Private Benjamin Horace Colbert, A Soldier's Story
Private Benjamin Horace Colbert, A Soldier's Story
Private Benjamin Horace Colbert was born on March 23, 1873, in Colbert, Oklahoma, within the Indian Territory.
On May 23, 1898, he enlisted in the United States Army and deployed with the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, better known as the Rough Riders, the famous regiment led by Colonel Theodore Roosevelt during the Spanish-American War.
During his service in Cuba, Private Colbert took part in both the Landing at Daiquirà and the Battle of Las Guasimas, two of the campaign’s earliest and most consequential engagements. Unlike many of his fellow soldiers, Colbert left behind a written record of his wartime experience. His journal opens with the title “The Experiences of a Redman with Roosevelt and His Rough Riders,” offering a rare firsthand account of the war through the eyes of a Native American serviceman. Colbert was a member of the Chickasaw Nation, and his writings remain a valuable personal and historical document from the conflict.
Following the war, Colbert returned to the Indian Territory, where he continued his public service. He was appointed U.S. Marshal for the southern district of the territory and remained active in civic life as a Mason and Shriner.
Private Benjamin Horace Colbert died on December 8, 1960. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery, remembered as a soldier who served with distinction and left behind his own words as part of the historical record.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
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