Year: 1874

very particular about any statements that
| might make, as the regulations were
very strict on subjects of veracity.


Whenever the "plebes' Cnew cadets)
were turned out to police camp, as
they were each day at A. M. and 2.
M, certain cadets would come into the
company from the street and spit out
guilds of tobacco which they would call
for me to pick up. 1 would get 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,
land 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 Hartford, Conn, to do
something for me- He had my letter
published, and that drew the attention
of Congress to the matter, and Board
was sent to West Point to inquire into
the matter and report thereon. mat
Board found out that several cadets were
guilty of conduct unbecoming cadet
and gentleman and recommended that
they be court-martialed, but the Secreta-
ry of War thought reprimand would be
sufficient. Among those reprimanded
were Q. ON. Gilmore, son of Gen: GILL
more, Alex. B. Dyer, son of Gen. Dyer,
and James II. Reid, nephew of the Sec
retary of War Ct is said.) / was also
reprimanded for writing letters for pub
lication.


Instead of doing good, these .repri-
mands seemed only to increase the en-
nifty of the cadets, and they redoubled
their energies to get me into dlfncuIIy,
and they went on from bad to worse, un-
til from words they came to blows, and
then occurred that little unpleasant
ness known as the clipper fight. On
the 18th of August, 1870 l, being on
guard, was sent to the tank for pail OF
water had to go distance of about l5O
yards, fill the pail by drawing water from
the faucet in a dipper (the faucet was too
low to permit the pail to stand under IT'D
and return to the guard tent in ten min
utes. When l reached the tank, one OF
my classmates, j. w. Wilson, was stand
ing in front of the faucet drinking water
from dipper. He didn't seen. inclined
to move, SO l asked him to stand aside
as wanted to get water for the guard.
| He said: "Td like to see any ID
niger get water before get through"
1 said: I'm on duty, and I've got no
time to fool with you," and I pushed the
pail toward the faucet. He kicked the
pail over and l set it up 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. 1 was STOPPING down
at the time, but / stood up and struck
him in the face with my left fist; but in
getting up, did not think of a tent fly
that was spread over the tank, and that
pulled my hat down over my eyes. He
then struck me in the face with the han
die of his dipper Che broke his dipper at
the first blow,) and then struck him
two or three times with my dipper, bat
tering it, and cutting him very severely
on the left side of his head, near the
temple. He bled very profusely, and
fell on the ground near the tank.


The alarm soon spread through the
camp, and all the cadets came running to
the tank and swearing vengeance on the
id niger"


An officer who was in his tent near by,
came out and ordered me to be put un-
der guard in one of the guard tents,
where 1 was kept until next morning,
when 1 was put ain arrest" Wilson was
taken to the hospital, where he stayed
two or three weeks, and as soon as he
| returned to duty he was also placed in
arrest. This was made the subject for q
court-martial, and that court-martial will
form the subject of my next communica-
ton.


Yours respectfully


J. W. SMITH,
Late Cadet u. S. NJ. A.