CAPTAIN HENRY W. HOVEY.

as the best educated man, in the military branches of knowledge, in New England if not in the United States. Adjutant General Drum

of the regular army once said: "In all my experience in the army, I never knew so complete and perfect a soldier as Colonel Truman B. Ransom."

In September, 1850, Rev. Edward Bourns, LL. D., became president of the university. Dr. Bourns was born in Dublin, Ireland, and had secured his education at Trinity College, Dublin, having taken the degree

One of his former pupils has recently said of him: "Dr. Bourns was no ordinary man. The intrinsic force, native shrewdness, and genial kindness of his nature made him generally respected and admired. He was a man of learning and acumen. He was a voluminous, careful and exhaustive reader, yet never at any time. in his addresses, in conversation or in discussion, did he betray the consequence of the pedant, or assume to be other than a sincere inquirer after truth. The doctor had never belonged to a military organization, but somehow he had acquired the swinging stride of the modern soldier, and

in his best days at Norwich it was a pleasant and invigorating sight to see him take a constitutional across the parade. When standing erect, his height was six feet two inches, with a framework -a breadth of shoulder, a development of muscle, and massive limbs-in equal proportions. He endeared himself to the members of the corps of cadets by his eminent attainments, his kindly sympathy, his his delicate and incisive wit. It has been truly said that no one ever entered the doctor's presence on the briefest errand who did not depart wiser than he came."

of B. A. in 1833. He came to this country in 1837, and was for several years professor of ancient languages at Hobart College. He was a man of peace by profession, and better versed in canon law than in cannon balls. It may seem strange that a military college should have a clerical head, but it is well perhaps to maintain an equilibrium of forces. "There was plenty of latent fire among the cadets and they were ready at any time to explode, like so many cans of nitroglycerine; but the cassock generally kept the mastery of the Cossack, and the science of war was peacefully pursued." Certain it is that the boys would as soon have thought of bearding a lion in his den as the doctor in his study.

Associated with Dr. Bourns during this period was General Alonzo Jackman, LL. D., as professor of military science, mathematics and civil engineering. General Jackman was born at Thetford, Vermont, in 1809, graduated from Norwich University. at its first commencement in 1836 with the degree of B. A., and spent most of his life in her service. He was for several years brigade drill master of the New Hampshire militia. In 1859 he was commissioned colonel of the Second Vermont Infantry, and

regiments, and sent out cadet officers to drill companies in different parts of the state, as he was notified of their formation. Regimental officers from different states went to him for instruction at the university. To his skill and energy is due the efficient manner in which the Vermont troops were sent forward to the seat of war. Much honor is due him for the result of his work on behalf of the state of Vermont. His industry was untiring, and his clear, precise, thorough instructions to officers and men were

the same year became brigadier general of the state troops. At the beginning of the war of the states, Governor Fairbanks offered him any position in his power to grant, but earnestly requested him in these words to remain with the university: "There is a duty, a very patriotic duty for you to perform; that is to remain at the Military College and qualify young men for duty as officers; and thus will you do your state the best service." Like a true soldier he stayed where duty called him, inspected and got into readiness the old militia, organized new companies and

of great value to them in the service. He was a close student and every inch a soldier. His delight was in mathematics, in which he excelled, and he was thoroughly conversant with the natural sciences. He was thoroughly in earnest in whatever he undertook. "Gentlemen," he would say, "you see this dot in the centre of the circle? It begins to grow smaller

-grows smaller-smaller-it vanishes!" One held his breath at "vanishes" on account of the tragical way in which he said it, with upturned face and flashing eye. Then came further explanation, wound up with this char

acteristic expression: "I have now introduced you to the very poetry of mathematics."

Enough has been said to clearly show the kind of men connected with Norwich University during the formative period of its history, from 1820 to 1860, when those unwritten laws were being made which by tradition have come down to the present, and which have had so much to do in making possible her glorious record. The system of instruction then established has been

continued to the present day, with results that are well known to those who are at all conversant with her history.

The period from 1850 to 1860 was particularly productive of cadets who have since distinguished themselves in both war and peace. "The university domain of this time," says a member of the class of '54, "comprised the North

and South Barracks, the former being for commons and indoor drill, literary exercises, and church service on Sundays; the latter, for barracks and attendant purposes. The Congregational Church was just across the Common, in front of the North Barracks and the northerly side of

the square. The parade ground was in front, extending to the street, and the tall flagstaff, with topmast and crosstrees, stood on the western edge. The barracks were of brick, four stories, truncated roof, with passageways running the length of each floor. The president's room and headquarters were on this floor, also the library, with cabinets, etc. General Jackman's room was on the second passage, immediately over the entrance. The large recitation room was over this, and in it were read morning and evening prayers. The

A CADET OFFICER'S ROOM.

CAPTAIN HENRY V. PARTRIDGE.
Uniform of 1840.

armory was the centre front of the
fourth passage.
Roll calls were had
in this second passage, the right rest-
ing on the north. The
rooms were practically
alike; numerous chim-
neys provided each pair
of adjoining rooms with
fireplaces, or later, with
opportunity for stoves,
the space between the
chimney, passage and
outer wall being for
closets, thus offering
one unbroken side to
each apartment. These
rooms were all white-
washed with a tint
known by the cadets as
'brindle.' There were
no bedsteads, mattresses
or carpets. A wooden
bunk, three feet wide,
with slat bottom, held
the blankets and sheets

and between the centre window and that next to the south, were the cabalistic letters, scrawled in chalk but somehow always kept fresh, however often they were erased:

B. E. D.

&

E. M.

the first letter having originally been P, and then R, and finally, in our day, B. This was understood by the initiated to mean: 'Bourns (Partridge, Ransom) Expels Devils and Educates Men;' although the cynics sometimes reversed the translation so as to provide for the education of devils and the expulsion of men. The cadet drill uniform was the claw hammer drill coat with three rows of cadet buttons, dark blue pants with twoinch black velvet stripe down the seam, 'bell muzzle,' high, blue cloth cap with gold band; for undress, the single-breasted frock, soft blue cap with velvet band and the letters N. U. in a gold wreath in front; white pants were worn in summer, and the old flint lock, twelve-pound Springfield musket was used; the text-book was 'Scott's Infantry Tactics.''

and recumbent cadet, and was turned up against the wall before morning inspection. Over the bunk was the gun rack, with wooden pegs, on which were suspended the musket and equipments. Over the front door,

The strictest order did not always reign at Norwich Plain, nor was it was always quiet on the Connecticut. From time immemorial, that is to say from the foundation of the university. a feud had raged between the cadets and the students at Dartmouth, across the river. Many raids and encounters had taken place, in regard to which tradi

tion had much to say.

The cadets were inferior in numbers to the classical antagonists, but they were filled with martial ardor and utterly unwilling to admit that the stylus is mightier than the sword.

The prevailing opinion among them. seemed to be that Dartmouth must be destroyed. The discipline of the university prevented the attempt by any well-organized expedition to accomplish this favorite object, but it was not sufficient to restrain individual cadets from hostile incursions into the enemy's country. Bristling with daggers and revolvers, which they never had a serious thought of using, it is said that two or three together would cross the river at night, either by bridge or boat, and parade the streets of Hanover or penetrate even to "Tempe's pleasant

vale," with a marked disregard of the dangers they incurred. Frequently they succeeded in provoking hostilities, and then they displayed the gallantry which afterward distinguished them upon larger fields. When greatly outnumbered, as they usually were, they would fall back to the river with a celerity to which Xenophon's famous retreat furnishes no parallel. If they discov

ered that the bridge was disputed they took to boats, or if these were not to be found, a flank movement up or down the river to a fording place was executed in a masterly manner, and the barracks gained some time before reveille. The casualties were always few, but the fun and glory were considerable. On one of those quiet escapades a cadet returned to the barracks with his coat very much "ripped up the back." This was considered a sufficient