Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-07-16

Point, to his home folks ct Hart
ford, certainly. makes out pretty
hard times for that young pio-
neer:
WEST POINT, N. Y,
June 20, 1870.
Dear Friend: Your kind let
ter should have been answered
long ere this, but really l have
been so harassed with examination
and the insults and Ill treatment Of
these cadets. that ! could not write
or do any thing else scarcely. I
passed the examination all right
and got in, but my companion
Howard, failed and was rejected.
Since he went away / have been
lonely indeed. And now these
fellows appear TO be trying their
utmost to run me of, and l fear
they will succeed If they continue
as they have begun. We went
into camp yesterday, and not q
moment has passed since them but
some one Of them has been ours
ing and abusing me ALI night
they we're around my tent, Cursing
and swearing at me so 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 q Dog.
~ don't wish to resign II l can
get along at all but l don't think
It will be best for me to stay and
take all the abuses and insults
that are heaped upon me. The
examination was very hard thil
year-harder than ever before
and since / have been successful
in getting in l will stay % long a
l possibly can. One Of the ca
diets refused to drill the squad be,
cause / was in It, and they reduced
him from q corporal to . priYat'
for disobedience Of orders, an(
they are all mad about that. TIT
one who drills the squad now II
the meanest specimen Of human
ity l ever saw. After marching
us out to the drill ground thli
morning, he said to me, Stand of
one side from the line, you d.
black son Of . b---h. You ar
too near the white man. l wan
!, you to remember you are not o.
an equal footing with the whit
> men in your class, and what 20
learn here you will have TO pic
= up, for l won't teach you q d.
! thing. Aud thus he kept m
: standing there until the CAptai
: came around inspecting, when b
: pretended he put me there to teaC
!. me o movement which l had new
'. practiced before. And / coul
, say nothing at oil, or / woul
= have just been locked up for di
= obedience Of orders or disrespe
= to superior officers If It ev
y happens again l shall deny 1t
:, his face and then resign.
"If l complain of their condu
to the commandant / must pro
= the charges or nothing can
u done /; aud where am l to find o.
y from so many to testify in my b
:, half. If this afternoons drill
J, conducted as this mornings vi
you need be astonished at heariT
- that l have resigned. / ha'
borne insult upon insult until
am completely worn out. ha'
written a plenty Of bad news, Al
I wish l had some good news 4
y you, but alas it seems to be 81
:. ting worse and worse. forgot
tell you that out Of eighty-six o
% pointees only thirty.nine pass
the examination. They had pr
pared it to fix the colored cant
~ dates, but it proved most disr
trous 10 the whites. hope "
20 are all we'll at home. saw q We
: fine article relating to me in t
Hartford Courant, and ] feel We
grateful to Mr.. Capron for !
y, kind words concerning me. l no
my brightest hopes will be re
ICED, but l doubt If they will cV
be here.
- "Give my kind regards to
and write soon to your much bel
fitted aud thankful servant,
es 81. w. SMITH
es, up. S.-There were ninety-C
} a appOintees; five failed physical
IN. forty.aeven failed mentally. le,