henry ossian flipper- 第14部分

Officer　of　the　Day。Form　your　platoon！　Right；　face！　Call　your　roll！

Section　Marcher。Bejay！　Barnes！　Du　Furing！　Swikeheimer！　Du　Flicket；　etc。

Platoon　（answering　to　their　names）。Here！　Here…re…　re！　ho…o…o！　hi…i…i！　har…ar…ar！　Heer…r！

Section　Marcher　（facing　about　salutes）。All　are　present；　sir！

Officer　of　the　Day　（returning　salute）。March　off　your　platoon；　sir！

Section　Marcher　（facing　about）。Left　face！　forward。　March！　（Curtain　falls。）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ACT　II。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SCENE　I。

The　riding…hall；　a　large；　spacious；　rectangular　structure；　door　on　each　side　and　at　each　end；　floor　well　covered　with　tan　bark；　spacious　gallery　over　each　side　door；　staircases　outside　leading　to　them。　Galleries　are　occupied；　one　by　ladies；　and；　perhaps　a　number　of　gentlemen；　and　the　other　by　enlisted　men　usually。　In　the　centre　of　the　hall　are　a　number　of　horses；　each　equipped　with　a　surcingle；　blanket；　and　watering　bridle。　A　soldier　stands　at　the　head　of　each　one　of　them。　As　curtain　rises　enter　platoon　by　side　door；　and　marches　around　the　left　flank　of　the　line　of　horses　and　as　far　forward　as　necessary。

Section　Marcher。Platoon；　halt！　left；　face！　（Saluting　Instructor）　All　are　present；　sir！

Instructor　（saluting）。The　Section　Marcher　will　take　his　place　on　the　left。

He　then　gives　all　necessary　instruction。

〃To　mount　the　trooper　the　Instructor　first　causes　him　to　stand　to　horse　by　the　command　'Stand　to　horse！'　At　this　command〃　Well；　see　〃Cavalry　Tactics。〃

We've　got　the　trooper　mounted　now。　After　some　further　explanation　the　Instructor　forms　them　into　a　column　of　files　by　the　commands：

〃By　file；　by　the　right　（or　left）　flank。　March！〃

They　are　now　going　around　the　hall　at　a　walk；　a　slow；　snail…like　pace；　but　what　figures　some　of　them　present！　Still　all　goes　on　quite　well。　The　Instructor　is　speaking：

〃To　trot；〃　says　he；　〃raise　the　hands〃　（〃yearlings〃　use　both　hands）　〃slightly。　This　is　to　apprise　the　horse　that　you　want　his　attention。　Then　lower　the　hands　slightly；　and　at　the　same　time　gently　press　the　horse　with　the　legs　until　he　takes　the　gait　desired。　　As　soon　as　he　does；　relax　the　pressure。〃　A　long　pause。　The　occupants　of　the　galleries　are　looking　anxiously　on。　They　know　what　is　coming　next。　They　have　seen　these　drills　over　and　over　again。　And　so　each　trooper　awaits　anxiously　the　next　command。　Alas！　It　comes！　〃Trot！〃

What　peals　of　laughter　from　that　cruel　gallery！　But　why？　Ah！　See　there　that　trooper　struggling　in　the　tan　bark　while　a　soldier　pursues　his　steed。　He　is　not　hurt。　He　gets　up；　brushes　away　the　tan　bark；　remounts　and　starts　off　again。　But　there；　he's　off　again！　　He's　continually　falling　off　or　jumping　off　purposely　（？）。　What　confusion！　There　comes　one　at　a　full　gallop；　sticking　on　as　best　he　can；　but　there；　the　poor　fellow　is　off。　The　horses　are　running　away。　The　troopers　are　dropping　off　everywhere　in　the　hall。　No　one　is　hurt。　Alas！　they　pressed　too　hard　to　keep　on；　and　instead　of　relaxing　the　pressure　at　the　desired　gait；　the　trot；　they　kept　on　pressing；　the　horse　taking　the　trot；　the　gallop；　the　run；　and　the　trooper；　alas！　the　dust。　　Again　they　had　the　reins　too　long；　and　instead　of　holding　on　by　the　flat　of　the　thighs　with　their　feet　parallel　to　the　horse；　we　see　them　making　all　sorts　of　angles。　But　that　gallery！　that　gallery！　how　I　used　to　wish　it　wasn't　there！　The　very　sight　of　a　lady　under　such　circumstances　is　most　embarrassing。

Fair　ones；　why　will　you　thus　torture　the　〃yearlings〃　by　your　at　other　times　so　desirable　presence？

The　fourth　class　have　pure　mathematics；　and　algebra；　daily　from　8　to　11　A。M。；　and　French　also；　daily；　from　2　to　4　P。M。　Beginning　on　October　15th；　or　as　near　that　time　as　practicable；　they　have　fencing；　and　the　use　of　the　bayonet　and　small…sword。

During　the　month　of　September　cadets　of　all　classes；　or　the　battalion；　are　instructed　in　the　infantry　tactics　in　the　〃School　of　the　Battalion。〃　Near　the　end　of　the　month　it　is　customary　to　excuse　the　officers　of　the　first　class　from　these　drills；　and　to　detail　privates　to　perform　their　duties　for　one　drill　only　at　a　time。　The　other　classes　are　in　ranks；　or　the　line　of　file…closers；　according　as　they　are　sergeants；　guides；　or　privates。

During　October　the　several　classes　receive　practical　instruction　as　follows：　The　first　class　in　military　engineering；　the　manner　of　making　and　recording　the　details　of　a　military　reconnoissance；　and　field　sketching；　the　second　class　in　siege　and　sea…coast　artillery；　and　military　signalling　and　telegraphy。　The　class　is　divided　into　two　parts；　composed　of　the　odd　and　even　numbers；　which　attend　drills　on　alternate　daysthat　is；　artillery　one　day　and　signalling　the　next；　the　third　class　in　light　or　field　artillery；　and　the　theory　and　principles　of　〃target　practice。〃　Sometimes　this　latter　is　given　during　camp；　as　is　most　convenient。　Sometimes；　also；　they　receive　instruction　in　ordnance。　　This；　however；　is　generally　deferred　till　they　become　first…classmen。

For　further　instruction　of　the　first　class　the　following　part　of　the　personnel　of　a　light　battery　is　detailed　from　that　class；　viz。：　　three　chiefs　of　platoon；　one　chief　of　caissons；　one　guidon；　and　six　chiefs　of　section。　Each　member　of　the　class　is　detailed　for　each　of　these　offices　in　his　proper　order。

The　fourth　class　receives　instruction　in　field　artillery　at　the　〃foot　batteries。〃　This　instruction　is　limited　to　the　nomenclature　and　manual　of　the　piece。　Here；　also；　to　assist　the　instructor；　a　chief　of　piece　for　each　piece　is　detailed。　They　are　required　to　correct　all　errors　made　by　the　plebes；　and　sometimes　even　to　drill　them。　Hence　a　knowledge　of　tactics　is　indispensable；　and　the　means　of　fixing　such　knowledge　in　the　mind　is　afforded。

Sometimes　also　two　first…classmen　are　required　to　assist　at　the　siege　or　sea…coast　batteries。

Every　day　throughout　the　year　a　guard　is　mounted。　It　consists　of　two　officers　of　the　guardsometimes　only　oneone　sergeant；　three　corporalsor　more　and　twenty…four　privatessometimes；　also；　eighteen　or　twenty…one　in　camp；　and　twenty…seven　in　barracks。　Every　day；　also；　there　is　one　officer　of　the　day　detailed　from　the　first　class。

The　weather　permitting；　we　have　〃dress　parade〃　daily。　When　unfavorable；　on　account　of　snow；　rain；　or　severe　cold；　we　have　〃undress　parade〃that　is；　parade　without　arms　and　in　undress　or　fatigue　uniform；　the　object　being　to　get　us　all　together　to　publish　the　orders；　etc。；　for　the　morrow。　After　November　1st　we　usually　have　〃undress　parade；〃　and　then　〃supper　mess　parade。〃　Between　these　two　ceremonies　the　cadets　amuse　themselves　at　the　gymnasium；　dancing　or　skating；　or　〃spooneying；〃　or　at　the　library；　generally；　I　thinkthe　upper　classmen　at　any　rateat　the　library。　After　supper　we　have　recreation　and　then　study。　And　thus　we　〃live　and　do〃　till　January。

The　semi…annual　examination　begins　January　1st；　or　as　soon　thereafter　as　practicable。　The　plebes　are　examined　first；　and　started　in　their　new　studies　as　soon　as　possible。　After　the　plebes　the　other　classes　are　examined　in　the　order　of　their　rankthat　is；　first　class；　second　class；　and　third　classand　of　the　importance　of　their　studies；　engineering　being　first；　then　philosophy；　and　mathematics；　etc。

The　examination　being　over；　the　deficient　ones；　after　receiving　orders　from　the　Secretary　of　War；　are　dismissed。　Studies　are　then　resumed　as　follows：

For　the　first　class　military　engineering；　ordnance；　and　gunnery；　constitutional　law；　military　law；　rules　of　evidence；　practice　of　courts…martial；　mineralogy；　and　geology；　strategy；　and　grand　tactics；　and　the　throwing　and　dismantling　of　pontoon　bridges。　For　the　second　class；　acoustics　and　optics；　astronomy；　analytical　mechanics　in　review；　infantry；　artillery；　and　cavalry　tactics；　drawing；　riding；　and　signalling。　For　the　third　class；　calculus；　surveying；　geometry；　and　riding。　Immediately　after　the　examination　the　entire　third　class　receive　instruction　in　mechanical　drawing　before　they　begin　their　other　mathematical　studies。　For　the　fourth　class　the　studies　are　plane　geometry；　trigonometry；　descriptive　geometry；　and　fencing；　including　the　use　of　the　small…sword；　broad…　sword；　and　bayonet。

Parades；　guard　duty；　etc。；　remain　as　previously　described　until　about　the　middle　of　March　usually。　At　that　time　the　ordinary　routine　of　drills；　dress　parades；　etc。；　is　resumed；　but　drills　in　this　order；　viz。；　from　March　15th　to　April　1st　instruction　in　the　school　of　the　company；　in　artillery　tactics；　as　before　described　during　April；　and　in　infantry　tactics；　in　the　〃School　of　the　Battalion；〃　during　May。　The　annual　examination　takes　place　in　June。　The　following　diary；　made　for　the　purpose　of　insertion　here；　will　best　explain　what　generally　occurs　during　the　month：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MEMORANDA。

Thursday；　June　1；　1876。Resumed　white　pants　at　5。10　P。M。　Received　Board　of　Visitors　by　a　review　at　5。10　P。M。　　Examination　begun　at　9　A。M。　First　class；　engineering。　Salute　of　fifteen　guns　at　meridian　to　Board　of　Visitors。

Friday；　June　2。First　class；　engineering　finished。　Second　class；　philosophy　commenced。　Siege　battery　drill　at　5。10　P。M。

Saturday；　June　3。Second　class；　philosophy　continued。

Monday；　June　5。Light　battery　at　5。10　P。M。　A　yearling　lost　his　〃white　continuations。〃　Plebes　went　to　parade。