Around the 6o ac. plain are the following monuments : "Dade and his Command," erected in honour of Maj. F. L. Dade, who with 110 of his men was ambushed and killed by the Seminole Indians of Florida in 1835; the French monument which was presented to the corps of cadets by the students of the L'Ecole Polytechnique of France in 1917; a granite statue to Col. Sylvanus Thayer, the "Father of the Academy," and its superintendent from 1817 to 1835; a bronze statue of Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick, who was killed in action at Spottsylvania in 1864 ; Battle monu ment, erected to the memory of the 2,23o Regular Army officers who fell, during the Civil War, in defence of the Union ; the eques trian statue of Gen. Washington, with his arm extended blessing the institution for which he was one of the first to see the need; and Kosciuszko's monument, erected by the corps of cadets in 1828 in honour of this Polish patriot.
In the hills behind the academy are seven old redoubts and connecting trails, built during the Revolutionary War. Forts Put nam, Clinton and Constitution were also built during this war. Trophy Point is rich in trophies of all American wars. In the West Point cemetery lie the remains of graduates and fellow officers of all wars, from the Revolution to the World War.
At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, both the colonists and the British realized the importance of gaining possession of the Hudson River valley, and West Point became the strategic centre.
In July 1779, Gen. Washington established his headquarters at West Point in 'the Moore House, which stood in what is now known as Washington valley. His headquarters remained there until November. In 1780 Maj. Gen. Benedict Arnold, who had assumed command of West Point and the surrounding dependencies, com mitted treason in attempting to turn West Point over to the British. The plot was discovered, but Arnold fled to the British.
As early as May 1776, Gen. Knox had proposed a military school for the United States, and in October of the same year Congress passed a resolution, "Resolved, That a Committee of five be appointed to prepare and bring in a plan of a Military Academy at the Army." No action was taken until after the close of the Revolution. Gen. Washington and his military leaders agreed that West Point had been the key to the whole United States and should always be fortified. Accordingly, Washington recommended the establishment of a military school at West Point. In his annual message to Congress in 1793, and in his last message in 1796 he again strongly presented his plea for, "A Military Academy where a regular course of instruction is given." At last, March 16, 1802, Congress passed a bill providing for the establishment of a military academy and located it at West Point. The academy, with ten cadets, was first opened on July 4, 1802. By the act of Congress of April 29, 1812, the academy was reor ganized with 25o cadets. In 1817 the academy was organized along its present lines. Since the establishment of the academy 16,371 cadets have been admitted and 8,486 graduated (1928).