Henry Flipper was born into slavery in 1856. A bright child, he went on to Atlanta University. While a freshman there, he received an appointment to West Point. He was one of five “colored cadets” that entered the military academy in 1873. He withstood the “silent treatment” from all the white cadets. In spite of the ill treatment and the tough curriculum, he was the first African-American to graduate in 1877. He finished 50th in a class of 76. He joined the 10th Cavalry as a Second Lieutenant at Fort Sill. As an engineer he and his Buffalo Soldiers did construction jobs in the area. He supervised the building of roads and telegraph lines. He drained malarial ponds by way of a ditch that became known as “Flipper’s Ditch” and is today a national landmark. Most white officers were unfriendly, but he was mentored by Capt. Nicholas Nolan. Nolan created a scandal by having Flipper over for dinner. To make matters worse, Nolan’s daughter was present! Later, Flipper became friends with Nolan’s sister-in-law. They went riding and exchanged letters. Unfortunately, Flipper’s careers took them separate ways and he came under the command of a racist. Col. William Shafter ordered Flipper to keep the quartermaster’s safe in his quarters. Soon after, Flipper discovered a substantial amount of money missing. Figuring he was being set up, he tried to cover up the loss and lied about it. Although local citizens, who respected him, raised the amount, but Shafter insisted on a court-martial. He was found innocent of embezzlement, but guilty of “conduct unbecoming an officer” (a charge added after the trial began) and dismissed. White officers had been punished much less for embezzlement. Flipper spent years trying to appeal with no success. Pres. Arthur refused to lighten the sentence. Flipper became a civil engineer and worked on various projects. He was an assistant to Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall at the time of the Teapot Dome Scandal. Justice took a long time and came after his death. There is now a bust of him at West Point and a cadet wins the Henry O. Flipper Award each year for “leadership, self-discipline, and perseverance in the face of unusual difficulties”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Ossian_Flipper
https://history.army.mil/html/topics/afam/flipper.html
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/henry-ossian-flipper
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