In his last message to Congress, Washington said: “The institution of a military academy is also recommended by cogent reasons. However pacific the general policy of a nation may be, it ought never to be without an adequate stock of military knowledge for emergencies. The first would impair the energy of its character, and both would hazard its safety, or expose it to greater evils when war could not be avoided. Besides that, war might not often depend upon its own choice. In proportion as the observance of pacific maxims might exempt a nation from the necessity of practicing rules of military art, ought to be its care in preserving and transmitting, by proper establishments, the knowledge of that art. Whatever argument may be drawn from particular examples superficially viewed, a thorough examination of the subject will evince that the art of war is at once comprehensive and complicated; that it demands much previous study; and that the possession of it in its most approved and perfect state is always of great moment to the security of a nation. This, therefore, ought to be a serious care of every Government; and for this purpose, an academy, where a regular course of instruction is given, is an obvious expedient, which different nations have successfully employed.” In a letter to Colonel Hamilton, Ex-President Washington said: “The establishment of an Institution of this kind, upon a respectable and extensive Basis, has ever been considered by me as an object of primary importance to this Country; and while I was in the Chair of Government, I omitted no proper opportunity of recommending it, in my public speeches and other ways, to the attention of the Legislature.... I sincerely hope that the subject will meet with due attention, and that the reasons for its establishment which you have so clearly pointed out in your letter to the Secretary, will prevail upon the Legislature to place it upon a permanent and respectable footing.” New buildings were put up at West Point and on July 20, 1801, the Secretary of War ordered all cadets of the corps of artillerists to proceed there, and on September 1st of that year the school was reopened with four army officers and one civilian as instructors. An act of Congress approved March 16, 1802, authorized the President to organize a corps of engineers to consist of five officers and ten cadets, at West Point, to constitute a military academy, which he did and with the quota present the United States Military Academy was formally opened on the Fourth of July of that year.