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The Brownsville Affair

Charge of the 24th and 25th Colored Infantry and Rescue of Rough Riders at San Juan Hill, July 2nd, 1898

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2. Dorsie Willis, 1974 Minneapolis: It was a smiling 87-year-old Dorsie Willis that talked to reporters, 1/10, after he received a check for $25,000 from the U.S. Government for being the sole survivor of the Brownsville Massacre. In 1906, Willis and 166 other black soldiers were dishonorably discharged from the Army following a racial incident. Early last year the secretary of the Army ordered all of the discharges changed to honorable. 'I'm very grateful (for the check),' said Willis. 'It's a great birthday present. But it comes too many years too late.'
3. 25th Infantry at Fort Missoula, circa 1900
4. Chaplain T. G. Steward
5. Buffalo soldiers of the 25th Infantry, some wearing buffalo robes, Ft. Keogh, Montana
9. Senator Joseph Foraker, 1908 Senator Foraker was primarily a friend to big businesses, and a supporter of de-regulation and laissez faire economics. However, he insisted to his death that his championing of the Brownsville soldiers, although prompted by political interests, was a fight to see justice done. His continued efforts to reverse the President’s decision, long after his allies in congress had abandoned him, supports his words.
10. 25th Infantry Bicycle corps, 1896
12. Sergeant Mingo Sanders, Fort Missoula, 1895
22. Springfield 1903 rifle

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The 25th Infantry Regiment, one of four regiments of Black soldiers established after the Civil War, had an exemplary service record. However, to many, the soldiers were Black men first and United States soldiers second, and the regiment endured being sent to the least desirable postings, being issued equipment already rejected by white regiments, and the racist attitudes of civilians in the towns they served. In 1906, in Brownsville, Texas, a shooting attributed to the soldiers of the 25th Infantry culminated in one of the most egregious examples of racism against Black soldiers in United States Army history.
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The 25th Infantry Regiment The 25th Infantry Regiment was a regiment in the United States Army comprised of Black soldiers and commanded by White officers. Authorized in May 1869, the 25th was part of the army’s post Civil War restructuring. It was one of four Black regiments in the army, along with the 24th Infantry, the 9th Cavalry, and the 10th Cavalry. Collectively, these regiments became known as the Buffalo Soldiers, after a nickname given to the 10th Cavalry. The nickname, supposedly given to them by Native American warriors (the specific tribe has never been conclusively determined), referenced the similarities between the soldiers’ hair and that of the buffalo.

Divided into 11 companies, the 25th Infantry’s first postings were in Louisiana and Mississippi. Soon, all 11 companies were transferred to Texas, where they would serve at various forts for the next 10 years. Their time in Texas was largely uneventful, punctuated by skirmishes with Mexican troops as the United States and Mexico clashed over the location of the international border.

In 1880 the 25th Infantry was ordered north, and they spent the next two decades serving at forts in Minnesota, Montana, and the Dakota territories. This included a stint at Fort Missoula by Companies G, H, I, and K. Fort Missoula was designated as the regional headquarters for the entire 25th Infantry, and was also the home of the regimental band.

In 1898, the 25th Infantry became the first Army unit called to Cuba to fight in the Spanish-American War. There, the regiment distinguished itself despite the crushing heat, and played a crucial role in the infamous charge up the San Juan Hill, a battle more commonly associated with future President Theodore Roosevelt and his 1st Volunteer Cavalry Rough Riders.

After the Spanish-American war ended, the 25th Infantry was granted a short rest and then sent to the Philippines. As a result of Spain’s defeat, the Philippines had been ceded to the United States. The Filipino people established a sovereign government, the First Philippine Republic, which the United States refused to recognize. The resulting Philippine-American War resulted in an American victory, and strict, repressive American rule over the islands.

The 25th Infantry returned to the United States in 1902, and served at various forts in the Oklahoma Territory for several years. In 1906, 3 companies were sent to Fort Brown, Texas.