On the Brazos - 1909

Lets pretend for a moment that it's 1909, and you are a member of the Corps of Cadets of the the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas.

It's March 30, to be exact. At retreat that evening you receive the following order:

Headquarters, Corps of Cadets
College Station, Texas, March 30, 1909

General Orders
No. 27

The corps of cadets will leave College at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow for a practice march and field instruction.

The regiment will bivouac near the iron bridge on the Brazos and return to College late Thursday afternoon.

Cadets will take with them one double blanket and necessary toilet articles in the blanket roll.

Uniform No. 2 without white collars will be worn.

All cadets will attend except those excused by the surgeon and those excused by permit from this office.

First Call 2:20 p.m.
Assembly 2:30 p.m.

By order of Captain Andrew Moses, Commandant

The Bryan Daily Eagle reported the next day:

While some of the cadets expected a practice march would be taken April 1, they were not sure about it, and there was anticipation in a sources what the program for April 1 would be.

While the practice march has probably interfered with some of the pranks proposed for All Fools Day, yet the order to go on a hike was not altogether displeasing.

The more active young men welcomed the picnic occasion, and a chance for a big jubilee. While lessons were attended during the morning, still during the periods when presence was not required in the recitation room, the boys were busy getting ready for the march.

Blankets were dragged out, and each boy spent some time making his roll into the proper size and shape, and by the time dinner was over every fellow was ready for the six mile hike to the Brazos river.

The full band organization attended, but the heavier instruments were carried in the commissary wagons and the music will be had while on the river. The bugle corps also attended with their horns, and there was music on the road.

The start of the hike was just before 3 o’clock this afternoon, the ambulance, commissary wagons, etc. accompanying. The commissary was in charge of Steward B. Sbisa of the College mess hall.

The cadet regiment went fully accoutered for field practice and when stop is made for camp tonight there will be instructions in camping, outpost duty, advance and rear guard and extended order work.

Captain Andrew Moses, coast artillery service, commandant of cadets, accompanied the corps on the march and directed the practice.

The image below was taken on the Brazos. Whether it was on March 30, or April Fools day we can't say. But we would wager it was an experience these young men remembered and recounted at every reunion.

We titled this print "Band of Brothers."

In case you don't know, that phrase comes from the King Henry's Saint Crispin's day speech before the Battle of Agincourt in Shakespeare's Henry V:

"This story shall the good man teach his son;
and Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
from this day to the ending of the world,
but we in it shall be remembered -
we few, we happy few, we band of brothers..."

It will make your favorite Aggie smile.

It's 24 by 18 inches, so it can fit in a standard size frame without a mat if you choose.

Physical Details

• 24 by 18 inches
• Printed on the highest quality paper 
• An instant heirloom