From slumber waked a drowsy mind, and sound Within the room could hear, and motion round The chamber one could feel. A phantom stood Midst cadet's abode, empty, smocked in hood. Forth from his leering visage, coldness sprung. With voice well raspy, he this question flung: Ye with frightful countenance, sheepish youth, Awake! Many questions have I in truth. In a compilation of historical verse divided into four parts, H. J. Koch intertwines his love of poetry with family experiences to provide a unique perspective on the early history of West Point. The Father of West Point, Sylvanus Thayer, has returned from the mist of history in the form of a ghost to seek an update of the academy from a cadet. As the two men converse over a number of nights, they lyrically explore the early history of West Point from its founding in 1802 until World War One. Thayer's Return shares historical verse that lyrically explores the fascinating early history of West Point.