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Document - Former Slave Henry Flipper, West Point

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Black History

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Ex-Slave Henry O. Flipper is Listed on a West Point Document

January 19, 1877, Headquarters of the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, Document Ranking Engineering Students According to Their Merit, Choice Extremely Fine.
In this rare, official "U.S. Military Academy, West Point" Manuscript document, student Flipper is listed here as having a merit ranking in the study of Engineering, as number 58 out of 76 students in his class. This document is signed by an adjutant for Major General Schofield, who was superintendent of West Point at that time. Light toning; mounting remnants at one edge of the back. Henry O. Flipper (1856-1940) was born into slavery and graduated from West Point in 1877. He later served on the American Western frontier with the 10th Cavalry.

After his graduation, Flipper was commissioned a second lieutenant and assigned to the 10th Cavalry. He served on the frontier from 1878 until 1880, including Fort Sill, Oklahoma and Fort Concho, Texas. His duties included scouting, serving as post engineer surveyor, construction supervisor, post adjutant, acting assistant and post quartermaster, and commissary officer. In 1881, his commanding officer accused him of "embezzling funds and of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman," and he was court martialed (it has also been reported that he was seeing a white woman, an unforgivable offense at the time). Acquitted of the embezzlement charge, he was found guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer and on June 30, 1882, he was dismissed from the Army. As a civilian, Flipper went on to distinguish himself in a variety of governmental and private engineering positions, as well as writing and publishing several works. He died in 1940, having made numerous attempts to have his conviction reversed. Finally, on February 19, 1999, President Clinton pardoned Lieutenant Henry O. Flipper, recognizing the error and acknowledging Flipper's lifetime achievements.

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