to　go　to　West　Point　as　a　Cadet　from　my　Congressional　district。　　My
  chances　for　this　seemed　very　remote；　however；　till　one　day　an
  opportunity　was　thrown　in　my　way　by　the　boy　who　then　held　the　place
  failing　to　pass　his　examination。　　When　I　learned　that　by　this
  occurrence　a　vacancy　existed；　I　wrote　to　our　representative　in
  Congress；　the　Hon。　Thomas　Ritchey；　and　asked　him　for　the　appointment；
  reminding　him　that　we　had　often　met　in　Fink　&　Dittoe's　store；　and
  that　therefore　he　must　know　something　of　my　qualifications。　　He
  responded　promptly　by　enclosing　my　warrant　for　the　class　of　1848；　so；
  notwithstanding　the　many　romances　that　have　been　published　about　the
  matter；　to　Mr。　Ritchey；　and　to　him　alone；　is　due　all　the　creditif
  my　career　justifies　that　termof　putting　me　in　the　United　States
  Army。
  At　once　I　set　about　preparing　for　the　examination　which　precedes
  admission　to　the　Military　Academy；　studying　zealously　under　the
  direction　of　Mr。　William　Clark；　my　old　teachers；　McNanly　and　Thorn；
  having　disappeared　from　Somerset　and　sought　new　fields　of　usefulness。
  The　intervening　months　passed　rapidly　away；　and　I　fear　that　I　did　not
  make　much　progress；　yet　I　thought　I　should　be　able　to　pass　the
  preliminary　examination。　　That　which　was　to　follow　worried　me　more
  and　gave　me　many　sleepless　nights；　but　these　would　have　been　less　in
  number；　I　fully　believe；　had　it　not　been　for　one　specification　of　my；
  outfit　which　the　circular　that　accompanied　my　appointment　demanded。
  This　requirement　was　a　pair　of　〃Monroe　shoes。〃　　Now；　out　in　Ohio；
  what　〃Monroe　shoes〃　were　was　a　mysterynot　a　shoemaker　in　my　section
  having　so　much　as　an　inkling　of　the　construction　of　the　perplexing
  things；　until　finally　my　eldest　brother　brought　an　idea　of　them　from
  Baltimore；　when　it　was　found　that　they　were　a　familiar　pattern　under
  another　name。
  At　length　the　time　for　my　departure　came；　and　I　set　out　for　West
  Point；　going　by　way　of　Cleveland　and　across　Lake　Erie　to　Buffalo。　　On
  the　steamer　I　fell　in　with　another　appointee　en　route　to　the　academy；
  David　S。　Stanley；　also　from　Ohio；　and　when　our　acquaintanceship　had
  ripened　somewhat；　and　we　had　begun　to　repose　confidence　in　each
  other；　I　found　out　that　he　had　no　〃Monroe　shoes；〃　so　I　deemed　myself
  just　that　much　ahead　of　my　companion；　although　my　shoes　might　not
  conform　exactly　to　the　regulations　in　Eastern　style　and　finish。　　At
  Buffalo；　Stanley　and　I　separated；　he　going　by　the　Erie　Canal　and　I　by
  the　railroad；　since　I　wanted　to　gain　time　on　account　of　commands　to
  stop　in　Albany　to　see　my　father's　uncle。　　Here　I　spent　a　few　days；
  till　Stanley　reached　Albany；　when　we　journeyed　together　down　the
  river　to　West　Point。　　The　examination　began　a　few　days　after　our
  arrival；　and　I　soon　found　myself　admitted　to　the　Corps　of　Cadets；　to
  date　from　July　1；　1848；　in　a　class　composed　of　sixty…three　members；
  many　of　whomfor　example；　Stanley；　Slocum；　Woods；　Kautz；　and　Crook…
  …became　prominent　generals　in　later　years；　and　commanded　divisions；
  corps；　and　armies　in　the　war　of　the　rebellion。
  Quickly　following　my　admission　I　was　broken　in　by　a　course　of　hazing；
  with　many　of　the　approved　methods　that　the　Cadets　had　handed　down
  from　year　to　year　since　the　Academy　was　founded；　still；　I　escaped
  excessive　persecution；　although　there　were　in　my　day　many　occurrences
  so　extreme　as　to　call　forth　condemnation　and　an　endeavor　to　suppress
  the　senseless　custom；　which　an　improved　civilization　has　now　about
  eradicated；　not　only　at　West　Point；　but　at　other　colleges。
  Although　I　had　met　the　Academic　board　and　come　off　with　fair　success；
  yet　I　knew　so　little　of　Algebra　or　any　of　the　higher　branches　of
  mathematics　that　during　my　first　six　months　at　the　Academy　I　was
  discouraged　by　many　misgivings　as　to　the　future；　for　I　speedily
  learned　that　at　the　January　examination　the　class　would　have　to　stand
  a　test　much　severer　than　that　which　had　been　applied　to　it　on
  entering。　　I　resolved　to　try　hard；　however；　and；　besides；　good
  fortune　gave　me　for　a　room…mate　a　Cadet　whose　education　was　more
  advanced　than　mine；　and　whose　studious　habits　and　willingness　to　aid
  others　benefited　me　immensely。　　This　room…mate　was　Henry　W。　Slocum；
  since　so　signally　distinguished　in　both　military　and　civil　capacities
  as　to　win　for　his　name　a　proud　place　in　the　annals　of　his　country。
  After　tapsthat　is；　when　by　the　regulations　of　the　Academy　all　the
  lights　were　supposed　to　be　extinguished；　and　everybody　in　bedSlocum
  and　I　would　hang　a　blanket　over　the　one　window　of　our　room　and
  continue　our　studieshe　guiding　me　around　scores　of　stumbling…blocks
  in　Algebra　and　elucidating　many　knotty　points　in　other　branches　of
  the　course　with　which　I　was　unfamiliar。　　On　account　of　this
  association　I　went　up　before　the　Board　in　January　with　less
  uneasiness　than　otherwise　would　have　been　the　case；　and　passed　the
  examination　fairly　well。　　When　it　was　over；　a　self…confidence　in　my
  capacity　was　established　that　had　not　existed　hitherto；　and　at　each
  succeeding　examination　I　gained　a　little　in　order　of　merit　till　my
  furlough　summer　came　roundthat　is；　when　I　was　half　through　the
  four…year　course。
  My　furlough　in　July　and　August；　1850；　was　spent　at　my　home　in　Ohio；
  with　the　exception　of　a　visit　or　two　to　other　Cadets　on　furlough　in
  the　State；　and　at　the　close　of　my　leave　I　returned　to　the　Academy　in
  the　full　expectation　of　graduating　with　my　class　in　1852。
  A　quarrel　of　a　belligerent　character　in　September；　；1851；　with　Cadet
  William　R。　Terrill；　put　an　end　to　this　anticipation；　however；　and
  threw　me　back　into　the　class　which　graduated　in　1853。　　Terrill　was　a
  Cadet　Sergeant；　and；　while　my　company　was　forming　for　parade；　having；
  given　me　an　order；　in　what　I　considered　an　improper　tone；　to　〃dress〃
  in　a　certain　direction；　when　I　believed　I　was　accurately　dressed；　I
  fancied　I　had　a　grievance；　and　made　toward　him　with　a　lowered
  bayonet；　but　my　better　judgment　recalled　me　before　actual　contact
  could　take　place。　　Of　course　Terrill　reported　me　for　this；　and　my　ire
  was　so　inflamed　by　his　action　that　when　we　next　met　I　attacked　him；
  and　a　fisticuff　engagement　in　front　of　barracks　followed；　which　was
  stopped　by　an　officer　appearing　on　the　scene。　　Each　of　us　handed　in
  an　explanation；　but　mine　was　unsatisfactory　to　the　authorities；　for　I
  had　to　admit　that　I　was　the　assaulting　party；　and　the　result　was　that
  I　was　suspended　by　the　Secretary　of　War；　Mr。　Conrad；　till　August　28；
  1852the　Superintendent　of　the　Academy；　Captain　Brewerton；　being
  induced　to　recommend　this　milder　course；　he　said；　by　my　previous　good
  conduct。　　At　the　time　I　thought；　of　course；　my　suspension　a　very
  unfair　punishment；　that　my　conduct　was　justifiable　and　the
  authorities　of　the　Academy　all　wrong；　but　riper　experience　has　led　me
  to　a　different　conclusion；　and　as　I　look　back；　though　the
  mortification　I　then　endured　was　deep　and　trying；　I　am　convinced　that
  it　was　hardly　as　much　as　I　deserved　for　such　an　outrageous　breach　of
  discipline。
  There　was　no　question　as　to　Terrill's　irritating　tone；　but　in　giving
  me　the　order　he　was　prompted　by　the　duty　of　his　position　as　a　file
  closer；　and　I　was　not　the　one　to　remedy　the　wrong　which　I　conceived
  had　been　done　me；　and　clearly　not　justifiable　in　assuming　to　correct
  him　with　my　own　hands。　　In　1862；　when　General　Buell's　army　was
  assembling　at　Louisville；　Terrill　was　with　it　as　a　brigadier…general
  （for；　although　a　Virginian；　he　had　remained　loyal）；　and　I　then　took
  the　initiative　toward　a　renewal　of　our　acquaintance。　　Our　renewed
  friendship　was　not　destined　to　be　of　long　duration；　I　am　sorry　to
  say；　for　a　few　days　later；　in　the　battle　of　Perryville；　while
  gallantly　fighting　for　his　country；　poor　Terrill　was　killed。
  My　suspension　necessitated　my　leaving　the　Academy；　and　I　returned
  home　in　the　fall　of　1851；　much　crestfallen。　　Fortunately；　my　good
  friend　Henry　Dittoe　again　gave　me　employment　in　keeping　the　books　of
  his　establishment；　and　this　occupation　of　my　time　made　the　nine
  months　which　were　to　elapse　before　I　could　go　back　to　West　Point　pass
  much　more　agreeably　than　they　would　have　done　had　I　been　idle。　　In
  August；　1852；　I　joined　the　first　class　at　the　Academy　in　accordance
  with　the　order　of　the　War　Department；　taking　my　place　at　the　foot　of
  the　class　and　graduating　with　it　the　succeeding　June；　number　thirty…
  four　in　a　membership　of　fifty…two。　　At　the　head　of　this　class
  graduated　James　B。　McPherson；　who　was　killed　in　the　Atlanta　campaign
  while　commanding　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee。　　It　also　contained　such
  men　as　John　M。　Schofield；　who　commanded　the　Army　of　the　Ohio；　Joshua
  W。　Sill；　killed　as　a　brigadier　in　the　battle　of　Stone　River；　and　many
  others　who；　in　the　war　of　the　rebellion；　on　one　side　or　the　other；
  rose　to　prominence；　General　John　B。　Hood　being　the　most　distinguished
  member　of　the　class　among　the　Confederates。
  At　the　close　of　the　final　examination　I　made　no　formal　application
  for　assignment　to　any　particular　arm　of