From 1867 through 1885, all of the Black army units, both infantry
and cavalry, spent time at Fort Davis. During this time period, 14
Buffalo Soldiers and four Black-Seminole Indians received the Medal
of Honor, and the size of the fort grew from about 200 to over 600.
Such a large garrison required a lot of supplies and support, so the
town of Fort Davis grew up around it, and at one time was one of the
largest towns in Texas. The fort today is restored to appear as it
would have in 1880s when the 10th Cavalry was stationed here, and
Col. Grierson and his family were living in the Commanding Officer’s
Quarters. The bunks of the enlisted men’s barrack have the names
of the men who were stationed here at that time. Grierson enjoyed
the area so much that he moved back after retirement in 1890. His
descendants donated many of the original furnishings in the
Commanding Officer’s Quarters after the National Park Service
acquired the site in 1963.
It should not be surprising that the Black troops often faced
discrimination and hostility in a state where they had once been
enslaved but were now depended upon to provide protection against
Natives and outlaws as well as to repair roads and string telegraph
wire. This hostility could result in being denied food, lodging or
transportation at stagecoach stops and mail posts they were ordered
to protect. Discrimination was not limited to the enlisted men. The
first Black officer to graduate from West Point, Lt. Henry Flipper,
was court martialed at Fort Davis in 1881 under the command of
Col. Shafter. He had received excellent ratings under a previous
commander at another post. Flipper was charged with embezzlement
and conduct unbecoming an officer (misleading a higher-ranking
officer in his official duties and possibly corresponding with a White
woman while off duty). Although acquitted of the embezzlement
charge, Lt. Flipper was convicted of the second and dismissed from
the Army. He went on to have a distinguished career as an engineer
in both the public and private sectors. Lt. Flipper was pardoned
posthumously by President Clinton after an Army review board
noted that the punishment was excessive compared to similar cases
at that time.
It was not unusual for a White officer to turn down a promotion to
lead a Black unit because of fear of being tainted by association and
being denied further promotion. Col. Grierson, who played a pivotal
role in the Battle of Vicksburg, had recruited the 10th Cavalry in
1867 and was its commander until 1885. Yet he was denied
promotion to general until a month before retirement. This was in
spite of his success against Victorio. General “Black Jack” Pershing,
who was the commander of the US Expeditionary Force in WWI, was
given a less flattering nickname after commanding Buffalo Soldiers
in Montana.
In spite of discrimination, the morale of the Black units was very
high; their desertion rate and number of courts martial were lower
than White units and their re-enlistment rate was higher. Part of
this may be because Black and White soldiers received the same pay
($13/month for a private), food, equipment, and medical care. In
many ways, prospects of a career were better in the army than in
civilian life. Those that did leave the service were in demand as
cowboys; in fact, about 25% of the cowpokes
in West Texas were Black.
Once Native Americans were moved onto
reservations and gave up trying to defend
their lands, military campaigns against
them ended and the Buffalo Soldiers took on
other responsibilities. For example, during
the summers of the early 1900s, Black units
were sent to Sequoia and Yosemite National
Parks to build roads and trails as well as
curb poaching and illegal logging. One year
their commanding officer was Capt. Charles
Young, an early Black graduate of West
Point, who is considered the first Black
superintendent of a national park (Sequoia).
Buffalo Soldiers fought in the Spanish
American War, where their bravery earned
the respect of Theodore Roosevelt; they
fought in Cuba, the Philippines, Mexico, and
in World Wars I and II. They leave an
established record of bravery and sacrifice,
but limited recognition.
Photos by Dana Jones
Cenizo
Summer 2020
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