henry ossian flipper-第2节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


；　were　compelled　to　flee　before　Sherman's　victorious　arms。　Macon；　a　city　just　one　hundred　and　three　miles　south…east　of　Atlanta；　became　the　new　home　of　the　Flippers。　A　spacious　dwelling　was　secured　in　West　Macon。　In　a　part　of　this　was　stored　away　Mrs。　Ponder's　plate　and　furniture；　under　the　guardianship　of　Flipper；　who　with　his　family　occupied　the　rest　of　the　house。　Here　all　was　safe。　The　terrible　fate　of　Atlanta　was　not　extended　to　Macon。　The　only　cause　of　alarm　was　Wilson；　who　approached　the　city　from　the　east；　and；　having　thrown　in　a　few　shells；　withdrew　without　doing　further　damage　or　being　molested。　Every　body　was　frightened；　and　it　was　deemed　advisable　to　transfer　Mrs。　Ponder's　effects　to　Fort　Valley；　a　small　place　farther　south。　However；　before　this　could　be　done；　it　became　indisputably　known　that　Wilson　had　withdrawn。

After　an　uneventful　stayother　than　this　incident　just　relatedof　nine　months　in　Macon；　the　office　of　custodian　was　resigned；　and　although　yet　a　slave；　as　far　as　he　knew；　and　without　permission　from　any　one；　Flipper　returned　to　Atlanta　with　his　wife　and　two　sons；　Henry；　the　elder；　and　Joseph；　the　younger。　This　was　in　the　spring　of　1865。　Atlanta　was　in　ruins；　and　it　appeared　a　dreary　place　indeed　to　start　anew　on　the　unfinished　journey　of　life。　Every　thing　was　not　destroyed；　however。　A　few　houses　remained。　One　of　these　was　occupied。　The　people　were　rapidly　returning；　and　the　railroads　from　Atlanta　were　rapidly　being　rebuilt。

During　all　this　time　the　education　of　the　young　Flippers　had　been　necessarily　neglected。　In　the　early　spring　of　1865；　the　family　of　an　ex…rebel　captain　became　neighbors　of　the　Flippers；　now　well　to　do；　and　were　soon　on　the　most；　friendly　terms　with　them。　　With　remarkable　condescension　the　wife　of　this　ex…rebel　offered　to　instruct　Henry　and　Joseph　for　a　small　remuneration。　The　Offer　was　readily　and　gladly　accepted；　and　the　education　of　the　two；　so　long　neglected；　was　taken　up　again。　This　private　school　of　only　two　pupils　existed　but　a　short　time。　The　American　Missionary　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