Year: 1872

! shall deny TO his face. and then


n compan conduct the cOmmsndsnt must prove the
nothing doae and where end from so many
20 testify my hehafi II this Afternoons dru is conducted as h
mornings need be Gouhed AZ hearing that nave ~
guet have borne insult upon insult t am completely won out
written plenty Of bad snG wish bad 'ome go'o new"
M yos but alas seeus to he getting and forgot to
tell yOu that o, Of % aprs only 30 passed the eiamuauon Iny
prepared oOcrc candidates bu, proved most disastrous
The whites hops brightest hopes "ih be ah'eo 'a' O
they VI will he here


Give nv hind regards to all and write much benefited
.,d d,A,,if0, sc,r,,. j. w. SMITH


Knowing that President Grant was 10 spend few
days with his in this city in the early part OF
July. caused the foregoing letter to be puohshedlh
TAe Morning COrant Of the 2d OF that month"; 80 tat IL
might the observation of the President Ihrougn
mutual friend IL was agreed that should have an IN
terview with President the subject of tins letter
Accordingly met him. After giving HIM history VI
my interest Cadet smith, including his having peeh
member of my household while attending school IN
Hartford and then referring 10 the contents of the
above letter said TO the President that my opinion
was that Smith could never remain at West Point IN
peace that he had better resign his position at once
and return to Howard University. President Grant re-
Piled al think differently; let him remain there, and
viii do all that can to protect him in his rights ana so
shall tie officers OF the Academy for understand he
passed the best examination Of any OF the appointments
this year" He then added that the officer who bad
used the language parade as quoted in the
letter. should be expelled" With this assurance from



remain.


The President informed me at this interview that his
con Frederick, who a member of the Academy, was
with him. and he would introduce him and could talk
with him about the matter. then met Master Fred
erok and he said lie had spoken Cadet Smith,
nor had be any knowledge Of any indignties heaped
upon bfu. though he had heard about them. lie said
he should take neither side the other in the
quarrel if one existed. He thought that it prema
ture 20 admit coloSed cadets at this time That was
about substantially all he said. Ifeplied that If the
white cadets would let the boy severely alone" it
would be all any Of his friends asked. Our interview
then closed.


Cadet Smiths letter was extensively copied at the
time, and created especially sensation at West Point
1t is one Of the regulations of the Academy that
shall communicate with any person outside relative 10
what happens there writing the letter Cadet Smith
had clearly violated this rule, though ignoranty In
respect with regard to the examination being more
year affect the colored cadets he mis-
taken though he supposed il TO be fact did many
people through the country. For these reasons, the
Secretary War ordered courtmartial TO try him for
violation OF the regulations, and also TO try the other
cadet who had used the offensive language Cadet Smith
admitted the violation. and pleaded Ignorance of the
rules having been there short time. The other
cadet Gilmore at first peremptOriy denied having used
any such language Cadet Smith alleged and declared
it TO he le but subsequently qualified by saying "not
as he remembered" The punishment inflicted upon
each simply reprimand.


Immediately following this trial charges were continu
ally made against Cadet Smith Of sort and another
80 that kept almost constantly under arrest. On
or about the lst following these charges
put in form thus


First Using disresptctfu language to the command
ing officer in Company drill


Second Fighting at the water-tank.


THIRD That he not person of truth ana yeraety,
nor good moral character


The Secretary Of War appointed court-martial, Of
a II a, tho
son for which will be hereafter explained, and Major
Winthrop of Washington the Judge Advocate. This
Court assembled about the middle OF the month at West
Point. Three cadets testified without reservation that
they heard Cadet Smith, on the 17th OF August,
use the disrespectful language alleged while in
company drill. Having heard that the Court
In session repaired to West Point at and sought
an interview with Gen. Howard He informed me that
there strong prejudice against Cadet Smith IN
Washington, as at West Point and his removal was
urgently desired He also gave me the nature of the
testimony of the preceding afternoon, which is covered
ly what quoted from the three cadets referred 10
above, and said he did not how Cadet Smith could
rebut It, though he peremptOry denied it. The follow
Ing morning at the opening Of the Court, Cadet Smith
with his counsel-One of the professors who believing
Inn have been abused, volunteered his serycespro
duced the daily record Of the Academy, which showed
that the cadets not company drill on the
18th of August but doing guard duty and therefore
could heard him disrespectful language"
The three cadets then separately called into Court
and each one acknowledged that he mistaken!


second charge of fighting at the tank he admitted
but declared that acted in sedefense. This quarrel
Vas with one Cadet Wilson. IL fell to the lot OF Cadet
Smith on the day the difficulty occurred to supply
water camp, and he was allowed but ten minutes
TO get the water the tank and return and, should
he be absent beyond that time, he would be liable to
have charges preferred against him. Cadet Wilson and
another cadet stepped up to the tank before him. and
took dpper for the purpose OF drinking Wilson test
fled before the Court that ne occupied about
three minutes time, then passed the dip
per 10 the other cadet who testified that
he occupied about three minutes more. Cadet Smith
mildly demonstrated against their taking possession of
the tank long time and begged them to give him
"A chance 90 fill his pail Wilson replied that he wasn't
going to hurry for any id nigger, whereupon Smith
now having but three four minutes TO spare, placed
his pail in position TO al II, and in doing so slightly
brushed the leg OF Cadet Wilson who immediately gave
him blow with TIE dpper which he held in his
hand upon the buckle his cap the blow being severe
that but for the the inury must have been very
serious and possibly fatal Cadet Smith with another
dipper which he held in his hand gave a return
blow which knocked Wilson to the ground
md caused a scalp wound. cry was
raised among the cadets XIII the d. Niger" but an
officer al once appeared and prevented any further
saut Although Cadet Wilson and his chum denied that
he gave the first blow and claimed that Smith began
the assault yet honest IrishmaD who was within 10
feet Of the tank and witnessed the whole affair although
he could not say who gave the first blow, nevertheless
mainly confirmed the rest Of Smiths story.


To meet the third charge that Smith was not person
Of truth and veracity OF good moral character it


WAS suggested by myself the counsel for the accused
that prof Capron and the Rev Geo. II. Gould Of Hart
ford should De summoned witnesses To this the
objected, the ground that the record


character could not back OF the residence at West