Benjamin Grierson
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Brigadier General Benjamin Henry Grierson (July 8, 1826, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - August 31, 1911, Omena, Michigan) was an American army officer. He fought on the Union side of the American Civil War.
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Life
Grierson was born in 1826, the youngest of five siblings. He became afraid of horses when at age eight he was kicked and nearly killed by a horse. In 1851, he became music teacher and band leader in Jacksonville, Illinois. He married Alice Kirk of Youngstown, Ohio on September 24, 1854. The couple had seven children, four of whom survived to adulthood. Alice died August 14, 1888; Grierson later married Lillian Atwood King, a widow, July 28, 1897. During his life, he had homes in Jacksonville, Illinois, Fort Concho, and a summer home at Omena, Michigan. In 1907 he suffered a debilitating stroke; he died in 1911 and was buried in Jacksonville, Illinois.
Civil War
As a Colonel he led Grierson's Raid in April and May of 1863, a brilliant piece of American Civil War maneuvering. Became major general of volunteers, moving up from a volunteer aide. Commander of the District of Northern Alabama.
Post Civil War
Colonel Grierson organized the Tenth United States Cavalry, one of two mounted regiments composed of black enlisted men and white officers.
Called the Buffalo Soldiers: "The only White officer who supports the unit is Regimental Commanding Officer Colonel Benjamin Grierson. Ostracized by other officers for his enthusiastic command of the African-American troops, Grierson believes in the abilities, dedication, and record of performance of the Buffalo Soldiers and declines offers to lead at any other post. General Pike offers to relieve Grierson "of this self-imposed exile and have him commanding a real cavalry regiment within a month," but Grierson refuses" - TNT's "Buffalo Soldiers".
- 1867-69 - Was commander at Fort Riley, then later Fort Gibson.
- 1868-69 - Headed the District of the Indian Territory.
- 1869-72 - Selected the site for Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and acted as commander, and supervised construction of the post. He angered residents of the Texas frontier with his support of the peace policy on the Kiowa-Comanche Reservation.
- 1873-74 - Spent two years as superintendent of the Mounted Recruiting Service at St. Louis.
- 1875-78 - Commander at Fort Concho, Texas.
- 1878-80 - Commander of the District of the Pecos. 1880 he defeated Victorio and ended the Indian threat to West Texas.
- 1882-82 - Moved his headquarters to Fort Davis, TX.
- 1883-83 - Commanded the Department of Texas in September and October.
- 1885-86 - Transferred to Arizona, Commanded Whipple Barracks and later Fort Grant.
- 1886-88 - Commander of the District of New Mexico. There he dealt sympathetically and effectively with problems on the Jicarilla and Navajo reservations.
- 1888-90 - Commander of the Department of Arizona.
- 1890-April 5th - Promoted to brigadier general.
- July 8, 1890 - Retired
Hollywood:
Colonel Grierson is a prominent figure in Turner Network Television's the "Buffalo Soldiers".
The part of Colonel Marlowe, played by John Wayne in the movie The Horse Soldiers is loosely based on Grierson.
External links
- The Handbook of Texas (http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/GG/fgr59.html)
- Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Leavenworth (http://leav-www.army.mil/history/buffsold.htm)
- Buffalo Soldiers (http://learning.turner.com/tntlearning/buffalo/entire.html)
- Grierson's Report of His 1863 Raid (http://www.swcivilwar.com/GriersonRaidReport.html)
- Grierson's Raid @ Civil War Web (http://www.civilwarweb.com/articles/06-99/grierson.htm)
Alice Kirk Grierson and the Tenth Cavalry Officers’ Wives at Fort Davis
- NPS Fort Davis (http://www.nps.gov/foda/Fort_Davis_WEB_PAGE/About_the_Fort/Following_The_Guidon.htm)