Cadet, MILITARY. Cadet (Fr., through some low Lat. diminutive form, from Lat. caput, 'head') is a term applied in a general sense to the younger son of a noble house as distinguished from the elder; and in France, any officer junior to another is a cadet in respect to him. In England, however, the term is generally applied to a youth studying for the army at one of the military colleges, or for the navy on board the Britannia training-ship; and in the United States, pupils at the West Point Military Academy and at the Naval Academy at Annapolis are termed cadets.
Of British military cadets, those destined for the Royal Artillery or Royal Engineers study at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and those for other branches of the service at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Among those who join the latter establishment, some are admitted on passing a qualifying examination, and educated gratuitously. These are sons of officers who have fallen in action, and left their families badly off. They are called 'Queen's Cadets,' or, if the father belonged to the Indian army, 'Indian Cadets.'
A somewhat different system existed prior to 1861 for the supply of officers to the East India Company's army. After having been educated at
Addiscombe School, near Croydon, for two years, a youth was appointed to a cadetship in the Company's service, with pay, and, on a vacancy occurring, received a commission as an officer. After the transference of the Company's powers to the crown, this system ceased, and officers for the native Indian regiments are now supplied by volunteers from the European regiments. When the East India Company possessed political and military authority in India, there were about 5000 English officers in their pay. See ARMY, ARTILLERY (for the Royal Military Academy), and MILITARY SCHOOLS.