He could not break the ranks to chastise his
assaulter. Then if he had fought with every cadet who
called him a '--black-hearted nigger,' he would have
fought with the whole Academy. Not the professors,
for they have been as truly gentlemen as they are good
officers. If they had feelings against the colored cadet
they suppressed them. I say now that the indignities
heaped upon Jimmy Smith would have been unbearable to
any white boy of spirit. Hundreds of times a day he was
publicly called names so mean that I dare not write them.
"Once I met Jimmy Smith after drill. He bore the
insulting remarks like a Christian.
"'I expected it,' he said; 'but it was not so at the
Hartford High School. There I had the second honors
of my class.' Then he showed me a catalogue of the
Hartford High School, and there was the name of James
W. Smith as he graduated with the next highest honor.
"On that occasion I asked Jimmy who his father was.
"'His name is Israel Smith. He used to belong to Sandres
Guignard, of Columbia.'
"'Then he was a slave?'
"'Yes, but when Sherman's army freed him he became a
Union soldier.'
"'And your mother?'
"'She is Catherine Smith, born free.' Here Jimmy showed
his mother's photograph. She looked like a mulatto
woman, with straight hair and regular features. She had
a serious, Miss-Siddons-looking face.
"'How did you come to "the Point?"' I asked.
Pages:
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378