The graduates from these camps along with a few National Guardsmen who had taken the officers' examinations, and others trained in France, made up the balance of the 1,200 commissioned.
In connection with the artillery training an interesting fact developed.
It had been charged that Negroes could not develop into artilleryman.

A strong prejudice against inducting them into that branch of the service had always existed in the army.

It was especially affirmed that the Negro did not possess the mathematical ability necessary to qualify as an expert artillery officer.

Nevertheless, out of a number of Negro aspirants, very small in comparison with the white men in training for officers' commissions at the camp, five of the Negroes stood alongside their white brothers at the head of the class.

The remainder were sprinkled down the line about in the same proportion and occupying the same relative positions as the whites.