In Honor of Veterans Day 2021: The Last Spanish-American War Survivors, Jones Morgan,

From the Spanish-American War  Centennial Website.

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.

Blacks Serving in the Military-- Part 4: Spanish American War and Aftermath

In April 1898, following a period of rising tension over Spanish treatment of native Cubans, the United States declared war on Spain.

The Navy had enough manpower, but the Army only had 28,000 soldiers.  Enlistees, volunteers and National Guard units soon added 220,000 more, including 5,000 black men, but the only black troops to fight in the war were the Buffalo Soldiers.

The bloodiest and best-known battle in Cuba was the Battle of San Juan Hill, during which the most difficult fighting was by the Buffalo Soldiers, five of whom received the Medal of Honor for that action.

They would go on to achieve fame and distinction in the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1903), Mexico (1914), World War I (1916-1918) and World War II (1944-1945).

Blacks Serving in the U.S. Military-- Part 3: The Civil War and Post War, the Buffalo Soldiers

Feb. 23 War 1812 search

Of course, some 180,000 Blacks served in the Union Army during the Civil War.  I will write about the black experience in this war in my Saw the Elephant: The Civil War blog.

After the Civil War, Congress organized the Army into ten cavalry regiments and forty-five infantry ones.  When the Army pared back to 25  regiments of infantry in 1869, the four black regiments were consolidated into two.  The two were the 24th and 25th, which came to be known as the "Buffalo Soldiers" and were posted mostly to the Southwest and West.

Their job was primarily to battle Indians who gave them that name.

Buffalo Soldiers would serve in the U.S. military for the next fifty years, primarily in the Indian Wars , for which thirteen enlisted men and six officers received the Medal of Honor.

Francis E. Warren AFB, Cheyenne, Wyoming-- Part 2: Fort Russell

The Air Force base was originally named Fort D.A. Russell when it was established in 1867 to protect workers on the Union Pacific Railroad.   In 1930, the fort's name was changed to Fort Francis E. Warren. In 1949, it became Francis E. Warren Air Force Base.

It was the home of three black regiments, the famed Buffalo soldiers, for much of the late 19th century.  By 1900, Fort Russell was one of the largest cavalry bases in the United States.

In 1898, the Spanish-American War renewed the importance of the post.    Soon afterwards, the 8th Cavalry  left for Cuba.    Later that year, the Wyoming National Guard mustered in at Fort Russell.  In the Battle of Manila, the Wyoming National Guard were the first to reach the city and raise the flag.

In 1901, troops from Fort Russell returned to the Philippines  to put down the insurrection for independence during the Philippine-American War.  They returned with a Queen Mary Tudor cannon forged in 1557 and two of the three Belangiga bells, which had been used by the insurrectionists as a signal to launch an ambush on American troops.

The bells were returned to the Philippines in 2018.  The seven-foot cannon,  the only one of its kind in the U.S. is on display near the base flagpole.

--Cooter

Buffalo Soldiers- Part 2

He said that he was one of the last group of Buffalo Soldiers, but that there were still some members from World War II and the Korean War alive, but not at this reunion.

He was looking forward to the Buffalo Soldier reunion to be held in Houston the last weekend in July and that at least nor World War II veteran was going to be there and that though he was in his early nineties, he still gets around.

Sadly, there are only around fifty Buffalo Soldiers still alive that they know of.

I told him I always felt it was a shame that these men, who risked their lives for their country would have been treated so poorly in the segregated military back then.  That would include the Tuskegee Airmen and Montfort Marines.

A Great Experience Meeting This Man.

Buffalo Soldiers- Part 1

There is a big reunion of black veterans here at the Best Western in Goldsboro, N.C..  Most are from the Vietnam era, so a lot of white hair, like me.

This morning at breakfast (great breakfasts at Best Western Pluses) I saw an older man at the front desk with a fanny pack with the words "Buffalo Soldier" on it.  He then got breakfast and sat down next to us.  What a great opportunity, so I initiated a conversation.

For those of you who don't know, Buffalo Soldiers were blacks who fought the Indians in the years after the Civil War and up until President Truman integrated the military in 1951.

He had been among the last members. of the all-black Buffalo Soldiers.

A Proud Unit, A Proud Man.