Show G Women Point l I L L fi C 4 By Dy ELMO SCOTT WATSON NM Ng does not usually think of the v United States Military aca academy emy at West Point as other oilier than a mans man's mans r h world yet there have been several d A t 1 women who ho have had such a part i 1 In its history as to make their n n names a part of the West Point M U U tradition the woman The known first of ot to these fame was as Captain Molly In the cemetery at ot West Point stands a monument monument monument ment bearing a n bronze tablet which shows In relief relief bas a stalwart woman standing behind a cannon ramrod and In hand and below It Is this Inscription In Memory of Margaret CorbIn a n Heroine of the Revolution known as Captain Mollie liGI 1800 Who at nt the Battle ot of Fort Washington ton New York when her hus hus- husband husband band John Corbin was killed kept his field fieldpiece fieldpiece piece In action until severely wounded and there there- thereafter thereafter thereafter after by act of congress received half the pay and allowance of ot A oA Soldier In the Service She lived died led nn and was burled on the Hu Hudson son rIver river- bank riverbank river near the village now called Highland Falls In appreciation of her deeds eeds for the cause of liberty forgotten and that her ber heroism may not be forgot forgot- ten her dust was moved to this spot and the memorial erected by the National Society of or the Dau Daughters of the American Revolution In New York NewYork State 1026 H G Such Is la the brief story which the tablet tells but there are other details worth recording Un Un- Until Until Until til her death In 1800 1500 she lived In a private home near West Point supplies for her being sent dl- dl direct di direct from the secretary of war An In interesting inti resting sl sidelight on that part of her career was was revealed recently when Capt Walter II Welts Intelligence and publicity officer at West Point In digging through some of the old files mes at the academy came across the manuscript letters written by Ma MaJ George Fleming com com- commander commander commander mander of ot the thc arsenal and ordnance and mill mili military tary storekeeper at nt West Nest Point to The Hon Hon- Honorable Honorable Maj Gen Knox Secretary of War On October 7 1780 Fleming wrote to Knox a I have sent another account of Mrs Irs Swims Swim's for takIng care of Captain Molly up to the thc of September and have removed her to another place as I thought she was not so well treated os as she ought to be On July S there thre was another letter which does docs not paint a very flattering portrait of the heroine It sal said I have drawn three orders on you nu ou for tor the of Captain Molly In favor or of Mr Denniston one Is from January 19 to April 12 the thc othor other from April 13 to July 5 Inclusive which ac ae accounts counts were lodged In the war o office last fall falland and are Mrs l Swims Swim's The other Is from rom Septem Septem- Sept September September em- em III ber r 28 to July 5 G liSO 1786 Inclusive and will be dos de- de delivered livered ered by Mr Ir Denniston for Mrs Randall As Molly lolly Is such suh a disagreeable object to take care of and I promised to pay them every ery quarter I have been obliged to borrow the money to pay the thc people If It It ca can n possibly be replaced I should he be very ery glad On April 21 1757 there was another letter with a n curious touch of an eternal feminine problem something lem-something lem lem to wear I On that date Fleming writes I am Informed by the tha woman that takes care of Captain Molly Jolly that she Is much In want of Shifts Shirts If It you think proper to order three or four i I should be bc glad Two months later on June 12 he be wrote a again to Knox If It the Shirts Shifts which you informed me should be made for Captain Molly are arc done donl I I should be glad Iad to hit have e them sent as she complains much for Cor want of them Whether or not Captain Molly ever er got gother gother gother her Shifts Is unknown for there Is no further reference to the thc matter nor do do s her ber name again appear In the records after liS 1750 In- In contrast to the militant spirit of Captain Molly both In war and In peace was the spirit of another woman whose name Is la written high In the annals of ot West Point She was Miss Susan Warner the daughter of n a New v York city attorney who upon retiring from frow practice In the metropolis made his home on Constitution Islan Island In the Hudson river opposite West Point lIe He was accompanied there by his two daugh dough daughters Anna Annn and Susan and ond every ery Sunday after afternoon noon for years Miss Susan conducted a Bible class for the cadets at the military academy had she lived she would have hn found Cound among the names of or the general officers In the World war who had attended her classes A frail many t O 1 small woman who still clun clung to the poke bonnet J Jand and the silk dress of the Civil war period she Island home and was WIS rowe rowed across from her carried In n a military conveyance ance to the hall set apart for her In one of the academic buildings She came come to be regarded as ns almost n part of the tho teaching corps of the Institution and on ber her l e A y t u 6 Mrs 1 1 Mrs Louise Regan maker of chevrons for West Point cadet uniforms for 50 years Letter 2 2 Letter to General Knox secretary of war from the military storekeeper at West Point reo re referring ferring to an Account for Mrs Randall taking care of Captain Molly twenty four weeks being from June 7 to November 21 1787 Inclusive Miss 3 3 Miss Miss Anna Warner sister of Susan Warner War War- Warner War War-ner ner author of The Wide Wide World and Sunday school teacher for West Point cadets 4 The 4 4 The monument to Captain Molly In the cemetery at West Point 5 Inscription 5 Inscription on the Captain Molly monument ment telling of her heroism In a Revolutionary war battle Picture G-Picture 6 Picture of Cadet Henry Moore Harrington framed In li Indian beadwork death she was burled with military honors be- be besl beside be beside sl side e the ca cadet et monument In the West Point cemetery Her lIer sister Anna following her wIshes gave gac Constitution Island to the United States gov gov- government government government and their home tb there re Is preserved as asa asa asa a memorial But Miss Susans Susan's connection with West Point was not her o only ly claim to fame Came Un Under er the thc pen penname penname name of Elizabeth Wetherell she wrote two hooks The Wide WI Wide e World published In 1 1 and Queechy published In 1852 whIch attained n s wide popularity Of The Wide Wide Wille World It has hns been said that it was the most popular novel ever written by an nn American with the single exception of Mrs Stowe's famous s story Uncle Toms Tom's Cabin It attracted as IS much attention In En England as ns In America and it wn was s translated Into French German an and Swedish However Ilowe Miss Susan was Indifferent to this fame Came for Cor It Is 19 recorded that she never ne liked her book The TIle Wide Wl Wide e World Perhaps s she unconsciously anticipated the criticism that followed Its publication A French critic mare marv marveled Bled at Americas America's reception of n a three volum three e novel devoted to the history of the moral pro pro- progress progress ress of a girl of oC thirteen An American Amerlan critic described It as having little story not a n semb semb- semblance semblance semblance lance of melodrama and declared declare that Its sue suc su success a cess ress was purely artistic It Is one of the liter liter- literary literary ary traditions of New v York that after the rend read readers ers era for George Geore P Putnam had advised lse against It he hc was persuaded by his mother who read d the manuscript to publish it It Long Lons before Miss Susan became the Sunda Sun ay y school teacher for the cadets there was r woman who had an Important place In cadet life at the academy She was Miss lIss Blanch e Berard who was postmaster there for half n century Appointed by President Polk In 1847 1517 Miss lIss Berard held her position there until 1897 7 and few of the cadets perhaps realized that back of her pleasant smile as she passed out ou t their mall to them there was the thc bitter memory y of a 8 tragedy y In her lief life liCe An Au a youn young girl Irl Mis s Berard was engaged to an officer attached to th the e academy One afternoon this officer rode his s spirited horse borse of which he be was very cry proud to t the post office to demonstrate Its good points But the horse borse became frightened suddenly and an d threw the o officer off 01 killing him So the thc woman woma postmaster remained MUSS liss to the end en enof d of her da days 8 true to the memory of her ber first an d only love But nut one big thrill came to her In it ither her later Inter life liCe While on leave of absence from fro m her duties at ot West Point which she slie spent In tn Europe Eu Europe rope Miss Berard bad had the honor of being pre pre- presented presented pr e to Queen Victoria of England land It Is la an nn interesting coincidence that the tho pres pres- pre f fly i 1 y l y i y t- t 1 1 ent postmaster at West Point Is a grandniece ot of Miss Berard and that there has hns has also been trag- trag tragedy e edy y In her life lICe For she Is Miss Grace Aileen ton nn and she ehe la 15 the daughter of Henry Moore of ot C troop of ot the Sev Se Seventh Seventh cn cavalry who perished with Gen George A Custer at the Battle of ot the Little Big Horn on June 2 25 18 G and who was one of or the Ule three of- of officers of officers whose bodies were never found at least not Identified after the battle I rot Not only Is the Ignorance of ot her fathers father's tate fate one of ot the tragic Incidents In the life lICe of ot the woman who Is postmaster at nt West Point where so many of ot Custers Custer's officers were once cadets but there Is another tragic memory which she has hns carried through life lICe life a memory of her moth moth- mother mother mother er who suddenly disappeared several years after the Custer battle Amnesia It would be called nowadays Miss says but at that time It was ascribed to grief and the uncertain uncertain- uncertainty uncertainty t ty of what hat had happened to fo my i father father ther Several times we wc heard from In Indians lans that a lady dressed In black had been seen on the battlefield Other reports came from Indian territory We Wo investigated Investigated gated all these rumors and finally after two years ears we found Cound her In Texas where a severe attack nt- nt at attack tack of or pneumonia had serve served to bring back her memory so that she knew kne who she was nut But she was never able to give any account of her wan wanderings while she was gone one or why she was there As Miss HarrIngton stan stands s behind her desk deskin deskIn esl In the post office ollice amid the busy turmoil of mall distrIbution for the 1 1200 GO cadets at nt the aca academy emy emyan an and an nn equal number of officers and r regular gular sol sol- soldiers sol soldiers diers she can look up to two pictures on the wall all which serve as n a link between the blood blood- bloodstained stained blood stained battlefield of the Little Big Horn In far far far- off far oft Montana and the peaceful banks of the Hud Hud- Hudson Hudson son son- son One of them Is a n picture of her father In Inthe inthe Inthe the regimentals of or the Seventh cavalry ca the uni unI- unIform uni- uni uniform uniform form which be he wore on that fatal day In June more than half halt n a century ago The other is n pIcture of Cadet Henry Moore Harrington It Is enclosed In n a frame Crame made of beads bends and these beads were obtained by her mother from IndIans In perhaps Dakota Dakota perhaps members of the very ery same trIbe who overwhelmed 0 Custer and HarrIngton and an all the other gallant officers and troopers or of orthe the 01 Old Seventh Among the other West Point traditions Is one of perfection in attire and one of the thc require require- requirements requirements requirements ments for that perfection Is perfectly aligned an and perfectly sewn chevrons chenons worn as ns the In Insignia signia by the officers an and non-commissioned non of- of officers of officers In the corps of cadets Those ornate chev chev- chevrons chevrons rons of gold lace loce black braid and broa broadcloth broadcloths are very difficult to make malee since they require great at skill nn and experience In the making but there Is n a woman who has proved provell herself capable of the job For more than fifty years without a break Mrs Louise Began Regan of Highland Falls N Y has mn made e every ery chevron gold or gray ray worn by th the e West Pointers She really start start- started ed sewing them when she was ten years old hut but her uninterrupted service with the cadet store of of f the academy began when she was eight eighteen eon een e n an and since 1879 1579 all nil the corporals stripes and Insignia from sergeants up to regimental com corn commanders wanders manders hire have come from her hands She he Is s past seventy years ears of age now and she has lade stripes for many cadets who are generals In la th the e army today It Is difficult says Harris I P 1 Scott manage r of the hc cadet store to turn the thc straight rolled straight gold lace ace Into the curves carves necessary to mak e those long Vs V's turned turne up without drawing or o r wrinkling the material Five Fhe yards of gold lace laco are required to make rooks n a pair of chevrons for o n regimental adjutant of ot the corps of cadet cadets s There Is also the background of broadcloth with the silk striping between the gold lace This lace Is of oC real gol gold and Is Imported Importe from France It t Is s nil all hand labor and the material must be b e worked In cool weather as os ban hand perspiration deadens It She works from January to Juno Jun each year making chevrons chenons for the cadet officers to to-be to In June after neter graduation Mrs Rogan Regan Is a widow and without children She was born In n Highland Falls moving to t Yonkers upon her marriage and then returns returned d to her birthplace The cadet store has gent genther sea t her the work wherever she was Her Iler health I Is splendid and though the work Is hard on th the e eyes she hopes to continue as the only maker make r of the splendid ld gold and gray and black chev chev- chevrons chevrons rons tuns that grace the uniformed sleeve of ot th the dj West Pointer 0 ID t by DJ N w i aPfl p r Un Union I I |