Henry Ossian Flipper - 10th Cavalry Regiment

10th Cavalry Regiment

In July 1877 Second Lieutenant Flipper reported to Fort Sill in the Indian Territory, for assignment with the 10th Cavalry. But the 10th was not at Fort Sill, they were at Fort Concho. He was not assigned to a cavalry troop but given work assignments including engineering a ditch to drain a swamp that was malaria-infested. He supervised the construction of roads and telegraph lines. Finally Flipper received orders to report to Fort Concho in West Texas in October 1877. He was assigned to A Troop. He was the first non-white officer to lead Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry.

Captain Nicholas M. Nolan, the commander of A troop, 10th Cavalry, was the officer assigned to teach him what was needed to know about being a cavalry officer. Nolan was censured by several white officers for allowing Flipper into his quarters for dinner, where his daughter Kate was present. Nolan defended his action by stating that Flipper was an "officer and a gentleman" just like any other officer present.

In August 1878 Nolan married his second wife, Anne Eleanor Dwyer in San Antonio, Texas. They had one child, a girl. Miss Mollie Dwyer, Anne's sister, arrived shortly after Troop A moved to Fort Elliott in Texas in early 1879. Mollie Dwyer and Flipper became friends and often went riding together. Nolan was the de facto commander of Fort Elliott and he made Flipper his adjutant. Flipper had high marks from his commander. However, there were murmurs and letters hinting at improprieties against Lt. Flipper, an African-American and Mollie Dwyer, a caucasian. It would be the beginning of a smear campaign. During the next many months he sent and received letters from his friend Mollie.

In the Fall of 1879 a Federal Marshal named Norton armed with blank warrants began a quarrel with a County Judge. Other county officials stepped in to defend the judge and Norton arrested all of them with his armed men. Norton took the county men to Fort Elliott to be placed in the guard house. Nolan was required by law to accept the prisoners and it appears that Nolan talked with the Wheeler County Judge. The telegraph lines then were suddenly cut and Nolan decided to act. Flipper gathered the prisoners in the middle of the night and with two soldiers set off for another Fort in Indian Territory.

Marshal Norton captured the entire party and arrested Flipper and one of his soldiers. The other soldier ran back to the Fort to report what had happened. Norton then set off for Dallas, Texas. Nolan mounted a detail of men and took off in pursuit. He caught up to the party and made it clearly known that no prisoners would be shot while trying to escape, because the Federal Marshal and his prisoners were now under military escort. A Federal Judge dismissed the warrants and Norton filed federal charges of "interfering with the process of the law" against the two officers. The two officers were quickly tried and found guilty. Both were fined a thousand dollars which was an enormous fine for its time. Norton was satisfied then left. The Federal Judge then suspended payment and dismissed the two military officers. Army relations in the county of Wheeler improved tremendously. Nolan had Flipper under his wing for the first part of the Apache Wars in early 1879 until he was reassigned to G Troop. Until November 1879, during his Captain's four month leave, Flipper commanded this unit by himself and received a well done.

In May 1880, Flipper and Nolan reunited during the Victorio Campaign. It would be the last time the two would meet. Throughout this period, his military career was encumbered by racism in the military, though he did have the support of some officers like Nolan and many of the white civilians he encountered who were impressed by his competency. In the later part of 1880 Flipper was transferred to Fort Davis and assigned as the post quartermaster and commissary officer.