in a measure rested, the drill would be resumed by
the command "'tion, squad" (abbreviated from
"attention" and pronounced "shun"). If the plebe
was slow, "place, rest" was again given, and

"When I give the command ''tion, squad,' I want to
see you spring up with life."

"'Tion, squad!"

Plebe is slow again.

"Well, mister, wake up. This is no trifling matter.
Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, sir, don't reply to me in ranks."

And many times and terms even more severe than these.

Now that Williams and myself were admitted, the
newspapers made their usual comments on such
occurrences. I shall quote a single one from The
New National Era and Citizen, published in Washington,
D.C., and the political organ of the colored people.
The article, however, as I present it, is taken from
another paper, having been by it taken from the Era
and Citizen: