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　reviewed　the　circumstances　which　gave　rise　to　the　charge；　may　it　please　the　court；　I　wish　to　say　a　word　as　to　the　witnesses。　Each　of　these　cadets　testifies　to　the　fact　that　they　have　discussed　the　case　in　every　particular；　both　with　each　other　and　with　other　cadets。　That　is；　they　have　found　out　each　other's　views　and　feelings　in　respect　to　it；　compared　the　evidence　which　each　should　give；　the　probable　result　of　the　trial；　and　one　has　even　testified　that　he　has　expressed　a　desire　as　to　the　result。　Think　you　that　Cadet　Birney；　with　such　a　desire　in　his　breast；　influencing　his　every　thought　and　word；　with　such　an　end　in　view；　could　give　evidence　unbiassed；　unprejudiced；　and　free　from　that　desire　that　〃Cadet　Smith　might　be　sent　away　and　proved　a　liar？〃　Think　you　that　he　could　give　evidence　which　should　be　〃the　truth；　the　whole　truth；　and　nothing　but　the　truth；　so　help　me　God？〃　It　seems　impossible　for　me　to　have　justice　done　me　by　the　evidence　of　such　witnesses；　but　I　will　leave　that　for　the　court　to　decide。　There　is　another　question　here　which　must　be　answered　by　the　finding　of　the　court。　It　is　this：　〃Shall　Cadet　Smith　be　allowed　to　complain　to　the　Commandant　of　Cadets　when　he　considers　himself　unjustly　dealt　with？〃　When　the　court　takes　notice　of　the　fact　that　this　charge　and　these　specifications　are　the　result　of　a　complaint　made　by　me；　it　will　agree　with　me　as　to　the　importance　its　findings　will　have　in　answering　that　question。　As　to　what　the　finding　will　be；　I　can　say　nothing；　but　if　the　court　is　convinced　that　I　have　lied；　then　I　shall　expect　a　finding　and　sentence　in　accordance　with　such　conviction。　A　lie　is　as　disgraceful　to　one　man　as　another；　be　he　white　or　black；　and　I　say　here；　as　I　said　to　the　Commandant　of　Cadets；　〃If　I　were　guilty　of　falsehood；　I　should　merit　and　expect　the　same　punishment　as　any　other　cadet；〃　but；　as　I　said　before；　I　am　as　innocent　of　this　charge　as　any　person　in　this　room。　The　verdict　of　an　infallible　judgeconscience　is；　〃Not　guilty；〃　and　that　is　the　finding　I　ask　of　this　court。
  〃Respectfully　submitted。
  （Signed）　〃'J。　W。　SMITH；　〃'Cadet　U。S。M。A。'
  〃'Thus　ended　my　second　and　last　court…martial。
  〃Yours　respectfully；
  〃J。　W。　SMITH；　〃Late　Cadet　U。S。M。A。〃
  THE　HONOR　OF　A　CADET　AND　GENTLEMAN。
  To　the　Editor　of　the　New　National　Era：
  〃SIR：　In　relating　the　events　of　my　first　year　at　West　Point；　I　omitted　one　little　affair　which　took　place；　and　I　will　now　relate　the　circumstances。　One　Sunday；　at　dinner；　I　helped　myself　to　some　soup；　and　one　cadet；　Clark；　of　Kentucky；　who　sat　opposite　me　at　table；　asked　me　what　I　meant　by　taking　soup　before　he　had　done　so。　I　told　him　that　I　took　it　because　I　wished　it；　and　that　there　was　a　plenty　left。　He　seemed　to　be　insulted　at　that；　and　asked：　'Do　you　think　I　would　eat　after　a　dd　Nigger？'　I　replied：　'I　have　not　thought　at　all　on　the　subject；　and；　moreover；　I　don't　quite　understand　you；　as　I　can't　find　that　last　word　in　the　dictionary。'　He　then　took　up　a　glass　and　said　he　would　knock　my　head　off。　I　told　him　to　throw　as　soon　as　he　pleased；　and　as　soon　as　he　got　through　I　would　throw　mine。　The　commandant　of　the　table　here　interfered　and　ordered　us　to　stop　creating　a　disturbance　at　the　table；　and　gave　me　to　understand　that　thereafter　I　should　not　touch　any　thing　on　that　table　until　the　white　cadets　were　served。
  〃When　we　came　back　from　dinner；　as　I　was　going　into　my　room；　Cadet　Clark　struck　at　me　from　behind。　He　hit　me　on　the　back　of　my　neck；　causing　me　to　get　into　my　room　with　a　little　more　haste　than　I　anticipated；　but　he　did　not　knock　me　down。　He　came　into　my　room；　following　up　his　advantage；　and　attempted　to　take　me　by　the　throat；　but　he　only　succeeded　in　scratching　me　a　little　with　his　nails；　as　I　defended　myself　as　well　as　possible　until　I　succeeded　in　getting　near　my　bayonet；　which　I　snatched　from　the　scabbard　and　then　tried　to　put　it　through　him。　But　being　much　larger　and　stronger　than　I；　he　kept　me　off　until　he　got　to　the　door；　but　then　he　couldn't　get　out；　for　some　one　was　holding　the　door　on　the　outside；　for　the　purpose；　I　suppose；　of　preventing　my　escape；　as　no　doubt　they　thought　I　would　try　to　get　out。　There　were　a　great　many　cadets　outside　on　the　stoop；　looking　through　the　window；　and　cheering　their　champion；　with　cries　of　'That's　right；　Clark；　kill　the　dd　nigger；'　'Choke　him；'　'Put　a　head　on　him；'　etc。；　but　when　they　saw　him　giving　way　before　the　bayonet；　they　cried；　'Open　the　door；　boys；'　and　the　door　was　opened；　and　Mr。　Clark　went　forth　to　rejoice　in　the　bosom　of　his　friends　as　the　hero　of　the　day。　The　cadet　officer　of　the　day　'happened　around'　just　after　Clark　had　left；　and　wanted　to　know　what　did　I　mean　by　making　all　that　noise　in　and　around　my　quarters。　I　told　him　what　the　trouble　was　about；　and　soon　after　I　was　sent　for　by　the　'officer　in　charge；'　and　questioned　in　reference　to　the　affair。　　Charges　were　preferred　against　Clark　for　entering　my　room　and　assaulting　me；　but　before　they　were　brought　to　trial　he　sent　two　of　his　friends　tome　asking　if　I　would　withdraw　the　charges　providing　he　made　a　written　apology。　I　told　these　cadets　that　I　would　think　of　the　matter　and　give　them　a　definite　answer　the　next　evening。
  〃I　was　perfectly　well　satisfied　that　he　would　be　convicted　by　any　court　that　tried　him；　but　the　cadets　could　easily　prove　（according　to　their　way　of　giving　evidence）　that　I　provoked　the　assault；　and　I；　besides；　was　utterly　disgusted　with　so　much　wrangling；　so　when　the　cadets　called　that　evening　I　told　them　that　if　his　written　apology　was　satisfactory　I　would　sign　it；　submit　it　to　the　approval　of　the　Commandant　of　Cadets；　and　have　the　charges　withdrawn。
  〃They　then　showed　me　the　written　apology　offered　by　Clark；　in　which　he　stated　that　his　offence　was　caused　by　passion；　because　he　thought　that　when　I　passed　him　on　the　steps　in　going　to　my　room　I　tried　to　brush　against　him。　He　also　expressed　his　regret　for　what　he　had　done；　and　asked　forgiveness。　I　was　satisfied　with　his　apology；　and　signed　it；　asking　that　the　charges　be　withdrawn；　which　was　done；　of　course；　and　Clark　was　released　from　arrest。　I　will；　in　justice　to　Cadet　Clark；　state　that　I　never　had　any　further　trouble　with　him；　for；　while　he　kept　aloof　from　me；　as　the　other　cadets　did；　he　alway　thereafter　acted　perfectly　fair　by　me　whenever　I　had　any　official　relations　with　him。
  〃A　few　days　after　the　settlement　of　our　dispute　I　found；　on　my　return　from　fencing　one　day；　that　some　one　had　entered　my　room　and　had　thrown　all　my　clothes　and　other　property　around　the　floor；　and　had　thrown　the　water　out　of　my　water…pail　upon　my　bed。　I　immediately　went　to　the　guard…house　and　reported　the　affair　to　the　officer　of　the　day；　who；　with　the　'officer　in　charge；'　came　to　my　room　to　see　what　had　been　done。　The　officer　of　the　day　said　that　he　had　inspected　my　quarters　soon　after　I　went　to　the　Fencing　Academy　and　found　everything　in　order；　and　that　it　must　have　been　done　within　a　half　hour。　The　Commandant　of　the　Cadets　made　an　investigation　of　the　matter；　but　could　not　find　out　what　young　'gentleman'　did　it；　for　every　cadet　stated　that　he　knew　nothing　of　it；　although　the　corps　of　cade