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The Brownsville Affair

Springfield 1903 rifle

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1. Springfield 1903 rifle

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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. Buffalo soldiers of the 25th Infantry, some wearing buffalo robes, Ft. Keogh, Montana
5. Chaplain T. G. Steward
6. 25th Infantry Bicycle corps, 1896
11. 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.
17. Sergeant Mingo Sanders, Fort Missoula, 1895
22. Springfield 1903 rifle

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August 1906 On Sunday August 12th , a White woman, Mrs. Evans, reported being attacked by a man she described as a “Negro soldier.” The assailant had allegedly grabbed her by the hair outside her front gate and thrown her to the ground, leaving Mrs. Evans unhurt, but deeply shaken. Immediately the town erupted. The Brownsville Daily Herald published a front page story about the attack, and Mrs. Evans’ husband burst into the Mayor’s office, demanding permission to take a group of 50 townsmen to Fort Brown to find the perpetrator.

Brownsville’s Mayor, Dr. Fred Combe, refused the request, and instead he and Mr. Evans went alone to speak with Major Penrose. Upon hearing the story, Major Penrose declared that he was certain it had not been one of his men none had ever been accused of such a thing at any previous post but that he would offer any assistance he could. As the two townsmen left, Mayor Combe suggested that the soldiers should remain at the fort rather than going into town that night. Familiar with his citizens, Mayor Combe predicted trouble. Major Penrose, still certain of his men’s innocence but hardly naïve to the climate in town, agreed.

That night, all passes into town were cut off, and all soldiers ordered to be in their barracks by 8 o’clock and not leave again until morning. Three patrols swept the town to round up any soldiers already enjoying their day passes, and by 8 o’clock all but 2 men of the 25th Infantry were safely in their barracks. Those two, out on 24 hour passes, both spent the night peacefully, each in the bed of local women happy for the company.

Just before midnight on August 13th , the sound of gunshots shattered the sleep of soldiers and townspeople alike. The soldiers, fearing the worst, leapt into action. Well trained, the companies were up and armed within 20 minutes, and all the men save one White officer accounted for. He was later found to have slept through the alarm call completely.

In town, the shooting caused panic. Almost immediately, townsfolk were convinced it was the soldiers attacking, and they took refuge where they could. Hotel owner Katie Leahy sheltered several people, including two policemen, in her hotel, and the saloonkeepers downtown pulled in any men still out and about and boarded their doors shut.

When the smoke cleared, it was found that one man, a young bartender named Frank Natus , had been killed, and police lieutenant Joe Dominguez had been shot in the arm, which would later have to be partially amputated as a result. Two residences were damaged by bullets. No damage could be found at the fort. Each and every townsperson who had witnessed the shooting swore it had been done by the soldiers. Those who had seen the shooters swore, both candidly and under oath, that they had seen dark faces lit up by the firing guns, and those who had only heard voices asserted that the coarseness of those voices meant they could only belong to Black soldiers.