The Civil War (1861-65) brought \Vest Point into considerable prominence throughout the civ ilized world; so much so that since then its methods have been carefully studied by the ex pert; of nearly every great European Every one of the commanding generals on both sides in the great War of the Rebellion who earned high military honors was a graduate of \Vest Point, The authorized number of cadets in 1903 was 481, and the number of instructors 81. The course of instruction is to a large extent mathe matical and professional. The curriculum in cludes: Mathematics, drawing, natural and experimental philosophy, chemistry, chemical physics, mineralog•,_geology, electricity, history: international, constitutional, and military law; the French and Spanish lang,uages, drill regula tions of all arms of the service, civil and military engineering, the art and science of war, and ordnance and gunnery. The superintendent is assisted by a military staff, and instruction N given by an academie stiff, consisting, entirely of army officers, with the additional rank of pro fessors, assistant professors, and instructors of the several departments in 'which they serve.
In 1902 the requirements for candidates seek ing admission were raised, which, while it makes thy• entrance examination more difficult, greatly assists the student during his period of in struction at the Academy by reducing the amount of work he is called upon to do during his course. The system of training officers at
\Vest Point is regarded as more complete than that of any other country; but perhaps the greatest difference is the \Vest Point method of holding the student firmly to his studies dur ing his four years' course. Ile mingles little with the outside world, except in his furlough at the close of two years, so that the four most impressionable years of his life are spent in a training and enviromnent well calculated to pro duce a thorough soldier. The Academy has been described as a model institution by many dis tinguished European military authorities, and in the reorganization of the methods of military instruction in England many of the \Vest Point ideas were suggested. The West Point cadet uni form (see UNIFORMS, MILITARY) is the famous cadet gray.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Consult: Mansfield, 7'he United Bibliography. Consult: Mansfield, 7'he United States Academy at West Point (Hartford, Conn., 1863) ; Farley, West Point in the Early Sixties (Troy, N. Y., 1902) ; ltoynton, History of West Point and Its Ililitary importance During the merican Revolution (New York, 18(34) ; Ilan cock, Life at West Point (New York, 1902) ; Cullum, Biographical liegister of the Officers and Graduates of the United ,States Military Academy (3 vols., New York, 1868-79) ; and the Annual Reports of the Superintendent of the Academy (United States Government Printing Office, Washington).