The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1870-07-14
THE COLORED CADET.
Hardships of the Hartford Darkey
at West Point.

The following letter from j. W. Smith,
the colored cadet at West Point, to his
home folks at Hartford, certainly makes
out pretty hard times for that yourg pio-
neer:
WEST POINT, n. Y, June %, 1870
DEAR FRIEND: Your kind letter should
have been answered long ere this, but
really | have been SO halaSsed with exami-
nation and the insults and ill>lreatment Of
these cadats, that could not write or do
anything else scarcely. passed the exami
nation all right, and got IN, but my com
panion Howard failed and was rejected
Since he went away [ have been lonely in
deed. And now these fellows appear to
be trying their utmost to run me off, and
fear they viii succeed if they continue as
they have begun. We went into camp
yesterday, and not moment has passed
since then bet some one ol them has been
cursng aud abusing me. All night they
were around my tent, curslng and swearing
al ne 50 that | did not sleep two hours all
night. 1t Is just the same at the table and
what L get to eat / must snatch for like a
dog. L don wish to resign if | can get
along at all; but | don't think il will be
best for me 10 stay anu take ait tho abuses
and Insults that are heaped upon me. The
examination was very hard this year, hard>
er than ever before, and since have been
successful in getting in, | will stay as long
as | possibly can. One Of the cadets refus
ed 20 drill the squad because | was in it,
and they reduced him from corporal to a
private for disotedience OF orders, and they
are all mad about that. The one who now
drills the squad is the meane It specimen of
humanity | ever saw After marching us
out to the drill ground this morning he said
to me, Stand off one side from the llne,
you ID black son of b--h. You are
| too near that white man. | want you to
remember that you are not on an equal
! footing with the white men in your class,
and wha. you learn here you will have to
/ pick up,ior won teach you a ID thing. "
And thus he kept me standing until the
captain came around inspecting, when he
pretended that he put me there to teach
me a movement which had never practic-
/ ed before. And | could say nothing at all,
I tor | would have been locked up for DISC
/ oedlence Of orders or disrespect to super
/ Tor officers. If it ever happens again |
shall deny it to his face and then resign.
IT 1 complain of their conduct to the
commandant | must prove the charges
/ or nothing can be done and where
AN | to find so many to testify in my behalf?
1t this afternoon drill is conducted as this
morning was you need not be astonished
at hearing that | have resigned. | have
borne insult upon insult until [ am COM
/ pletely worn out. l have written a plenty
of bad news, and | wish | had some good
news Tor you, but alas it seems to be get
ting worse and worse forgot to tell you
that cut of Sc appointees only SO passed
the examination. They had prepared to
. fix the coored candidates, but it passed
most disastrous to the whites. L hope you
are ali well at home | saw a very fine
article relating 10 NE in the Hartford Cou-
rant, and l feel very grateful to Mir, Capron
/ Tor his kind words concerning me. | hope
my brightest hopes will be realized, but |
doubt if they will ever be here.
/ Give my kind regards to all, and write
J soon to your much benefited and thankful
servant. j. w. SMITH"