The Elevator clipping
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The Colored Boys at West Point.
[From a Washington paper.]
The officers of the Inspector-General's Bureau of the War Department make some statements relative to the colored lads who applied for admission to West Point, which are of interest. Michael Howard is the son of a member of the Mississippi Legislature, and was nominated by Perce, one of the Representatives from that State. He is eighteen years of age, has received but a year's schooling, and was totally unfit, on the score of education, for admission. He readily passed the required medical inspection, but on his scholastic examination made almost a total failure, and was, therefore, pronounced against by the Examining Board - just as any white boy would have been in the same circumstances. John W. Smith, of South Carolina, was nominated by Hoge, one of the Representatives from that State. He was first submitted with others to the medical examination, and was unanimously pronounced against by the examiners on the score of physical incapacity. He has an affection of the lungs, as well as a nervous weakness of the eyes, which renders him at times almost blind. He is a smart lad, has creditably taken a course of studies at Howard University here, and would probably have passed the scholastic examination at West Point. It is farther stated that these two boys have been treated with kindness at the Academy, and that the tricks usually played on new-comers have been omitted in their cases, because the cadets thought people might say they were roughly handled on account of their color. They eat at the table with other candidates, and have been subject to the same rules, and under the same protection. It is also stated, by way of showing that the question of color had nothing to do with the rejection of the boys, that a majority of the Examining Board are Republicans.
[From a Washington paper.]
The officers of the Inspector-General's Bureau of the War Department make some statements relative to the colored lads who applied for admission to West Point, which are of interest. Michael Howard is the son of a member of the Mississippi Legislature, and was nominated by Perce, one of the Representatives from that State. He is eighteen years of age, has received but a year's schooling, and was totally unfit, on the score of education, for admission. He readily passed the required medical inspection, but on his scholastic examination made almost a total failure, and was, therefore, pronounced against by the Examining Board - just as any white boy would have been in the same circumstances. John W. Smith, of South Carolina, was nominated by Hoge, one of the Representatives from that State. He was first submitted with others to the medical examination, and was unanimously pronounced against by the examiners on the score of physical incapacity. He has an affection of the lungs, as well as a nervous weakness of the eyes, which renders him at times almost blind. He is a smart lad, has creditably taken a course of studies at Howard University here, and would probably have passed the scholastic examination at West Point. It is farther stated that these two boys have been treated with kindness at the Academy, and that the tricks usually played on new-comers have been omitted in their cases, because the cadets thought people might say they were roughly handled on account of their color. They eat at the table with other candidates, and have been subject to the same rules, and under the same protection. It is also stated, by way of showing that the question of color had nothing to do with the rejection of the boys, that a majority of the Examining Board are Republicans.
Citation
The Elevator, “The Elevator clipping,” Mississippi State University Libraries, accessed April 16, 2024, https://msstate-exhibits.libraryhost.com/items/show/1223.
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