Second Lieutenant Henry Ossian Flipper, A Soldier's Story
Second Lieutenant Henry Ossian Flipper, A Soldier's Story
Henry Ossian Flipper was born on March 21, 1856, in Thomasville, Georgia. Enslaved until the end of the Civil War, Flipper emerged from emancipation determined to secure an education and a future defined by merit rather than circumstance.
He attended Atlanta University, where his academic performance and discipline distinguished him among his peers. With the recommendation of Representative James C. Freeman, Flipper received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. In 1877, after enduring years of isolation and hostility, he became the first cadet of African descent to graduate from the Academy.
Upon commissioning, Second Lieutenant Flipper was assigned to the 10th Cavalry Regiment, one of the famed Buffalo Soldier units, and sent west to Fort Sill in Indian Territory. There, he served as a frontier officer, scout, and surveyor. His technical abilities led to additional duties as a quartermaster, a role that carried significant financial and logistical responsibility. During this period, he also conducted important surveying work, including drainage projects that remain associated with his name.
In 1882, Second Lieutenant Flipper was accused of embezzlement by fellow officers. At his court-martial, the evidence made clear that the charges themselves were unfounded. Despite this, he was nonetheless dismissed from the Army under the charge of “conduct unbecoming an officer,” a decision widely regarded, both then and now, as unjust and racially motivated.
Following his dismissal, Flipper continued a distinguished career in civilian service. He worked as an engineer for the federal government, including roles connected to the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior. His work took him across the American West, Alaska, and Mexico, where he became a recognized authority on mining operations, surveying, and Spanish and Mexican land laws.
Flipper was also a prolific writer and scholar. He authored The Colored Cadet at West Point and Black Frontiersman: The Memoirs of Henry O. Flipper, The First Graduate of West Point, and translated Spanish and Mexican Land Laws: New Spain and Mexico, contributing lasting scholarship to legal and historical studies.
Throughout his life, Flipper never abandoned efforts to clear his name and restore his military standing. During the Spanish–American War, he sought to rejoin the Army, but congressional efforts to reinstate him repeatedly stalled. After his death on April 26, 1940, his descendants continued the long fight for justice.
On February 19, 1999, President Bill Clinton posthumously pardoned Second Lieutenant Henry Ossian Flipper, formally acknowledging the injustice of his court-martial and restoring his honor.
Second Lieutenant Flipper is buried at Flipper Cemetery in Thomasville, Georgia. His life stands as a testament to perseverance, professional excellence, and the enduring pursuit of justice, not only for himself but for the generations who followed.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
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