will be necessary to provide for defence against armed aggression by foreign nations, and also against internal attempts to subvert our liberties. On political and economical grounds it is undesirable to maintain a large standing army. It is then to the people, en-masse, that we must trust for defence. To do this effectively, experience has shown that they must be provided with capable instructors and leaders, officers.

These would naturally be selected from the most intelligent and educated citizens, from the graduates of our institutions of higher learning. The wisdom of legislation which requires military instruction to be given in institutions receiving a certain public bounty is obvious.

Permit me to quote from a letter written by President Andrew D. White of Cornell University.

"The law, as it now stands, enables at least one collegiate institution in each State to send out every year, a body of men with a good substantial knowledge of military matters, to aid in keeping up citizen soldiery, and to be of use in various communities, in case of emergency. Of course, the highest military education in the country must be given at West Point. But the instruction given to the country under the slight expense caused by the existing law, is, it seems to me, a matter which any statesman should take care of.

"It has always seemed to me that the control of citizen military organizations should be kept, as far as possible, in the hands of the more thoughtful and better educated classes. I dread to see the day arrive when, with the civil commotions sure to arise in a Republic as wide in extent, and as thickly settled as ours is to be, the thoughtful men and the educated men will be shrinking in corners for want of

the simple elements of military knowledge, and military organizations for emergencies will be entrusted to men of little or no character and standing. Take the Rebellion—we had, then, an opportunity to note the advantage gained for the Confederacy by the fact that so many of their better educated men had some military training at their schools and colleges.

"As a Professor at the University of Michigan, I saw the other thing. I saw at that institution our very best young men and the best were the very first to enlist go forth under the charge of a drunken blackguard, taken out of a lager beer saloon, his only title to command being that, in all that community, he was the only one who had any military knowledge, he having been a non-commisioned officer during the Mexican war. The result, I need hardly tell you, was disastrous. This company of noble young men melted away, and the captain was one of the few who came back.

"I have thought much upon this, and it seems to me that the clause in the Bill of 1862, providing for military instruction in the various State colleges, and the supplementary legislation since, allowing the detail of the army officers to conduct this education, showed real statesmanship.

"In view of emergencies which are sure to arise, sooner or later, in a Government like ours, may I not ask you to give this matter your careful consideration, and to see, if possible, that a provision in all respects so beneficent, be not destroyed."

Unfortunately, there is a tendency to construe this law and to meet its requirements in a manner so antagonistic to its spirit, that the amount of good derived therefrom is reduced, most frequently, to a minimum.

In all wars, the loss of life by disease far exceeds that resulting from actual combat. It is therefore essential that, first of all, instruction be given how properly to care for the health of troops when subjected to abnormal fatigues and exposure. This should commend itself simply on the ground of humanity, as it is for the purpose of preventing suffering and loss of life. War, at best, is horrible. It is inevitable in the affairs of all nations. Let us deprive it of its stings and horrors as far as human foresight, based upon experience, will admit. In our

eagerness to acquire material prosperity, let us not close our eyes to the dangers and contingencies of the future, however far removed they may seem at present.

Besides the instruction as to the care of the health of troops, it is necessary to instruct in the mode of organizing, disciplining and drilling troops, not alone in the actual details, which may be changed from time to time, but also in the general principles involved and their rationale.

THE MILITARY INSTRUCTION DURING 1874-5.

The instruction during the year ending May, 1875, was satisfactory, when one considers the many drawbacks arising from limited time and a lack of hearty support to the work of the department. This was made apparent by the written examinations and closing drill. The students were, apparently, very much interested. The officers performed their duties in an efficient manner. Commissions were given, at the closing exercise

to the following:

Staff Officers ranking as First Lieutenants.

Adjutant: G. F. Swain.

Quartermaster: E. H. Gowing.

Signal and Ordnance Officer: J. Kirk.

Captains: F. E. Peabody, C. H. Morton, W. Jenney, A. G. Everett. First Lieutenants: H. J. Monroe, W. M. Peters, C. H. Fisher, I. M. Story, F. P. Spalding.

Second Lieutenants: W. A. Frost, C. F. Lawton, E. G Faber.

The warrants of the non-commissioned officers were presented at the same time. No commission or warrant will hereafter be given to any student who has not shown a capacity for performing efficiently the duties of the office conferred, or one of higher grade, in actual service.

VOLUNTARY ENCAMPMENT.

On May 31st, 1875, twenty (20) students accompanied me for a week, in a voluntary encampment near Lexington, Mass.,