The Colored Cadet at West Point - Autobiography of Lieut. Henry Ossian Flipper. Henry Ossian Flipper
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wheaten."—To be excused by surgeon.
"To yank."—To seize upon violently.
"O. G. P."—Old guard privileges.
"Chem."—Chemistry.
"Math."—Mathematics.
"Phil."—Philosophy.
"Rocks."—Mineralogy.
"Wigwag."—Signalling.
"To get out of."—To shun, to shirk.
"Thing."—A "plebe."
"To extinguish."—To distinguish.
"To go for."—To haze.
"House."—Room, quarters.
"To freeze to."—To hold firmly.
"To wipe out."—To destroy.
"Limbo."—Confinement.
"Solemncholy."—Sad, dejected.
"Plebeskin."—A rubber overcoat issued to new cadets.
"Turnbacks."—Cadets turned back to a lower class.
"Div," "subdiv."—Division, subdivision.
"Devils."—Fellows familiarly.
"Tab."—Tabular system of French.
"To celebrate."—To do.
"A stayback."—A graduate detained at graduation to instruct the new cadets.6
"Scratch day."—A day when lessons are hard or numerous.
"Gum game."—A joke.
"To fudge."—To copy.
BENNY HAVENS O.
[A number of cadets sitting or lounging about the room. One at table pouring out the drinks. As soon as he is done he takes up his own glass, and says to the others, "Come, fellows," and then all together standing:]
—Stand up in a row,
For sentimental drinking we're going for to go;
In the army there's sobriety, promotion's very slow,
So we'll cheer our hearts with choruses of Benny Havens' O.
Of Benny Havens' O, of Benny Havens' O,
We'll cheer our hearts with choruses of Benny Havens' O.
When you and I and Benny, and General Jackson too,
Are brought before the final Board our course of life t' review,
May we never "fess" on any point, but then be told to go
To join the army of the blest at Benny Havens' O.
At Benny Havens' O, at Benny Havens' O,
To join the army of the blest at Benny Havens' O.
To the ladies of the army let our bumpers ever flow,
Companions of our exile, our shield 'gainst every woe,
May they see their husbands generals with double pay to show,
And indulge in reminiscences of Benny Havens' O.
Of Benny Havens O, of Benny Havens' O,
And indulge in reminiscences of Benny Havens' O.
'Tis said by commentators, in the land where we must go
We follow the same handicraft we followed here below;
If this be true philosophy (the sexton, he says no),
What days of dance and song we'll have at Benny Havens' O.
At Benny Havens' O, at Benny Havens' O,
What days of dance and song we'll have at Benny Havens' O!
To the ladies of the Empire State, whose hearts and albums too
Bear sad remembrance of the wrongs we stripling soldiers do,
We bid you all a kind farewell, the best recompense we know—
Our loves and rhymings had their source at Benny Havens' O.
At Benny Havens' O, at Benny Havens' O,
Our loves and rhymings had their source at Benny Havens' O.
[Then, with due solemnity, every head uncovered and bowed low, they sing:]
There comes a voice from Florida, from Tampa's lonely shore;
It is the wail of gallant men, O'Brien is no more;
In the land of sun and flowers his head lies pillowed low,
No more to sing petite coquille at Benny Havens' O.
At Benny Havens' O, at Benny Havens' O,
No more to sing petite coquille at Benny Havens' O, etc.
6. When the cadets are in barracks, the officer of the guard on Sundays either has or assumes authority to detain from church, for any emergency that might arise, one or two or more members of his guard, in addition to those on post on duty. Cadets so detained are called "staybacks.
CHAPTER V.
PLEBE CAMP.
"Plebe Camp!" The very words are suggestive. Those who have been cadets know what "plebe camp" is. To a plebe just beginning his military career the first experience of camp is most trying. To him every thing is new. Every one seems determined to impose upon him, and each individual "plebe" fancies at times he's picked out from all the rest as an especially good subject for this abuse (?). It is not indeed a very pleasant prospect before him, nor should he expect it to be. But what must be his feelings when some old cadet paints for his pleasure camp scenes and experiences? Whatever he may have known of camp life before seems as naught to him now. It is a new sort of life he is to lead there, and he feels himself, although curious and anxious to test it, somewhat shy of entering such a place. There is no alternative. He accepts it resignedly and goes ahead. It is not always with smiling countenance that he marches out and surveys the site after reveille. Indeed, those who do have almost certainly received A highly colored sketch of camp life, and are hastening to sad disappointment, and not at all to the joys they've been led to expect. He marches into the company streets. He surveys them carefully and recognizes what is meant by "the plebes have to do all the policing," servants being an unknown luxury. He also sees the sentry-boxes and the paths the sentinels tread, and shudders as he recollects the tales of midnight adventure which some wily cadet has narrated to him. Imagination begins her cruel work. Already he sees himself lying at the bottom of Fort Clinton Ditch tied in a blanket, or perhaps fetterless and free, but helpless. Or he may imagine his hands are tied to one, and his feet to the other tent-pole, and himself struggling for freedom as he recognizes that the reveille gun has been fired and those merciless fifers and drummers are rapidly finishing the reveille. And, horror of horrors! mayhap his fancies picture him standing tremblingly on post at midnight's solemn hour, his gun just balanced in his hands, while numbers of cadets in hideous sheets and other ghostly garb approach or are already standing around torturing him. And again, perchance, he challenges some approaching person in one direction, and finds to his dismay the officer of the day, the officer of the guard, and a corporal are crossing and recrossing his post, or having already advanced without being challenged, are demanding why it is, and why he has been so negligent.
Just after reveille on the morning of June 22d the companies were marched to their company streets, and the "plebes" assigned to each followed in rear.