Year: 1870

A Pretty Hard Case.


The following letter from j. W. Smith,
the colored cadet at West Point, to his
home folks at Hartford, certainly makes
out pretty hard times for that young
pioneer;


"WEsr PoTST. N. Y, June %. 1870.


"DEAN FRIEND: Your kind letter
should have been answered long ere this,
but really | have been so harassed with
examination and the insults and i'll treat
ment of these cadets, that i could not
write or do anything else scarcely. /
passed the examination all right and got
in, but my companion, Howard, failed
and was rejected. Since he went away |
have been lonely indeed. And now these
fellows appear to be trying their utmost
to run me off, and fear they will sue
ceed if they continue as they have begun.
We went into camp yesterday, and not a
moment has passed since then but some
one of them has been cursing and abusing
me- All night they were around my
tent, cursing and swearing at me so that
did not sleep two hours all night 1t is
Just the same at the table, and what
get to eat ] must snatch for like a dog.


Il don't wish to resign if | can get
along at all; but don't think it will be
best for me to stay and take all the
abuses and insults that are heaped upon
me. The examination was very hard this
year--harder than ever beforehand since
have been successful in getting in will
stay as long as possibly can. One OF
the cadets refused to drill the squad be
cause | was in it, and they reduced him
from corporal to private for disobe
dence of orders, and they are all mad
about that. The one who drills the squad
now is the meanest specimen of human
| ity ever saw. After marching us out
to the drill ground this morning he said
to me, Stand off one side from the line
you d-d black s-n of b-h. You are
too near that white man. want you to
remember you are not on an equal foot
ing with the white men in your class, and
what you learn here you will have to pick
up, for won't teach you id thing
And thus he kept me standing until the
Captain came around inspecting, when
he pretended that he put me there to
teach me movement which had never
practiced before. And | could say moth.
ing at all, or I would have just been
locked up for disobedience Of orders OF
disrespect to superior officers. If il
ever happens again | shall deny it to his
face and then resign. ta,.l l..-f


"If complain of their conduct to the
commandant | must prove the charges
or nothing can be done; and where am
to find one from so many to testify in
my behalf7 If this afternoons drill is
conducted as this mornings was you
reed not be astonished at hearing that |
have resigned. / have borne insult upon
insult until | am completely worn OUT
/ have written plenty of bad news, and
| wish / had some good news for you,
but alasl it seems to be getting worse
and worse. / forgot to tell you that out
of eighty-six appointments only thirty
nine passed the examination. They had
prepared it to fix the colored candidates,
but it proved most disastrous to the
whites. Ihope you are all well at home.
| saw very fine article relating to me
in the Hartford Currant and feel very
grateful to Mr. Capron for his kind
words concerning me. hope my
brightest hopes will be realized, but
doubt if they ever will be here.


Give my kind regards to all, and
write soon to your much benefited and
thankful servant, j. W. SMITH.


"P. S.--There were ninty-One ap-
pointees; FIVE failed physically, forty
seven failed mentally, leaving thirty
nine admitted.