Posted on 08/27/2023 10:40:09 AM PDT by lowbridge
A long-forgotten time capsule at West Point recently discovered inside the base of a monument and believed to have been left by cadets in the late 1820s is expected to be pried open Monday.
The contents of the small lead box could possibly provide a window into the early, more Spartan days of the storied US Military Academy.
It’s not certain exactly when the box was placed in the monument’s marble base or who chose any items inside, though a committee of five cadets that may have been involved with the time capsule included 1829 graduate Robert E. Lee, the future Confederate general.
The box will be opened during a livestreamed event.
“It’s a mystery, right? A mystery of history,” said Jennifer Voigtschild, the academy’s command historian.
The container was discovered in May during restoration to a monument honoring the Revolutionary War hero Thaddeus Kosciuszko.
A construction manager made the surprise find and carefully pulled out the hefty box, which is about a cubic foot.
“After I shut the job down and we roped off the area, then I realized, ‘Oh my gosh, what did we find?’” manager Chris Branson said.
Cadets in the 1820s honored Kosciuszko, a Polish military engineer, with a column near where current classes march and play soccer.
As an officer of the Continental Army, he designed wartime fortifications at the location along the Hudson River, before the military academy was established there in 1802.
A plaque indicates the monument was erected by the corps of cadets in 1828. Other evidence suggests it wasn’t completed until 1829.
That includes a July 1828 letter from a committee of cadets involved in the dedication, including Lee, seeking advice on lettering for the monument.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I never served, however, the Navy did try to recruit me out of High School, so I have to side with you on this one.
They’ll probably find some Joe Biden campaign literature and a Gordie Howe hockey card.
I hope they keep the Cancel Culture Club Zeros away from it.
Let’s just say, i have seen a lot of the world, mostly the water parts.
The contents of the small lead box
A sketch of Joe Biden as a toddler?
Worth a look if you have some time on your hands.
I will take a look. Also navsource.org is a great site for naval vessals.
That would take up too much space. A uniform manual wouldn't though. Obviously this is for "dress" uniforms.
They will have to immediately destroy it, since they are likely to find racist references and definitely people using the wrong pronouns, but worse transgenders will not even be mentioned - along with the other alphabet communities.
Still worse, no references to any women attending West Point will set them over the edge, and they will be forces to burn the place down in a show of solidarity.
WHAT??? They haven’t found a reason to tear down the statue of Thaddeus Kosciuszko, Polish military engineer?
They aren’t looking hard enough. Either one of his ancestors disrespected somebody or one of his descendants had something to do with the Confederacy. Either way, that statue has to go!
“It probably contains top secret plans for an attack on England.”
Extremely doubtful because Trump’s gr-gr-gr-gr-grandfather took those plans to his private residence and kept them.
Twinkies
Maybe it will include a transcript of Helen Thomas interviewing the commander of West Point.
-PJ
Kosciusko bugged TJeff about freeing his slaves, so he’s good— at least for now.
1845, thanks to George Bancroft, then Secretary of the Navy.
Modern West Point is unworthy to open it and they know it. Leave it for the future.
For some reason, I have the yearbooks 1965-1968.
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