explanation is satisfactory, the offence is removed
and he gets no demerits, otherwise he does. For form
of explanation see Chapter X., latter part.

On the 26th of May, another colored candidate
reported. It is said he made the best show at the
preliminary examination. Unfortunately, however,
he was "found" at the following semi-annual
examination. He was brought up to my quarters by
a corporal, and I was ordered to give him all
instruction which had previously been given me.
This I did, and his first days at West Point were
much more pleasant than mine had been.

The candidates had now all reported, and Monday
afternoon, May 28th, we were each given by the
Adjutant in person a slip of paper upon which was
written the number of each man's name in an
alphabetically arranged roll. This we had special
directions to preserve. The next day we were
marched up to the Drawing Academy, and examined
in grammar, history, and geography; the following
day in orthography and reading. On the same day,
also, we were required to write out a list of all
the textbooks we had used in our previous school-
days. The day following we were divided into
sections and marched to the library, where the
Academic Board was in readiness to examine us in
mathematics. It took quite a while to examine our
class of more than one hundred members thus orally.