Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1922-01-21
COL. CHARLES YOUNG
DIES IN LIBERIA

Colonel CharlOR Young, whose death
w2S reported Friday by Il cable mes.
sage from MonrOvia, Liberia had the
distinction OF being the only Negro IN
the Regular Army service to reach the
rank OF Colonel OF bcing one OF three
Negroes to be graduated from the Unit
cd States Military Academy and Of serv
ing with credit in the army from his
commission as 4 Second Lieutenant to
his retirement for disability early IN
the world war.
Young was appointed to West Point
from Ohio; he won his appointment by
ginning the highest marks In compel
tive examination held by Il Congress
man OF his district. He came to tho
Academy when the Whitaker incid n,
was still fresh in the minds Of authori
ties and cadets. This incident was q
lesson to him; he accepted the social
limitations imposed by his race. He
was unmolested by the cadets and he
had no complaints to make regartlinS
his treatment by the cadet corps or tho
officers Of the Academy. He studied
hard and accepted without a murmur
the severe discipline of the Academy.
'N.S o. ""uokVN UciA up III lle CldSS
of 1880.
His career as q cadet was closely fol
lowed, especially by those persons who
had Interested themselves In the case
of Cadet Whitaker. This cadet was
found in his room one morning IN
April. 1880, lying bound on his cot.
with cuts On his ears and other marks
o. violence. He said that the Injuries
hnnY1 n 4nl hry foll
the authorities were from the first con
WINGED that Whittaker's story was un.
true and that he had himself inflicted
the Injuries Cor the purpose Of obtain!
ing exemption from certain eXamina.
lions or for some other motive. An in.
Vestigation cleared the authorities
from the charge CT discrimination and
cXoneratcd the cadets from the charge
OF haZing Whitaker. He was after.
wards tried by court-mnrtial and dis
missed from the Academy.
Whitaker was the eleventh Negro to
ne appointed to the Academy; he was
the third to pass the entrance eXamina
tlon. General Schofield in his report
on the Whittakes incident said thar
the white cadets respect the legal
rights of colorcd cadets more scrupu-
louslV than those Of each other He
acknowledged, though, that the colored
cadet was without social recognition:
that tho white cadet was no more dis
posed to make him social equal mt
the Academy than he was at his owl.
home. 1t was this isolation from com
partnership which no doubt made
Foung's four years at the Academy q
severe trial Only two other colored
soldiers withstood the test to the end
Alexander, who died soon after gradu-
alton and Flipper, who was discharged
from the army.
Eoungs attitude at the Military
Academy on the question Of racial
equality was unchanged while Ire was
an officer in tho army. He was assign.
ed to Negro regiments, and served long
with the famous Tenth Cavalry, al
though for ten months he was First
Lieutenant in the Seventh Cavalry. BE
sides his military service he was detail
Ell as superintendent OF national parks
Ill California and in 1912 he was sent
as military attached to Liberia. He re.
organized and trained tire Liberian con
Ssabulary and for this service in 1916
he receive the Springarn medal.
Young had rare tact and common
sense; white officers who served with
him considered him an interesting and
picturesque character. He was the last
Negro officer who was a graduate OF
West Point and he was the one whose
service redounded with the most credit
to his race.