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

Colonel tnarI"e Young. whose Gr?th
y, = reported Friday by Il cahlr MOS.
$ e" from Nunruyia. Liberia. had tine
'.i.i notion of being the only Negro ~
tn" Rv@ulnr Army s,rvic" TO rc;trh the
rank of Colonel VI hvin~ on" OF tire,
Negroes +" 70 graduated from the Unit.
cd States Military Academy and Of sorry
lM% with credit in the army from his
commission as 4 Second Lieutenant 10
his retirement for disability carly IN
thu world war.
Young was appointed to West Point
from Ohio; he won his appointment w
gaining the highest marks in Il romrCt
tive examination held 10y Il Congress-
man Of his district He came TO the
Academy when the Whitaker incid n;
was still fresh In the minds OF authori
ties and cadets. This incident was a
lesson To him; he accepted the social
limitations imposed by his race. He
was unmolcStCd by the cadets and ne
had no complaints to make rcgarLins
his treatment by the cadet CORPS or the
officers Of the Academy. lie studied
hard and accepted without mnrmur
the severe discipline Of the Academy.
He was graduated well up in the class
Of 1889.
His career RS n 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
Aprll, 1850, lying hound on his cot .
with cuts On his ears and other marks
OF violence. He said that the injuries
had hccn inflicted by fellow students;
| the authorities were from the first con
Sinced that Whittaker'S story WAS un.
lruc ana that he had himself inilict cd
~" ir1uri"s 20" tho purpose OF obtain.
ing exemption from certain eXamina
, lions or for some other motive. An I'm.
V"SiiEatton cleared the authorities
from the charge Of discrimination an,
"A"ncrAtcd the cadets from the charge
OF haZinE Whitaker. He was after
/, warts tried by Court-martial and dis
missed from the Academy.
Whitaker was the eleventh Negro "a
J." appointed to the Academy; he was
IN" third to pass the entrance cXamina
/, ton. General Srhofjcli in his rcp0r,
an III" WhrttaE"* incident said thu,
. TN" white cadets respect the LEGAL
rights Of colorcd cadets more &cru0u-
u
acknowledged, though, that the colorcd
ctd"t WAS without social recognition;
that the white cadet w:I& 70 more Gi.,.
poS"d GO make him Il social equal at
the Academy than he was ut his owl.
nome. 1t WAS this isolation from com
partnership which no doubt made
houngS four years at the Academy Il
sever" trial Only two other colorel
SolhlcrS wiihStood the test to the end
Alexander, who died soon after gradu-
alton and Flippcr, who was DISCHARGED
from the army.
EounE'S attitude at the Nilitrry
Academy on the question OF rac!a!
equality was unchanged while Ire was
IN officer in tho army. lie was assign.
Ell to Negro regiments, and served long
with the famous Tenth Cavalry, III.
though for ten months he was FirSt
Lieutenant in the Seventh Cavalry. BE
sides his military service he was detail
cd as superintendent Of national parks
III California and in 1912 he was sent
as military attached TO Lihrria. lie -.
organized and trained tire Libcrian con
:taDulary and for this service in 1916
ne receive the Springarn medal
Young had rare tact and common
sense; white officers who served with
HIM cons idcrrd him an INTEREST," ing and
picturesque character. He was the last
Negro "iicer VINO was graduate OF
West Point and he was the one whose
service rcdoundcd with the most credit
TO his race.