Buffalo Soldiers at Fort McKavett

Buffalo Soldiers at Fort McKavett. . , Peek in the windows of the building closest to you to see a barracks for one of the two regiments of black cavalry stationed at Fort McKavett. Enlisted men lived in close quarters, so everything they owned was stored on shelves above their beds., Another Face of the Frontier , After the Civil War, the Army segregated black soldiers into the 9th and 10th cavalry and the 24th and 25th infantry. For the better part of three years, from 1869-1872, ALL of the hundreds of enlisted men stationed at Fort McKavett were black, as well as most of the civilians in Scabtown. During this time, the Fort McKavett area was one of the few places on the frontier with a majority of black residents., Opportunity Knocks , After the Civil War, the Army offered young black men an opportunity for advancement. As recruits, they received $13 per month (about $200 today) plus free food, clothing, education, housing and the chance to learn a skilled trade. The Army also put away money each month for each enlisted man, paying him a rate of 4% interest and giving him the lump sum upon discharge., Forming Communities , Some black ex-soldiers and Scabtown residents settled in this area and formed communities. Jacob Wilks was one such soldier. After escaping slavery via the Underground Railroad and serving in the Civil War, Sgt. Wilks was stationed at Fort McKavett from 1869-1874. After discharge, Wilks settled in the area and operated cattle ranches until he died a very wealthy man in 1922., Captions , The 1870 census report described the entire enlisted force at Fort McKavett as 191 blacks, 144 mulattoes, and 1 white negro born in England. These two Buffalo Soldier Privates may have served at Fort Mc Kavett in the 24th or 25th infantry., Here, Corporal Elijah Earles is wearing the uniform of the late 1860s cavalry. He may have served at Fort McKavett in the 9th or 10th cavalry., This photo of Jacob Wilks and his wife Elizabeth was taken near Fort McKavett in 1884.