henry ossian flipper-第2章

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y　Association　having　opened　better　schools；　the　Flippers　were；　in　March；　1866；　transferred　to　them。　They　attended　school　there　till　in　1867　the　famous　Storrs'　School　was　opened　under　the　control　of　the　American　Missionary　Association；　when　they　went　there。　In　1869；　the　Atlanta　University　having　been　opened　under　the　same　auspices；　they　entered　there。　At　the　time　of　receiving　his　appointment　Henry　was　a　member　of　the　freshman　class　of　the　collegiate　department。　His　class　graduated　there　in　June；　1876；　just　one　year　before　he　did　at　West　Point。

The　following　article　from　a　Thomasville　paper；　published　in　June；　1874；　will　give　further　information　concerning　his　early　life：

〃'It　is　not　generally　known　that　Atlanta　has　a　negro　cadet　at　the　United　States　National　Military　Academy　at　West　Point。　　This　cadet　is　a　mulatto　boy　named　Flipper。　He　is　about　twenty　years　old；　a　stoutish　fellow；　weighing　perhaps　one　hundred　and　fifty　pounds；　and　a　smart；　bright；　intelligent　boy。　His　father　is　a　shoemaker；　and　gave　him　the　euphonious　name　of　Henry　Ossian　Flipper。

〃'Flipper　has　been　at　the　great　soldier　factory　of　the　nation　for　a　year。　He　was　recommended　there　by　our　late　Congressman　from　the　Fifth　District；　the　Hon。　J。　C。　Freeman。　Flipper　has　made　a　right　booming　student。　In　a　class　of　ninety…nine　he　stood　about　the　middle；　and　triumphantly　passed　his　examination；　and　has　risen　from　the　fourth　to　the　third　class　without　difficulty。

〃'The　only　two　colored　boys　at　the　Academy　were　the　famous　Smith　and　the　Atlanta　Flipper。　It　is　thought　that　Smith　at　the　last　examination　failed。　If　so；　Atlanta　will　have　the　distinguished　honor　of　having　the　sole　African　representative　at　West　Point。

〃'Flipper　has　had　the　privilege　of　eating　at　the　same　table　with　the　poor　white　trash；　but　Smith　and　Flipper　bunked　together　in　the　same　room　alone；　without　white　companions。

〃'It　is　an　astonishing　fact　that；　socially；　the　boys　from　the　Northern　and　Western　States　will　have　nothing　to　do　with　these　colored　brothers。　Flipper　and　Smith　were　socially　ostracized。　Not　even　the　Massachusetts　boys　will　associate　with　them。　Smith　has　been　a　little　rebellious；　and　attempted　to　thrust　himself　on　the　white　boys；　but　the　sensible　Flipper　accepted　the　situation；　and　proudly　refused　to　intrude　himself　on　the　white　boys。

〃'The　feeling　of　ostracism　is　so　strong　that　a　white　boy　who　dared　to　recognize　a　colored　cadet　would　be　himself　ostracized　by　the　other　white　cubs；　even　of　radical　extraction。'

〃We　copy　the　above　from　the　Atlanta　Herald　of　last　week；　for　the　purpose　of　remarking　that　among　colored　men　we　know　of　none　more　honorable　or　more　deserving　than　Flipper；　the　father　of　the　colored　West　Point　student　of　that　name。　Flipper　lived　for　many　years　in　Thomasville　as　the　servant　of　Mr。　E。　G。　Ponderwas　the　best　bootmaker　we　ever　knew；　and　his　character　and　deportment　were　ever　those　of　a　sensible；　unassuming；　gentlemanly　white　man。　Flipper　possessed　the　confidence　and　respect　of　his　master　and　all　who　knew　him。　His　wife；　the　mother　of　young　Flipper；　was　Isabella；　a　servant　in　the　family　of　Rev。　R。　H。　Lucky；　of　Thomasville；　and　bore　a　character　equal　to　that　of　her　husband。　Young　Flipper　was　baptized　in　his　infancy　by　the　venerable　Bishop　Early。　From　these　antecedents　we　should　as　soon　expect　young　Flipper　to　make　his　mark　as　any　other　colored　youth　in　the　country。〃

（From　the　Louisville　Ledger。）

〃It　is　just　possible　that　some　of　our　readers　may　not　know　who　Flipper　is。　For　their　benefit　we　make　haste　to　explain　that　Flipper　is　the　solitary　colored　cadet　now　at　West　Point。　He　is　in　the　third　class；　and　stands　forty…six　in　the　class；　which　numbers　eighty…　five　members。　This　is　a　very　fair　standing；　and　Flipper's　friends　declare　that　he　is　getting　along　finely　in　his　studies；　and　that　he　is　quite　up　to　the　standard　of　the　average　West　Point　student。　Nevertheless　they　intimate　that　he　will　never　graduate。　Flipper；　they　say；　may　get　as　far　as　the　first　class；　but　there　he　will　be　'slaughtered。'

〃A　correspondent　of　the　New　York　Times　takes　issue　　with　this　opinion。　He　says　there　are　many　'old　heads'　who　believe　Flipper　will　graduate　with　honor；　and　he　thinks　so　too。　The　grounds　for　his　belief；　as　he　gives　them；　are　that　the　officers　are　gentlemen；　and　so　are　the　professors；　that　they　believe　merit　should　be　rewarded　wherever　found；　and　that　they　all　speak　well　of　Flipper；　who　is　a　hard　student；　as　his　position　in　his　class　proves。　From　this　correspondent　we　learn　that　Flipper　is　from　Georgia；　that　he　has　a　light；　coffee…colored　complexion；　and　that　he　'minds　his　business　and　does　not　intrude　his　company　upon　the　other　cadets；'　though　why　this　should　be　put　down　in　the　list　of　his　merits　it　is　not　easy　to　understand；　since；　if　he　graduates；　as　this　writer　believes　he　will；　he　will　have　the　right　to　associate　on　terms　of　perfect　equality　with　the　other　cadets；　and　may　in　time　come　to　command　some　of　them。　We　are　afraid　there　is　some　little　muddle　of　inconsistency　in　the　brain　of　the　Times'　correspondent。

〃The　Chicago　Tribune　seems　to　find　it　difficult　to　come　to　any　conclusion　concerning　Flipper's　chances　for　graduating。　It　says：　'It　is　freely　asserted　that　Flipper　will　never　be　allowed　to　graduate；　that　the　prejudice　of　the　regular　army　instructors　against　the　colored　race　is　insurmountable；　and　that　they　will　drive　away　from　the　Academy　by　persecution　of　some　petty　sort　any　colored　boy　who　may　obtain　admittance　there。　The　story　does　not　seem　to　have　any　substantial　basis；　still；　it　possesses　considerable　vitality。'

〃We　don't　profess　to　understand　exactly　what　sort　of　a　story　that　is　which　has　'considerable　vitality'　without　any　substantial　basis；　and　can　only　conclude　that　the　darkness　of　the　subject　has　engendered　a　little　confusion　in　the　mind　of　the　Tribune　as　well　as　in　that　of　the　writer　of　the　Times。　But　the　Tribune　acquires　more　confidence　as　it　warms　in　the　discussion；　and　it　assures　us　finally　that　'there　is；　of　course；　no　doubt　that　some　colored　boys　are　capable　of　receiving　a　military　education；　and　eventually　the　presence　of　colored　officers　in　the　regular　army　must　be　an　accepted　fact。'　Well；　we　don't　know　about　that　'accepted　fact。'　The　white　man　is　mighty　uncertain；　and　the　nigger　won't　do　to　trust　to；　in　view　of　which　truths　it　would　be　unwise　to　bet　too　high　on　the　'colored　officers；'　for　some　years　to　come　at　least。

〃But　let　not　Flipper　wring　his　flippers　in　despair；　notwithstanding。　Let　him　think　of　Smith；　and　take　heart　of　hope。　Smith　was　another　colored　cadet　who　was　sent　to　West　Point　from　South　Carolina。　Smith　mastered　readin'；　'ritin'；　and　'rithmetic；　but　chemistry　mastered　Smith。*　They　gave　him　three　trials；　but　it　was　to　no　purpose　；　so　they　had　to　change　his　base　and　send　him　back　to　South　Carolina。　But　what　of　that？　They've　just　made　him　inspector　of　militia　in　South　Carolina；　with　the　rank　of　brigadier…general。　How　long　might　he　have　remained　in　the　army　before　he　would　have　become　'General　Smith？'　Why；　even　Fred　Grant's　only　a　lieutenant…colonel。　Smith　evidently　has　reason　to　congratulate　himself　upon　being　'plucked；'　and　so　the　young　gentleman　from　Georgia；　with　the　'light；　coffee…colored　complexion；'　if　he　meets　with　a　similar　misfortune；　may　console　himself　with　the　hope　that　to　him　also　in　his　extremity　will　be　extended　from　some　source　a　helping　flipper。〃

*Cadet　Smith　failed　in　Natural　and　Experimental　Philosophy。　In　Chemistry　he　was　up　to　the　average。　He　was　never　appointed　Inspector…General　of　South　Carolina。　He　was　Commandant　of　Cadets　in　the　South　Carolina　Agricultural　Institute　at　Orangeburg；　S。　C。；　Which　position　he　held　till　his　death　November　29th；　1876。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　II。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　COMMUNICATIONS；　ETC。

HAVING　given　in　the　previous　chapter　a　brief　account　of　myselfdropping　now；　by　permission；　the　third　personprior　to　my　appointment；　I　shall　here　give　in　full　what　led　me　to　seek　that　appointment；　and　how　I　obtained　it。　It　was　while　sitting　〃in　his　father's　quiet　shoeshop　on　Decatur　Street〃as　a　local　paper　had　itthat　I　overheard　a　conversation　concerning　the　then　cadet　from　my　own　district。　In　the　course　of　the　conversation　I　learned　that　this　cadet　was　to　graduate　the　following　June；　and　that　therefore　a　vacancy　would　occur。　This　was　in　the　autumn　of　1872；　and　before　the　election。　It　occurred　to　me　that　I　might　fill　that　vacancy；　and　I　accordingly　determined　to　make　an　endeavor　to　do　so；　provided　the　Republican　nominee　for　Congress　should　be　elected。　He　was　elected。　I　applied　for　and　obtained　the　appointment。　In　1865　or　1866I　do　not　now　remember　which：　perhaps　it　was　even　later　than　eitherit　was　suggested　to　my　father　to　send　me　to　West　Point。　He　was　unwilling　to　do　so；　and；　not　knowing　very　much　about　the　place；　was　reluctant　to　make　any　inquiries。　I　was　then　of　course　too　young　for　admission；　being　only　ten　or　twelve　years　old；　and　knowing　nothing　of　the　place　myself；　I　did　not　care　to　venture　the　attempt　to　become　a　cadet。

At　the　time　I　obtained　the　appointment　I　had　quite　forgotten　this　early　recommendation　of　my　father's　friend；　indeed；　I　did　not　recall　it　until　I　began　compiling　my　manuscript。

The　suggestion　given　me　by　the　conversation　above　mentioned　was　at　once　acted　upon；　and　decision　made　in　a　very　short　time；　and　so　fully　was　I　determined；　so　absolutely　was　my　mind　set　on　West　Point；　that　I　persisted　in　my　desire　even　to　getting　the　appointment；　staying　at　the　Academy　four　years；　and　finally　graduating。　The　following　communications　will　explain　how　I　got　the　appointment。*

*It　has　been　impossible　for　the　author　to　obtain　copies　of　his　own　letters　to　the　Hon。　Congressman　who　appointed　him；　which　is　to　be　regretted。　The　replies　are　inserted　in　such　order　that　they　will　readily　suggest　the　tenor　of　the　first　communications。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Reply　No。　1


GRIFFIN；　January　23；1873。

MR。　H。　O。　FLIPPER。

DEAR　SIR：　Your　letter　of　the　21st；　asking　me；　as　member…elect　to　Congress　from　this　State；　to　appoint　you　cadet　to　West　Point；　was　received　this　morning。　You　are　a　stranger　to　me；　and　before　I　can　comply　with　your　request　you　must　get　your　teacher；　Mr。　James　L。　Dunning；　P。M。；　Colonel　H。　P。　Fanorr；　and　other　Republicans　to　indorse　for　you。　Give　me　assurance　you　are　worthy　and　well　qualified　and　I　will　recommend　you。

Yours　respectfully；

J。　C。　FREEMAN。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Reply　No。　2。


GRIFFIN；　March　22；　1873。

MR。　H。　O。　FLIPPER。

DEAR　SIR：　On　my　arrival　from　Washington　I　found　your　letter　of　the　19th。　I　have　received　an　invitation　from　the　War　Department　to　appoint；　or　nominate；　a　legally　qualified　cadet　to　the　United　States　Military　Academy　from　my　district。

As　you　were　the　first　applicant；　I　am　disposed　to　give　you　the　first　chance；　but　the　requirements　are　rigid　and　strict；　and　I　think　you　had　best　come　down　and　see　them。　If　after　reading　them　you　think　you　can　undergo　the　examination　without　doubt；　I　will　nominate　you。　But　I　do　not　want　my　nominee　to　fail　to　get　in。

Yours　very　respectfully；

J。　C。　FREEMAN。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Reply　No。　3。

GRIFFIN；　GA。；　March　26；　1873。

MR。　H。　O。　FLIPPER。

DEAR　SIR：　Your　letter　of　the　24th　to　hand；　and　contents　noted。　While　your　education　may　be　sufficient；　it　requires　many　other　qualifications