The last surviving veteran of the war was a black man named Jones Morgan who passed away in Richmond, Virginia, on August 29, 1993, at the incredible age of 110. His records, however, were lost in a fire.
He was born on October 23, 1882, in Newberry County, South Carolina, and ran away from home at age 15 to join the Army which he did in 1897, signing up with the 9th U.S. Cavalry, known as the "Buffalo Soldiers, an all-black unit.
He served for two years before his family located him and had him discharged. Since he had runaway and was underage, it is likely that he used an alias when he originally enlisted, making his records nearly impossible to find.
He served as a cook and as a horse wrangler and was in Cuba and at the assault on San Juan Hill although he apparently did not take part in it. He also indicated that he helped wrangle horses for the Rough Riders.
He was buried in Section 16 of Forest Lawn Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, Section 16.
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