New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-08-06
From south Carolina.
Letter from Cadet Smith.

Letter from Cadet Smith.
COLUMBIA, s. c., July 80, 1874.
yn, Editor ofthe Netc National Era:
As told you in my last communication, 1
shall now proceed to give you an account of
nv four years. stay at West Point.
Irepoited there on the 3lst of May, 1870,
and had not been there an hour before had
been reminded by several thoughtful cadets
that l was "nothing but id Niger"
Another colored boy, Howard. of Mississip-
p, reported on the same day and we were
put in the same room, where we stayed
until the preliminary examination was over,
aud Howard was sent away, as he failed to
pass.
While we were there we could not meet a
cadet anywhere without having the most OPP
probyous epithets applied to us but, after
complaining two or three times, we conclud-
ed to pay no attention to such things, for,
as we did not know these cadets, We could
get no satisfaction.
One night about IL O'Clock, some one came
into our room and threw the contents of his
ppail over us while we were asleep. We
got to our door just in time to hear the "gen-
tleman" 60 into his room on the, floor above
us. This affair reported itself the next
morning at "Police Inspection" and the In
spectOr ordered us to search among the to-
bacco guilds, and other rubbish on the floor,
for something by which we might identify the
perpetrator Of the affair. The search result
ed in the finding of an old envelope, address,
ed to one McCord, of Kentucky. That young
gentleman" was questioned in reference,
but succeeded in convincing the authorities
that he had nothing to do with the affair and
knew nothing of il.
A few days after that Howard was struck
in the face by that young gentleman"
BECAUSE" as he says, 1.-The ID niger
didn't get out of the way when 1 was going
into the boot-black's shop" For that offence
Mr.. McCord was confined to his room, but
was never punished, as in few days there
after he failed at the preliminary examina-
ton, and was sent away with all the other
unfortunates, including Howard.
On the 2Sth of June, 1870, those of US who
had succeeded in passing the preliminary ex-
animation, were taken in ''plebe camp" and
there got my taste of military discipline, :"
as the petty prosecutions Of about two hun
dred cadets were called. Left alone as
was, by Towards failure, 1 had to take every
insult that was offered, without saying any
thing, for had complained several times to
the Commandant of Cadets, and, after I" in
yestigating the NATTER" he invariably came
to the conclusion, from the evidence de-
duced," that / was in the wrong, and was
cautioned that had better be very particu-
lar about any statements that might make,
a. the regulations were very strict on subject
of veracity.
Whenever the "plebes" new cadets)
were turned out to police" camp, as they
were each day at A. NJ. and p. NJ, GER
tain cadets would come into the company
street and spit out guilds of tobacco which
they would call for me to pick up. would
get a broom and shovel for the purpose, but
they would Immediately begin swearing at
and abusing me for not using my fingers, and
then the Corporal Of Police would order me
to put down that broom and shovel, ''and
not try to play the gentleman here" for my
fingers were "made for that purpose"
Finding there was no redress to be had there,
l wrote my friend, Mr.. David Clark, of Hart
ford, Conn.,, to do something for me. He
had my letter published, and that drew the
attention of congress to the matter, and a
Board was sent to West Point to inquire into
the matter and report thereon. That Board
hot oAatc of
conduct unbecoming cadet and a gentleman
and recommended that they be court-mar-
tailed, but the Secretary Of War thought a
reprimand would be sufficient. Among those
reprimanded were Q. ON. Gilmore, son of
Gen. Gilmore, Alex. d. Dyer, son of Gen.
Dyer, and James H. Reid, nephew of the
Secretary of War cit is sadly. i was also
reprmanded for writing letters for publ
cation.
Instead of doing good, these reprimands
seemed only to increase the enmity of the
cadets, and they redoubled their energies to
yet me into difficulty. and they went on from
bad to worse, until from words they came to
blows, and then occurred that ''little on
pleasantness" known as the slipper fight"
On the 18th Of August, 1870, I, being on
guard, was sent to the tank for pail Of water
l had to 60 distance of about $50 yards, fiA
the pail by drawing water from the fauce In .
dipper (the faucet was too low to permit
the pail to stand under it), and return to the
guard tent in ten minutes. When reached
the tank, one Of my classmates, J. w. Will
son, was standing in front of the faucet drink
ing water from dpper. He didn't seem in
clined TO move, so asked him to stand aside
as wanted to get water for the guard. He
said: sgd like to see any id niger get
water before get through" said: I'm
on duty, and I've got no time to fool with
YOU" and pushed the pail toward the fau.
Get. He kicked the pail over and I set it ur
and stopped down to draw the water, and
then he struck at me with his dipper, but hit
the brass plate on the front of my hat and
broke his dipper. / was STOPPING down al
the time, but stood up and struck bin in the
face with my left fist; but in getting up,
did not think Of tent fly that was spread
over the tank, and that pulled my hat dowr
over my eyes. He then struck me in the fact
with the handle Of his dipper Che broke hi
dipper at the first blow, and then strucl
him two or three times with my dipper, hast
tering it, and cutting him very severely on thu