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's　citizens；　and　that；　too；　to　their　own　discomfort　and　disadvantage。　How　they　have　borne　the　sneers　of　the　Southern　press；　the　ostracism　from　society　in　the　South；　the　dangers　of　Kuklux　in　remote　counties；　to　raise　up　a　downtrodden　race；　not　for　personal　aggrandizement；　but　for　the　building　up　and　glory　of　His　kingdom　who　is　no　respecter　of　persons；　is　surely　worthy　our　deepest　gratitude；　our　heartfelt　thanks；　and　our　prayers　and　blessing。　Under　the　training　of　a　good　Christian　old　lady；　too　old　for　the　work；　but　determined　to　give　her　mite　of　instruction；　I　learned　to　read　and　to　cipher　this　in　1866。　　From　her　I　was　placed　under　control　of　a　younger　person；　a　man。　From　him　I　passed　to　the　control　of　another　lady　at　the　famous　〃Storr's　School。〃　I　remained　under　her　for　two　years　more　or　less；　when　I　passed　to　the　control　of　another　lady　in　what　was　called　a　Normal　School。　From　here　I　went　to　the　Atlanta　University；　and　prepared　for　the　college　course；　which　in　due　time　I　took　up。　　This　course　of　training　was　the　foundation　of　all　my　after…success。　The　discipline；　which　I　learned　to　heed；　because　it　was　good；　has　been　of　incalculable　benefit　to　me。　It　has　restrained　and　shaped　my　temper　on　many　an　occasion　when　to　have　yielded　to　it　would　have　been　ruin。　It　has　regulated　my　acts　when　to　have　committed　them　as　I　contemplated　would　have　been　base　unmanliness。　And　it　has　made　my　conduct　in　all　cases　towards　others　generous；　courteous；　and　Christian；　when　it　might　otherwise　have　been　mean；　base；　and　degrading。　It　taught　me　to　be　meek；　considerate；　and　kind；　and　I　have　verily　been　benefited　by　it。

The　mind…training　has　been　no　less　useful。　Its　thoroughness；　its　completeness；　and　its　variety　made　me　more　than　prepared　to　enter　on　the　curriculum　of　studies　prescribed　at　West　Point。　A　less　thorough；　complete；　or　varied　training　would　never　have　led　to　the　success　I　achieved。　I　was　not　prepared　expressly　for　West　Point。　This　very　thoroughness　made　me　competent　to　enter　any　college　in　the　land。

How　my　heart　looks　back　and　swells　with　gratitude　to　these　trainers　of　my　youth！　My　gratitude　is　deeply　felt；　but　my　ability　to　express　it　is　poor。　May　Heaven　reward　them　with　long　years　of　happiness　and　usefulness　here；　and　when　this　life　is　over；　and　its　battles　won；　may　they　enter　the　bright　portals　of　heaven；　and　at　His　feet　and　from　His　own　hands　receive　crowns　of　immortal　glory。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　XVII。

JAMES　WEBSTER　SMITH；　a　native　of　South　Carolina；　was　appointed　to　a　cadetship　at　the　United　States　Military　Academy　at　West　Point；　New　York；　in　1870；　by　the　Hon。　S。　L。　Hoge。　He　reported；　as　instructed；　at　the　Military　Academy　in　the　early　summer　of　1870；　and　succeeded　in　passing　the　physical　and　intellectual　examination　prescribed；　and　was　received　as　a　〃conditional　cadet。〃　At　the　same　time　one　Howard　reported；　but　unfortunately　did　not　succeed　in　〃getting　in。〃

In　complexion　Smith　was　rather　light；　possibly　an　octoroon。　Howard；　on　the　contrary；　was　black。　Howard　had　been　a　student　at　Howard　University；　as　also　had　been　Smith。　Smith；　before　entering　the　Academy；　had　graduated　at　the　Hartford　High　School；　and　was　well　prepared　to　enter　upon　the　new　course　of　studies　at　West　Point。

In　studies　he　went　through　the　first　year's　course　without　any　difficulty；　but　unfortunately　an　affaire　d'honneura　〃dipper　fight〃caused　him　to　be　put　back　one　year　in　his　studies。　In　going　over　this　course　again　he　stood　very　high　in　his　class；　but　when　it　was　finished　he　began　going　down　gradually　until　he　became　a　member　of　the　last　section　of　his　class；　an　〃immortal；〃　as　we　say；　and　in　constant　danger　of　being　〃found。〃

He　continued　his　course　in　this　part　of　his　class　till　the　end　of　his　second　class　year；　when　he　was　declared　deficient　in　natural　and　experimental　philosophy；　and　dismissed。　At　this　time　he　had　been　in　the　Academy　four　years；　but　had　been　over　only　a　three…years'　course；　and　would　not　have　graduated　until　the　end　of　the　next　year；　June；　1875。

As　to　his　trials　and　experiences　while　a　cadet；　I　shall　permit　him　to　speak。　The　following　articles　embrace　a　series　of　letters　written　by　him；　after　his　dismissal；　to　the　New　National　Era　and　Citizen；　the　political　organ　of　the　colored　people；　published　at　Washington；　D。　C。：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　COLORED　CADET　AGAIN。

　　　　PERTINENT　OR　IMPERTINENT　CARD　FROM　CADET　SMITH。

〃COLUMBIA；　S。C。；　July　27；1874。

To　the　Editor　of　the　National　Republican：

〃SIR：　I　saw　an　article　yesterday　in　one　of　our　local　papers；　copied　from　the　Brooklyn　Argus；　concerning　my　dismissal　from　the　Military　Academy。　The　article　referred　to　closes　as　follows：　'Though　he　has　written　letters　to　his　friends；　and　is　quite　sanguine　about　returning　and　finally　graduating；　the　professors　and　cadets　say　there　is　not　the　slightest　chance。　Said　a　professor　to　a　friend；　the　other　day：　〃It　will　be　a　long　time　before　any　one　belonging　to　the　colored　race　can　graduate　at　West　Point。〃'

〃Now；　Sir；　I　would　like　to　ask　a　few　questions　through　the　columns　of　your　paper　concerning　these　statements；　and　would　be　glad　to　have　them　answered　by　some　of　the　knowing　ones。

〃In　the　first　place；　what　do　the　professors　and　cadets　know　of　my　chances　for　getting　back；　and　if　they　know　any　thing；　how　did　they　find　it　out？　At　an　interview　which　I　had　with　the　Secretary　of　War；　on　the　17th　instant；　he　stated　that　he　went　to　West　Point　this　year　for　a　purpose；　and　that　he　was　there　both　before　and　after　my　examination；　and　conversed　with　some　of　the　professors　concerning　me。　Now；　did　that　visit　and　those　conversations　have　any　thing　to　do　with　the　finding　of　the　Academic　Board？　Did　they　have　any　thing　to　do　with　that　wonderful　wisdom　and　foresight　displayed　by　the　professors　and　cadets　in　commenting　upon　my　chances　for　getting　back？　Why　should　the　Secretary　of　War　go　to　West　Point　this　year　'for　a　purpose；'　and　converse　with　the　professors　about　me　both　before　and　after　the　examination？　Besides；　he　spoke　of　an　interview　he　had　had　with　Colonel　Ruger；　Superintendent　of　the　Academy；　in　New　York；　on　Sunday；　the　12th　instant；　in　reference　to　me；　during　which　Colonel　Ruger　had　said　that　the　Academic　Board　would　not　recommend　me　to　return。　Is　it　very　wonderful　that　the　Academic　Board　should　refuse　such　recommendation　after　those　very　interesting　conversations　which　were　held　'both　before　and　after　the　recommendation？'　Why　was　the　secretary　away　from　West　Point　at　the　time　of　the　examination。

〃In　the　next　place；　by　what　divine　power　does　that　learned　oracle；　a　professor；　prophesy　that　it　will　be　a　long　time　before　any　one　belonging　to　the　colored　race　can　graduate　at　West　Point？　It　seems　that　he　must　have　a　wonderful　knowledge　of　the　negro　that　he　can　tell　the　abilities　of　all　the　colored　boys　in　America。　But　it　is　possible　that　he　is　one　of　the　younger　professors；　perhaps　the　professor　of　philosophy；　and　therefore　expects　to　live　and　preside　over　that　department　for　a　long　time；　though　to　the　unsophisticated　mind　it　looks　very　much　as　though　he　would　examine　a　colored　cadet　on　the　color　of　his　face。

〃I　think　he　could　express　himself　better　and　come　much　nearer　the　truth　by　substituting　shall　for　can　in　that　sentence。　Of　course；　while　affairs　remain　at　West　Point　as　they　have　always　been；　and　are　now；　no　colored　boy　will　graduate　there；　but　there　are　some　of　us　who　are　sanguine　about　seeing　a　change；　even　if　we　can't　get　back。

〃J。　W。　SMITH；　〃Late　Cadet　U。S。M。A。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　DIPPER　DIFFICULTY。

〃COLUMBIA；　S。C。；　July　30；　1874。

To　the　Editor　of　the　New　National　Era：

As　I　told　you　in　my　last　communication；　I　shall　now　proceed　to　give　you　an　account　of　my　four　years'　stay　at　West　Point。

〃I　reported　there　on　the　31st　of　May；　1870；　and　had　not　been　there　an　hour　before　I　had　been　reminded　by　several　thoughtful　cadets　that　I　was　'nothing　but　a　dd　nigger。'　Another　colored　boy；　Howard；　of　Mississippi；　reported　on　the　same　day；　and　we　were　put　in　the　same　room；　where　we　stayed　until　the　preliminary　examination　was　over；　and　Howard　was　sent　away；　as　he　failed　to　pass。

〃While　we　were　there　we　could　not　meet　a　cadet　anywhere　without　having　the　most　opprobrious　epithets　applied　to　us；　but　after　complaining　two　or　three　times；　we　concluded　to　pay　no　attention　to　such　things；　for；　as　we　did　not　know　these　cadets；　we　could　get　no　satisfaction。

〃One　night　about　twelve　o'clock　some　one　came　into　our　room；　and　threw　the　contents　of　his　slop…pail　over　us　while　we　were　asleep。　We　got　to　our　door　just　in　time　to　hear　the　'gentleman'　go　into　his　room　on　the　floor　above　us。　This　affair　reported　itself　the　next　morning　at　'Police　Inspection；'　and　the　inspector　ordered　us　to　search　among　the　tobacco　quids；　and　other　rubbish　on　the　floor；　for　something　by　which　we　might　identify　the　perpetrator　of　the　affair。　The　search　resulted　in　the　finding　of　an　old　envelope；　addressed　to　one　McCord；　of　Kentucky。　That　young　'gentleman'　was　questioned　in　reference；　but　succeeded　in　convincing　the　authorities　that　he　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　affair　and　knew　nothing　of　it。

〃A　few　days　after　that；　Howard　was　struck　in　the　face　by　that　young　'gentleman；'　'because；'　as　he　says；　'the　dd　nigger　didn't　get　out　of　the　way　when　I　was　going　into　the　boo