Today is the anniversary of the entry of Henry Flipper into West Point in 1873. He became the first black to graduate.
Henry Flipper was born to slave parents in 1856. He got an appointment to West Point in 1873 and persevered through the “silent treatment” to become the first African-American to graduate in 1877. (The four blacks who had entered before him did not make it to graduation.) He was assigned to the 10 Cavalry Regiment (“The Buffalo Soldiers”) as a 2nd Lt. He participated in the Apache Wars and had a good record. He was mentored by a white officer named Nicholas Nolan. Flipper had a relationship with Nolan’s sister-in-law which involved the exchange of letters. Later, Flipper was assigned to be quarter master under a racist officer. He was “asked” to keep the quartermaster’s safe in his private quarters. When Flipper discovered $2,000 missing, he tried to cover it up and ended up being charged with embezzlement. During the trial, the letters were introduced and a charge of misconduct was added. Although found innocent of embezzlement, he was court martialed for “conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman”. Flipper was given a dishonorable discharge. He went on to a distinguished career as a surveyor and engineer, but always proclaimed his innocence. In 1999, Pres. Clinton granted him a pardon. Clinton proclaimed: “Henry Flipper did everything his country asked him to do.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Ossian_Flipper
https://history.army.mil/html/topics/afam/flipper.html
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-african-american-graduate-of-west-point
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