henry ossian flipper-第47部分

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the　subject　of　veracity。

〃Whenever　the　'plebes'　（new　cadets）　were　turned　out　to　'police'　camp；　as　they　were　each　day　at　5　A。M。　and　4　P。M。；　certain　cadets　would　come　into　the　company　street　and　spit　out　quids　of　tobacco　which　they　would　call　for　me　to　pick　up。　I　would　get　a　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；　'and　not　to　try　to　play　the　gentleman　here；'　for　my　fingers　were　'made　for　that　purpose。'　Finding　there　was　no　redress　to　be　had　there；　I　wrote　my　friend　Mr。　David　Clark；　of　Hartford；　Ct。；　to　do　something　for　me。　He　had　my　letter　published；　and　that　drew　the　attention　of　Congress　to　the　matter；　and　a　board　was　sent　to　West　Point　to　inquire　into　the　matter　and　report　thereon。　That　board　found　out　that　several　cadets　were　guilty　of　conduct　unbecoming　a　cadet　and　a　gentleman　and　recommended　that　they　be　court…　martialled；　but　the　Secretary　of　War　thought　a　reprimand　would　be　sufficient。　Among　those　reprimanded　were　Q。　O'M。　Gillmore；　son　of　General　Gillmore；　Alex。　B。　Dyer；　son　of　General　Dyer；　and　James　H。　Reid；　nephew　of　the　Secretary　of　War　（it　is　said）。　I　was　also　reprimanded　for　writing　letters　for　publication。

〃Instead　of　doing　good；　these　reprimands　seemed　only　to　increase　the　enmity　of　the　cadets；　and　they　redoubled　their　energies　to　get　me　into　difficulty；　and　they　went　on　from　bad　to　worse；　until　from　words　they　came　to　blows；　and　then　occurred　that　'little　onpleasantness'　known　as　the　'dipper　fight。'　On　the　13th　of　August；　1870；　I；　being　on　guard；　was　sent　to　the　tank　for　a　pail　of　water。　I　had　to　go　a　distance　of　about　one　hundred　and　fifty　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）；　and　return　to　the　guard　tent　in　ten　minutes。　When　I　reached　the　tank；　one　of　my　classmates；　J。　W。　Wilson；　was　standing　in　front　of　the　faucet　drinking　water　from　a　dipper。　He　didn't　seem　inclined　to　move；　so　I　asked　him　to　stand　aside　as　I　wanted　to　get　water　for　the　guard。　He　said：　'I'd　like　to　see　any　dd　nigger　get　water　before　I　get　through。'　I　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　I　set　it　up　and　stooped　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。　I　was　stooping　down　at　the　time；　but　I　stood　up　and　struck　him　in　the　face　with　my　left　fist；　but　in　getting　up　I　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　handle　of　his　dipper　（he　broke　his　dipper　at　the　first　blow）；　and　then　I　struck　him　two　or　three　times　with　my　dipper；　battering　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　'dd　nigger。'

〃An　officer　who　was　in　his　tent　near　by　came　out　and　ordered　me　to　be　put　under　guard　in　one　of　the　guard　tents；　where　I　was　kept　until　next　morning；　when　I　was　put　'in　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　a　court…martial；　and　that　court…martial　will　form　the　subject　of　my　next　communication。

Yours　respectfully；

〃J。　W。　SMITH；　〃Late　Cadet　U。S。M。A。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　THE　INJUSTICE　AT　WEST　POINT。

〃COLUMBIA；　S。C。；　August　7；　1874。

To　the　Editor　of　the　New　National　Era：

〃SIR：　In　my　last　communication　I　related　the　circumstances　of　the　'dipper　fight；'　and　now　we　come　to　the　court…martial　which　resulted　therefrom。

〃But　there　was　another　charge　upon　which　I　was　tried　at　the　same　time；　the　circumstances　of　which　I　will　detail。

〃On　the　15th　of　August；　1870；　just　two　days　after　the　'dipper　fight；'　Cadet　Corporal　Beacom　made　a　report　against　me　for　'replying　in　a　disrespectful　manner　to　a　file…closer　when　spoken　to　at　drill；　P。M。　For　this　alleged　offence　I　wrote　an　explanation　denying　the　charge；　but　Cadet　Beacom　found　three　cadets　who　swore　that　they　heard　me　make　a　disrespectful　reply　in　ranks　when　Cadet　Beacom；　as　a　file…closer　on　duty；　spoke　to　me；　and　the　Commandant　of　Cadets；　Lieutenant　Colonel　Upton；　preferred　charges　against　me　for　making　false　statements。

〃The　court　to　try　me　sat　in　September；　with　General　O。　O。　Howard　as　President。　I　plead　'not　guilty'　to　the　charge　of　assault　on　Cadet　Wilson；　and　also　to　the　charge　of　making　false　statements。

〃The　court　found　both　Cadet　Wilson　and　myself　'guilty'　of　assault；　and　sentenced　us　to　be　confined　for　two　or　three　weeks；　with　some　other　light　punishment　in　the　form　of　'extra　duty。'

The　finding　of　the　court　was　approved　by　President　Grant　in　the　case　of　Cadet　Wilson；　but　disapproved　in　my　case；　on　the　ground　that　the　punishment　was　not　severe　enough。　Therefore；　Cadet　W。　served　his　punishment　and　I　did　not　serve　mine；　as　there　was　no　authority　vested　in　the　President　to　increase　it。

〃On　the　second　charge　I　was　acquitted；　for　I　proved；　by　means　of　the　order　book　of　the　Academy　that　there　was　no　company　drill　on　that　daythe　15th　of　August　that　there　was　skirmish　drill；　and　by　the　guard　reports　of　the　same　date；　that　Cadet　Beacom　and　two　of　his　three　witnesses　were　on　guard　that　day；　and　could　not　have　been　at　drill；　even　if　there　had　been　one。　To　some　it　might　appear　that　the　slight　inconsistencies　existing　between　the　sworn　testimony　of　those　cadets　and　the　official　record　of　the　Academy；　savored　somewhat　of　perjury；　but　they　succeeded　in　explaining　the　matter　by　saying　that　'Cadet　Beacom　only　made　a　mistake　in　date。'　Of　course　he　did；　how　could　it　be　otherwise？　It　was　necessary　to　explain　it　in　some　way　so　that　I　might　be　proved　a　liar　to　the　corps　of　cadets；　even　if　they　failed　to　accomplish　that　object　to　the　satisfaction　of　the　court。

〃I　was　released　in　November；　after　the　proceedings　and　findings　of　the　court　had　been　returned　from　Washington；　where　they　had　been　sent　for　the　approval　of　the　President；　having　been　in　arrest　for　three　months。　But　I　was　not　destined　to　enjoy　my　liberty　for　any　length　of　time；　for　on　the　13th　of　December；　same　year；　I　was　in　the　ranks　of　the　guard；　and　was　stepped　on　two　or　three　times　by　Cadet　Anderson；　one　of　my　classmates；　who　was　marching　beside　me。

〃As　I　had　had　some　trouble　with　the　same　cadet　some　time　before；　on　account　of　the　same　thing　I　believed　that　he　was　doing　it　intentionally；　and　as　it　was　very　annoying；　I　spoke　to　him　about　it；　saying：　〃I　wish　you　would　not　tread　on　my　toes。'　He　answered：　　'Keep　your　dd　toes　out　of　the　way。'　Cadet　Birney；　who　was　standing　near　by；　then　made　some　invidious　remarks　about　me；　to　which　I　did　not　condescend　to　reply。　One　of　the　Cadet　Corporals；　Bailey；　reported　me　for　'inattention　in　ranks；'　and　in　my　written　explanation　of　the　offence；　I　detailed　the　circumstances；　but　both　Birney　and　Anderson　denied　them；　and　the　Commandant　of　Cadets　took　their　statement　in　preference　to　mine；　and　preferred　charges　against　me　for　falsehood。

〃I　was　court　martialled　in　January；　1871；　Captain　Piper；　Third　Artillery；　being　President　of　the　court。　By　this　court　I　was　found　I　'guilty；'　as　I　had　no　witnesses；　and　had　nothing　to　expect　from　the　testimony　of　the　witnesses　for　the　prosecution。　Cadet　Corporal　Bailey；　who　made　the　report；　Cadets　Birney　and　Anderson　were　the　witnesses　who　convicted　me；　in　fact　they　were　the　only　witnesses　summoned　to　testify　in　the　case。　The　sentence　of　the　court　was　that　I　should　be　dismissed；　but　it　was　changed　to　one　year's　suspension；　or；　since　the　year　was　almost　gone　before　the　finding　of　the　court　was　returned　from　Washington；　where　it　was　sent　for　the　approval　of　President　Grant；　I　was　put　back　one　year。

〃I　had　no　counsel　at　this　trial；　as　I　knew　it　would　be　useless；　considering　the　one…sided　condition　of　affairs。　I　was　allowed　to　make　the　following　written　statement　of　the　affair　to　be　placed　among　the　records　of　the　proceedings　of　the　court：

〃'May　it　please　the　court：　I　stand　here　to…day　charged　with　a　most　disgraceful　actone　which　not　only　affects　my　character；　but　will；　if　I　am　found　guilty；　affect　it　during　my　whole　lifeand　I　shall　attempt；　in　as　few　words　as　possible；　to　show　that　I　am　as　innocent　as　any　person　in　this　room。　I　was　reported　on　the　18th　of　December；　1870；　for　a　very　trivial　offence。　For　this　offence　I　submitted　an　explanation　to　the　Commandant　of　Cadets。　In　explanation　I　stated　the　real　cause　of　committing　the　offence　for　which　I　was　reported。　But　this　cause；　as　stated；　involved　another　cadet；　who；　finding　himself　charged　with　an　act　for　which　he　was　liable　to　punishment；　denies　all　knowledge　of　it。　He　tries　to　establish　his　denial　by　giving　evidence　which　I　shall　attempt　to　prove　absurd。　　On　the　morning　of　the　13th　of　December；　1870；　at　guard…　mounting；　after　the　new　guard　had　marched　past　the　old　guard；　and　the　command　of　〃Twos　left；　halt！〃　had　been　given；　the　new　guard　was　about　two　or　three　yards　to　the　front　and　right　of　the　old　guard。　　Then　the　command　of　〃Left　backward；　dress；〃　was　given　to　the　new　guard；　〃Order　arms；　in　place　rest。〃　I　then　turned　around　to　Cadet　Anderson；　and　said　to　him；　〃I　wish　you　would　not　tread　on　my　toes。〃　This　was　said　in　a　moderate　tone；　quite　loud　enough　for　him　to　hear。　He　replied；　as　I　understood；　〃　Keep　your　d…d　toes　out　of　the　way。〃　I　said　nothing　more；　and　he　said　nothing　more。　I　then　heard　Cadet　Birney　say　to　another　cadetI　don't　know　who　it　wasstanding　by　his　side；　〃It　（or　the　thing）　is　speaking　to　Mr。　Anderson。　If　he　were　to　speak　to　me　I　would　knock　him　down。〃　I　heard　him　distinctly；　but　as　I　knew　that　he　was　interfering　in　an　affair　that　did　not　concern　him；　I　took　no　further　notice　of　him；　but　turned　around　to　my　original　position　in　the　ranks。　What　was　said　subsequently　I　do　not　know；　for　I　paid　no　further　attention　to　either　party。　I　heard　nothing　said　at　any　time　about　taking　my　eyes　away；　or　of　Cadet　Anderson　compromising　his　dignity。　Having　thus　re