The evening times., 1897-04-19
COLORED NAVAL CADETS.
Academy Stirred Up Over the APP
pcintment of Bundy.

| ject OF talk In academic circles is, for the
| fifth time, the advent of colored star
| on the academic horizon. Three times the
| new orb entered the nautical constellation,
and twice it hoyered on the outer rim.
! The country is looking with interest on
the result, for in the Navy everybody that
| has commission elbows everybody else
| on an equal footing. In the wardroom, at
the mess table and in society equality,
| not only before the law, but i'll the social
whirl, is neted ont to all who hold COIN
missions in the American Navy. The col
| cred cadet, when he reaches the rank OF a
second-class nan, fnay invite bis friends
| of the opposite SEX to take part In the
waltz or cosillon; for the armory is Uncle
| Sans property, and the academy band
| plays national music to national rules and
regulations that recognize the force or
political laws Candidate Bundy is now a
| national problem. Naval Cadet Bundy viii
be national character.
What will be the result Of the admis-
sion of the colored cadet, and what do the
officers think OF it, and what Will the
cadets do?" are the general inquiries
abroad. Here at Annapolis the situation
has been summed up, first by an officerln
a responsible position in the academy, and
by a naval cadet.
Said the first 1T is unfortunate that
this appointment has been made The
condition Of the colored cadet will be so
unpleasant that no ordinary man can stand
it, and | should not think that an intelll-
gent person would desire it, OF course,
the officers will see that the colorcd cadet
has fair play"
The naval cadet said: I'VE are going to
do nothing What could we do?''
Ine e-.Dt .;erdUc .tcl,Ur, - U.I..U .he Southern
cadets intend to resign have not one word
of truth in them. The academy has hardly
felt ripple of interest, for the reason that
the officers are loyal class or men, who
have obe iicnce to authority taught them as
the fundamental rule of their profession,
which makes them faithful TO orders, and
the cadets have the same reticence and
obedience.
The colored cadet will be received with all
the forms of law. and the authorities. from
sense OF professional honor and duty will
see him protected in his privileges, even il
u score of cadets go by the board in accord
ing Naval Cadet Bundy his rights. Robert
Wheeler, a candidate from Chicago, ap-
ance. These two were the colored naval
lights that hovered on the bTim OF the
academy.
The three that entered the GALAXY OF aca-
deinic honors had a sorry time OF II, and
even those who may have ha an enupathy
to these appointments could not but sym
pathize with the unfortunate cadets, and
disapprove OF much of the treatment that
these young colored men received at the
hands of their fellow cadets
The frst colored cadet appointed to the
Naval A cadeIny was James H. Couyers, who
received his appointment in September,
1872 He was in the parade OF the bat
TALON of cadets at Gen Grants second in
auguration He was absolutely ignored as
an associate by the cadets, aud was pit
fably lonely Fellow. He had to depend for
company on such OF his color as would
come down TO the school and walk about
with him during he day. The cadets not
only refused to have social relations with
Cadet Conyers hut they made an agreement
to avoid immediate personal contact with
him. even If it went TO disohedience Of
orders
This was in special reference TO fencing
with Conyers. Fortune favored the insubor-
dinates. for at the fencing lesson there was
usually an odd cadet, and as the ether Ca
diets selected their partners and paired off
Conyers was left 70 look at the fencing
tournament One day one OF the class was
late In reporting for the lesson. SeeingCon-
yers standing without partner, as usual,
Lieut. c. C. Cromwell OF New York, VINO
was in command Of the squad, ordered one
of the white cadets TO fence with ConyerS.
This cadet wa s a man OF his word, and he
declined at once, in accordance with the
agreement with his fellow-classmateS. He
was reported for CliSobedienCe oforders, and
was given the alternative of apoiogizing 10
Lieut. Cornwell or being dismissed from
the Navy. lie chose the latter alternative
and left the service.
Conyers had some assaults To bear, and
proved no student At the end of the year
he was found deridentin hisstudies, and, in
accordance with a now obsolete custom Of
that ge. he was given permission to return
in the fall and take a REORGANIZATION. Apro-
fessor in the academy offered TO coach him
free during the summer, but Conyers de-
clined this offer, and went to his home
in South Carolina. lie returned in the fall.
failed again. was allowed to resign, and
dropped out of sight. He has never been
heard from by those who knew him at An
papolis.
The second colored cadet was AlonZo c.
Mcclellan. of South Carolina, a presiden-
tiaI appointee, appointed in September,
1873. In March, 1874, he was sent on
board the Santee for lying While there
he resigned. Mcclellan is now the owner
of drug store III Charleston. S. C.
The third colored cadet was Henry E.
Baker Of Mississippi, appointed in SepteHI-
ber, 1874 The cadets gave this man "a
more severe ordeal than the other two
colored cadets had to run. They haZed
Tim so badly that an officer had once To
rush into a room with drawn sword 10
protect him. One night while marching
in a squad from one part Of the academy
grounds to another, he was assaulted by
apparently the whole squad. The affair
was not reported to the authorities, but
1T came 70 the ear of newspaper CORE
spondent who published it. Admiral Wor-
den was then superintendent of the Naval
Academy, and, when he discovered that
the newspapers had to give him inf0rma-
ton of such a great breach of discipline
in his command, the hero Of the Monitor
was wrathy and made it hot for the tie
linquents
One day, in the fall of the year in which
Baker entered, as he sat down to dinner,
me of the cadets hit his leg with chair,
and Baker applied an approbrious eplthet
to him He was tried by court-martlal
for using such language, and dismissed.
The authorities at Washington offered TO
reinstate him, but Baker declined. He
studied law, and is now in the Patent
Office. at Washington, where, he says,