<I>General Court-Martial Orders, No. 39</I>
date: label: Date
content: June 17, 1882
name: label: Issued by
content: United States Army, American, founded 1775
label: Received by
content: Henry Ossian Flipper, American, 1856 - 1940
notes: label: Caption
content: Henry O. Flipper became the first black graduate of West Point in 1877 and served as a second lieutenant in the 10th Calvary regiment. When Flipper was arrested for embezzlement by Colonel William Rufus Shafter at Fort Davis in August 1881, it was largely believed to be a set up. Shafter called a court-martial in September despite the missing funds being repayed from a collection gathered by soldiers and the community. In December 1881, Flipper was found innocent of the embezzlement charge, but guilty of "conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman." He was dismissed from the army, which was a much harsher sentence than white officers found guilty in prior instances of embezzlement. Flipper unsuccessfully contested the charges and attempted to regain his commission until his death in 1940.
label: Caption
content: In 1976, Flipper's descendants and other supporters continued to fight Flipper's conviction, appealing to the Army Board for the Correction of Military Records. The board did not have the authority to overturn the conviction, but found Flipper's conviction and punishment to be "unduly harsh and unjust," and subsequently the Department of the Army issued Flipper a Certificate of Honorable Discharge. The legal battle on Flipper's behalf continued until Flipper was finally pardoned by President Bill Clinton on February 19, 1999.
label: Description
content: A booklet printing of the court martial proceedings against Second Lieutenant Henry O. Flipper of the U.S. 10th Cavalry. The five page booklet is printed in black ink on off-white paper, with taped binding at the left. Printed at the top left of the first page is [GENERAL COURT-MARTIAL / ORDERS, NO. 39.] and at top right is [HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, / ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, / Washington, June 17, 1882.]. The document lists the charges against Flipper, "Embezzlement, in violation of the 60th Article of War," and "Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman" along with the "specifications." It then continues with the findings, not guilty of the first charge and guilty of all specifications of the second charge, and the sentence "to be dismissed from the service of the United States." A handwritten inscription at the top of the first page reads “West Points 1st Black officer!” There are no printings, marks or inscriptions on the back page.
place: label: Place depicted
content: Fort Davis, Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States, North and Central America
label: Place printed
content: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
title: label: Title
content: Printing of court martial orders for Henry O. Flipper
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: American West
label: Topic
content: Justice
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: Race discrimination
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1865-1921
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Books and Published Materials
label: Exhibition
content: Double Victory: The African American Military Experience
label: On View
content: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 053
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2011.155.16
objectType: label: Type
content: orders (military records)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 7 1/8 x 4 3/4 in. (18.1 x 12.1 cm)