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HE GLANCED AT THEWRITTEN ORDER

AN
ANNAPOLIS
FIRST CLASSMAN

by

LT. COM. EDWARD L. BEACH

U.S. NAVY

Author of

"AN ANNAPOLIS PLEBE"
"AN ANNAPOLIS YOUNGSTER"
"AN ANNAPOLIS SECOND CLASSMAN"

Illustrated by Frank T. Merrill

THE PENN PUBLISHING
COMPANY PHILADELPHIA

MCMX

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Introduction

This is the fourth and last book of the"Annapolis Series." It has been the purposeof the author faithfully to portray the conditionsin which our midshipmen live at theNaval Academy. The training given at Annapolisis regulated by the needs of the Fleet,and the Naval Academy in all of its departmentsis entirely directed and controlled byseagoing naval officers. After the Fleet'sworld-encircling cruise, many of the officersattached to it were sent to the Naval Academyto instruct midshipmen in navigation andelectricity and gunnery and seamanship.

In the navy it is believed that the officerwho is fresh from drilling a twelve-inch turretor a battery of broadside guns at record andbattle target practice, should be well qualifiedto initiate midshipmen in the beginnings ofnaval gunnery. It is for this reason that thetraining at Annapolis reflects the needs of theFleet, and every officer on duty there haseither seen recent sea service or is looking forwardto an early sea assignment.

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Stonewell and Robert Drake by name neverexisted, but the same thoughts and ambitionsthat animate them have animated many hundredsof midshipmen; and incidents similarto those described have happened countlesstimes. From this point of view these storiesare true stories. The names of their chiefcharacters may be found in no navy list, butthe truth of the Annapolis books does not dependupon that. Stonewell and Robert Drakehave actually lived many times, and to-dayare living at Annapolis.

The author hopes he has presented in thisbook and its three predecessors, "An AnnapolisPlebe," "An Annapolis Youngster,"and "An Annapolis Second Classman," a fairpicture of the life of American midshipmen;and not only of the naval atmosphere whichsurrounds them, but of that inner life whichfor the time dominates their relations to eachother and to the institution made famous asthe alma mater of many names illustrious innaval history.

Edward L. Beach,
Lieutenant-Commander, U.S. Navy.

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