John Hanks Alexander
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2016) |
John Hanks Alexander | |
|---|---|
Indian Wars |
John Hanks Alexander (January 6, 1864 – March 26, 1894) was the first
United States armed forces to hold a regular command position and the second African-American graduate of the United States Military Academy (after Henry Ossian Flipper).[2]
Early life
John Hanks Alexander was born on January 6, 1864, at
Justice of the Peace in Arkansas and represented Phillips County in the Arkansas House of Representatives. He died in 1871.[3] All of the Alexander children graduated from high school and three attended Oberlin College in Ohio
.
Alexander graduated number one in his high school class in Helena and soon moved to
of Ohio.Military career
During his term at
West Point, Alexander was generally accepted by the other cadets and was not subjected to as much intolerance as previous black cadets. Alexander was known as an excellent student, especially in mathematics and languages and was a skilled boxer while at the academy
. He graduated in the class of 1887 ranking 32nd in a class of 64.
Alexander was assigned to the
Buffalo soldiers. In 1888, he was transferred to Fort Washakie, Wyoming, where he performed the garrison duty typical of an officer with a western frontier posting. While assigned to Fort Duchesne, Utah, in 1889, Alexander temporarily led the 9th Cavalry's B Troop, becoming the first black officer in the Army to hold a command position.[4]
In February 1894, Alexander was sent to
military honors in Xenia, Ohio[5]
Legacy
A military installation at Newport News, Virginia, was named Camp Alexander in honor of John Alexander.[6]
See also
References
- Archive.org. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
- ^ Ayodale, Braimah. "Alexander, John Hanks (1864-1894)." BlackPast.org. Retrieved April, 28, 2017.
- ISBN 9780807120828.
- ISBN 978-0-8032-1385-2.
- Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, September 18, 2009. Retrieved April 2017.
- ^ "Camp Hill and Camp Alexander Marker, W-68." Archived April 2, 2015, at the Wayback Machine www.markerhistory.com. Retrieved April 1, 2015.