第60章

While I was a plebe， I invariably fell in in the rear rank along with the other plebes. This is a necessary and established custom. As soon as Ibecame a third-classman， and had a right to fall in in the front rank whenever necessary or convenient， they became uneasy， and began their plans for keeping me from that rank. The first sergeant of my company did me the honor of visiting me at my quarters and politely requested me--not order me， for he had no possible authority for such an act--to fall in invariably on the right of the rear rank. To keep down trouble and to avoid any show of presumption or forwardness on my part， as I had been advised by an officer， I did as he requested， taking my place on the right of the rear rank at every formation of the company for another whole year. But with all this condescension on my part I was still the object of solicitous care. My falling in there did not preclude the possibility of my own classmates， now also risen to the dignity of third-classmen， falling in next to me. To perfect his plan， then， the first sergeant had the senior plebe in the company call at his "house，"and take from the roster an alphabetical list of all the plebes in the company. With this he (the senior plebe) was to keep a special roster， detailing one of his own classmates to fall in next to me. Each one detailed for such duty was to serve one week--from Sunday morning breakfast to Sunday morning breakfast.

The keeper of the roster was not of course to be detailed.

It is astonishing how little care was taken to conceal this fact from me. The plan， etc.， was formed in my hearing， and there seems to have been no effort or even desire to hide it from me.

Returning from supper one evening， I distinctly heard this plebe tell the sergeant that "Mr.--refused to serve." "You tell him，" said the sergeant， "I want to see him at my 'house' after supper. If he doesn't serve I'll make it so hot for him he'll wish he'd never heard of West Point."Is it not strange how these models of mankind， these our superiors， strive to thrust upon each other what they do not want themselves？ It is a meanness， a baseness， an unworthiness from which I should shrink. It would be equally astonishing that men ever submit to it， were it not that they are plebes， and therefore thus easily imposed upon.

The plebe in this case at length submitted.

When I became a second-classman， no difference was made by the cadets in their manner of falling in， whether because their scruples were overcome or because no fitting means presented themselves for avoiding it， I know not. If they happened to be near me when it was time to fall in， they fell in next to me.

In the spring of '76， our then first sergeant ordered us to fall in at all formations as nearly according to size as possible. As soon as this order was given， for some unknown reason， the old régime was readopted.

If I happened to fall in next to a first-classman， and he discovered it， or if a first-classman fell in next to me， and afterward found it out， he would fall out and go to the rear. The second and third-classmen， for no other reason than that first-classmen did it， "got upon their dignity， and refused to stand next to me. We see here a good illustration of that cringing， "bone-popularity" spirit which I have mentioned elsewhere.

The means of prevention adopted now were somewhat different from those of a year before. A file-closer would watch and follow me closely， and when I fell in would put a plebe on each side of me. It was really amusing sometimes to see his eagerness， and quite as amusing， I may add， to see his dismay when I would deliberately leave the place thus hemmed in by plebes and fall in elsewhere.

We see here again that cringing disposition to which I believe the whole of the ill-treatment of colored cadets has been due. The file-closers are usually second-class sergeants and third-class corporals. By way of "boning popularity" with the upper classmen， they stoop to almost any thing. In this case they hedged me in between the two plebes to prevent upper classmen from falling in next to me.

But it may be asked why I objected to having plebes next to me. I would answer， for several reasons. Under existing circumstances of prejudice， it was of the utmost importance to me to keep them away from me.

First--and by no means the least important reason--to put them in the front rank was violating a necessary and established custom. The plebes are put in the rear rank because of their inexperience and general ignorance of the principles of marching， dressing， etc. If they are in the front rank， it would simply be absurd to expect good marching of them. A second reason， and by far the most important， results directly from this one. Being between two plebes， who would not， could not keep dressed， it would be impossible for me to do so. The general alignment of the company would be destroyed. There would be crowding and opening out of the ranks， and it would all originate in my immediate vicinity. The file-closers， never over-scrupulous when I was concerned， and especially when they could forward their own "popularity-boning" interests， would report me for these disorders in the company. I would get demerits and punishment for what the plebes next to me were really responsible for. The plebes would not be reported， because if they were their inexperience would plead strongly in their favor， and any reasonable explanation of an offence would suffice to insure its removal. I was never overfond of demerits or punishments， and therefore strenuously opposed any thing that might give me either； for instance， having plebes put next to me in ranks.