Here we Are in Nevada......Nevada, MO That Is 8/27/2010

Well we were on the road again this morning headed to Nevada, MO. We packed up about 9:00 and were on the road by 9:30. The strap on our awning broke as I was retracting it and now we have no way to pull the awning out till we get it fixed. Another something to add to the list of things to have fixed. We had a trip of about 125 miles down I-29 through Kansas City, KS and Kansas City, MO. We survived the construction shut downs and morning traffic tie-ups and got to the campgrounds about noon. We are staying at Osage Prairie RV Park and small, 40 sites, very nice place for 2 nights. We checked in, set up and had lunch. The campgrounds has full hook ups, no TV though but it does have wi-fi when it works. The bathrooms are nice and very clean so that's a plus. After lunch, seeing as there is no TV we loaded some caches up and were off to find them and look around the downtown area. The caches we did really were all NRV caches with one right here at the campgrounds, one at a baseball field, one at a local park in the woods and 3 in cemeteries. One of the cemeteries we went to, Click Cemetery, had grave markers dating back to the 1830's.

After we were done caching we drove around Nevada to see what there was interesting and historical. Nevada is a city in Vernon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,607 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Vernon County. Nevada is the home of Cottey College, a junior college for women operated by the P.E.O. Sisterhood.
Before its incorporation in 1855, the small community was known as both Fair View and Hog-Eye. The latter name was considered crude, and the former had already been taken as a post office name. Therefore, town was named after Nevada City, California by circuit and county clerk DeWitt C. Hunter, who had tried his luck in the California Gold Rush of 1849. The first "a" rhymes with hay, making the pronunciation "Nuh-VAY-duh".
Vernon County suffered greatly during the American Civil War, and the entire town of Nevada was burned to the ground by a large group from nearby Cedar county on May 23, 1863. Men from Cedar county stormed the Nevada Court House, and were killed. Their bodies were left on the town square until they were taken to the undertaker. After the men didn't return home to Cedar county after a few days, a large group made it's way to Nevada. They told every household that they had 15 minutes to gather any items they wanted to save before their house would be set on fire.
For many years Nevada has been a home for the Moore's Opera House, built by Colonel Harry Moore and located on the corner of Cherry and Washington Streets.[4] It was built in May 1882 and burned after just 5 days. It was rebuilt in 10 months. It hosted plays, moving pictures and various traveling shows. The second Opera House building also burned down in April of 1907.
There were lots and lots of lovely old historic buildings which you will see in this and the next blog. We did drive around the campus of Cottey College c1884 interested in old buildings and lovely campus.

Cottey College, located in Nevada, Missouri is a private, two-year women's college. It was founded by Virginia Alice Cottey Stockard in 1884 and is currently owned and supported by the P.E.O. Sisterhood, a philanthropic women's organization.
Cottey College offers the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees. The type of degree a student receives is based upon the core curriculum and distribution requirements she completes. Students choose subjects of their interest and/or intended major. There is no obligation to declare a major while at Cottey; however, students usually complete prerequisites or requirements for their future field of study. Over 95% of graduates transfer to four-year institutions, including Smith College, Stephens College, Salem College, and Mount Holyoke College.
Cottey has a student to faculty ratio of 10:1, and the average class size is 13.It is not uncommon to have courses with fewer than 10 students. Faculty includes both men and women, with 94% holding the terminal academic degree in their field[citation needed]. The college's mission is stated in the college Catalog: "Cottey College will educate qualified women in the arts and sciences to prepare them for transfer to programs beyond the associate's degree by enhancing their intellectual ability, their store of knowledge, their personal skills, and thereby their capacity for contribution to society and their chosen fields."
The college has a nationally recognized leadership program known as LEO. The Center for Women's Leadership provides structured leadership training for current students and women from the area, as well as high school students.
Cottey is situated on 66 acres (270,000 m2) of land in Nevada, Missouri a rural town of about 9,000 people. The main campus is situated on 11 city blocks. Five blocks south of this is B.I.L. Hill, a 33-acre wooded area owned and used by Cottey for recreation, concerts, bonfires, picnics, suite nights, and other traditions.
The official colors of Cottey are yellow and white. Additionally, the senior class color is navy blue and the freshmen class color is "baby" blue. The senior class mascot was originally known as "Hermann the duck" and was adopted by the senior class in 1924. The current senior mascot is known as Hermitrude the duck, while the freshmen class chooses their own mascot every year (see Past Freshmen Mascots). The daisy was chosen by the first Cottey students to represent their school, and plays an important role in traditions like convocation and commencement.


Interesting thing about Cottey is that there has been tales of many paranormal activities going on in and around the college. Tales of ghostly happenings at Cottey have been told for decades. The most propagated story is of hearing a piano being played in Main Hall or Rosemary Hall at night, when no one else is there. The music is usually attributed to the ghost of Vera Neitzert, a high school student who attended Cottey in 1920. In May of that year she was cooking candy in a chafing dish in Main Hall when her nightclothes caught fire. She incurred serious burns all over her body and died a few days later in the American Sanitorium, which stood where the Blanche Skiff Ross Memorial Library is today. While she didn’t die on Cottey’s campus, her ghost is said to roam Main Hall and Rosemary Hall (before it was razed due to a failing foundation) and will wander all over the campus. Others believe that the piano is being played by Madame Blitz, head of Cottey’s music department at the turn of the 20th century. As well, in 1904, a Mme. Blitz drank carbolic acid and died in her home across the street from Cottey, and her spirit is still said to walk the campus.

The other story is that the Blanche Ross Skiff Library was built on top of an old Civil War Hospital and then in the 1880's a home was built for the Cottey Family. Students report books falling from the shelves, book carts rolling around, and music on the back stairs. An old man in a smoking jacket and cap has allegedly been seen on the balcony. Other haunts at this 1963 building include two little girls in Victorian dress who play on the stairs and a young woman in a long white gown who reads a book.

After we got done our ghost chasing we headed back to the coach for the day. Well that's about it from Nevada so until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Our Last Day in Platte City.....Cleaning 8/26/2010

Well this is our last day here in Platte City and we are going to spend it cleaning seeing as the weather has been so so nice and cool. We have even been able to open the windows at night its been so cool. I started with the awning as it had gotten filthy from the stuff running off the top of the coach onto it from the rain and the A/C. Mom started with the black marks all around the coach. After I was done I did the whole front of the coach top to bottom and Mom did all the storage compartments inside. Then I did the rest of the windows on the outside and Mom went in and did the front windows inside. After we were done that we called it a day, had lunch and took a trip to the store.


I do have some things we saw left over from yesterday that I didn't have room for on the 2 blogs yesterday. All of these pictures and history are from our visit to Weston, MO.


The Hatchery Bed & Breakfast: In 1845, a gentleman named Benjamin Wood acquired a piece of land from the town of Weston and built a beautiful, two-story, federal style home. Through the years the home changed hands several times. One of its owners was David Holladay, brother of Ben Holladay the "stagecoach king". He occupied the house until the late 1800's and ran the McCormick Distillery while his brother Ben ventured farther West to pursue other enterprises.
In the 1930's the Wood's home was converted to a boarding house. Quite often, due to the inexpensive rent, newly-weds and young married couples occupied the apartments. As time passed, many of these young couples conceived and had their children while residing there. Consequently, the townspeople coined the phrase "The Hatchery" for the "hatching" of babies.
In the late 1980's, the building was purchased by Glen and Jolene Payne. They began renovations to restore the "Hatchery" to its original form. After several years of hard work and determination, their work and dream was completed. They opened the home to the public in the form of a bed and breakfast.
The structure boasts six completely operational fireplaces, two of which have the original mantel pieces. The walls are constructed to a thickness of three bricks and the original hardwood flooring, windows and trim remain today. The Hatchery sits 1\2 block off of Main Street in downtown Weston and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


523 Main St:523 Main originally housed the How Boot and Shoe store. Constructed in 1848, from handmade brick with metal standing seam roof, this was one of the few buildings that survived the fires of 1853.


St George Hotel: The St. George Hotel, built in 1845-6, was one of three hotels in Weston during its heyday. The St. George is the only hotel building remaining. It was a working man's hotel and consisted of 47 rooms on the top two floors. On the first floor were a saloon, sample rooms (rooms behind the saloon that traveling salesmen rented to show their wares) a lobby/tobacco shop, a restaurant, and two retail spaces. It was a full three story brick structure.
A fire in December, 1890, as reported in the Weston Chronicle, left the building in ruins. We now know that the two street side brick walls were left standing. With an added brick facade, those two walls are part of the current building which dates to 1891. The building is now ten feet shorter than the original building and has a mansard roof. Except for the time between the fire and the reconstruction, the hotel was run continuously until 1984 when a small fire occurred in one of the three apartments on the first floor.
The hotel has had several owners and has been called the Weston Hotel, The Exchange Hotel, the Ryan Hotel as well as the St. George Hotel (St. George is the patron saint of rest).


512-516 Main St.: In 1844, Wilson G. Nobel, or "Boss" Nobel as many referred to him, established and operated one of Weston's first businesses; "W. G. Nobel Saddlery". "Boss" Nobel was one of Weston's earliest pioneers being registered in the Annuls of Platte County as early as 1838. The early Weston Chronicle quoted John Doniphan as saying ÒNobel saw Weston when its site was covered with forest trees and hazel brush; he helped bury the first man who died with his boots on. He saw the great flood of 1844, he witnessed the flood of '58 that washed away bridges and kept business men away from their homes until the next day. He fashioned a bridle for the great Kickapoo Chief Medora, that had a looking glass fitted to the forehead of the horse."
For 34 years, "Boss" Nobel owned and operated the saddle shop until he sold it to Julian Baker on April 8,1878. Julian Baker owned and operated the saddle shop for ten years in this location then he moved across the street staying in business for a total of 52 years.
In the late 1800's, at least two of the buildings caught on fire. The buildings were rebuilt out of the remaining structure. Part of the first building that was two stories is now one story. Thus the appearance of the buildings changed significantly. From 1911 to 1920 the Brill Furniture Company occupied the building alongside Brill's Mortuary. Later, in 1927, the Furniture Company was sold and the Mortuary then resided in two of the three buildings.
J.H. Brill and his wife owned Brill's Mortuary, they both secured embalmer's licenses and were both members of the State and National Funeral Directors' Association. Mrs. Brill was one of the first few lady embalmers in the state of Missouri. The first unit of the mortuary was bought in 1920. Later a garage and office building were added. The garage was located in the back of the building. The office was located upstairs along with a second floor suite of five rooms and a bath, the reception room was also located upstairs serving as a chapel upon request.
In 1942, the Brills rented the Funeral home to Walter and Billy Vaughn, who operated Vaughn's Funeral home. They later bought the building in 1946. The Vaughns' lived on the second floor of the funeral home in a spacious two-bedroom apartment, which was formerly used as an office and reception room. In July of 1962, the Vaughn's added the third building, buying it From Dr. L. C. Calvert who owned and operated a medical office for many years.
The Vaughn's owned and operated the funeral home in this location until they built a new funeral home located on 45 Highway. Anne Bollin purchased two of the three buildings in 1993 to expand her growing business, Missouri Bluffs Boutique, which now occupies all three buildings


Kaufman Building: The Kaufmann building, located at 518-520 Main Street, began its life as a grocery and provision store in 1854. At that time the two story structure was brick with a cast iron facade on the first floor.
A. G. Bell operated a restaurant on the first floor in 1886 and Mrs. M. Bell had an ice cream parlor there in 1896. H. H. Hedges married Mary Bell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. Bell, specializing in baked goods and providing catering services at the location around 1909. In 1919, the building housed the Gould Battery Company, which was owned by George Parrish who is best known as the 'father of electricity' for Weston and most of Platte County. Even though Parrish was an expert electrician, due to overwork and days without sleep, he was electrocuted while repairing a line to a building on Market Street.
In the 1940s, the first floor was used as a dentist office and in the 1950s and 1960s both floors were apartments owned by B. J. Bless, Jr. In 1973, the second floor was converted to a modern apartment. In recent years, the apartment area was used for storage and left to deteriorate as water poured through a decaying roof. From the 1970s through the 1990s, the '518 Main' portion housed a variety of antique dealers and retailers.
The Kaufmann Building was purchased in 1996 by Cathy A. and Phelps D. Murdock, Jr. The exterior was repaired, improved and painted in authentic historic colors. The first floor portion, known as 518 Main, and the entire second floor, known as 518-520 Main, were substantially repaired, redecorated and integrated into a single retail establishment to accommodate Currant Cottage, a home furnishings and antique store, operated by the Murdocks.
The Kaufmann Building has been home to Renditions Polish Pottery Shop since 2009. After a complete renovation, the first floor has returned to its original high ceilings, wood floors, and exposed brick walls. During the renovation the upstairs was also completely gutted and converted into two loft-style apartments.





420 Main St: n 1866, B.F. Freeland opened the first of a long line of grocery stores at the building at 420 Main Street, which continued until 1996, when McCormick Distilling Company took over the space for their Country Store. Between 1886 and 1996, seven different grocery markets operated in the space. The only interruption to the grocery store legacy was in 1886 when A.H. O'Dowd, who served as Weston's postmaster for four years, opened his Furniture & Undertaking business. This combination may seem bizarre now, but was actually fairly commonplace during this period.
A period newspaper article describes the stock of Mr. O'Dowd's store as "...thoroughly up-to-date in every particular, including an immense and carefully selected line of furniture; in suites or single pieces; wall paper, picture and room molding, window shades, rugs, oil cloth, matting and kindred supplies, in connection with which repairing and upholstering is done". The article goes on to describe Mr. O'Dowd's qualifications as an undertaker, relating that he was a "...practical funeral director and embalmer, a graduate in the science from the Oriental School of Embalming under Prof. F.A. Sullivan of Boston, and a licentiate under the State Board. He is a member of the State Funeral Directors Association, and in connection with this department of his business, he handles a fine stock of goods, including all grades and styles of caskets, cases, robes, suits and slippers, also being prepared to furnish a hearse".


The Benner House Bed & Breakfast: The Benner House Bed & Breakfast was built in 1898 by Mr. George Shawhan, owner of the Shawhan Distillery, known today as McCormick Distillery. Listed on the National Register of Historic places, this lovely Victorian home is a fine example of steamboat Gothic architecture.
In the 1900's the home was purchased by Mr. Charles Benner, a gentlemen farmer, who preferred to live in the "cityÓ. The home remained in the Benner family until 1986 when it was purchased by Ken and Karen West and converted into a bed and breakfast. The present owners, John and Julie Pasley, have continued the traditions of the early 1900's. The home is beautifully decorated with antiques and turn of the century pieces.
Upon entering the home, one immediately steps back in time. The double wrap around porches, gingerbread detail and large windows over looking the verandas enhance the spaciousness of this lovely old home. Original hand carved oak and beveled glass grace the front doorway along with brass lightning fixtures leading the way up the hand carved oak staircase. All the rooms have ten-foot ceilings, six foot windows, oak woodwork and pine floors.

Weston United Methodist Church: The Civil War brought construction of the Weston United Methodist to a halt. The church found itself divided on the slavery issue and during the war the church stood empty and unfinished. With peace restored the building was completed and in 1868, nine years after construction had begun, the Church was dedicated with a grand celebration.


Well that's about all from here for today so until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick

Buffalo Soldier's Monument & U.S. Disciplinary Barracks 8/25/2010

Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
The nickname was given to the "Negro Cavalry" by the Native American tribes they fought; the term eventually became synonymous with all of the African-American regiments formed in 1866:
* 9th Cavalry Regiment
* 10th Cavalry Regiment
* 24th Infantry Regiment
* 25th Infantry Regiment
Although several African-American regiments were raised during the Civil War to fight alongside the Union Army (including the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and the many United States Colored Troops Regiments), the "Buffalo Soldiers" were established by Congress as the first peacetime all-black regiments in the regular U.S. Army.On September 6, 2005, Mark Matthews, who was the oldest living Buffalo Soldier, died at the age of 111. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Sources disagree on how the nickname "Buffalo Soldiers" began. According to the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, the name originated with the Cheyenne warriors in the winter of 1867, the actual Cheyenne translation being "Wild Buffalo." However, writer Walter Hill documented the account of Colonel Benjamin Grierson, who founded the 10th Cavalry regiment, recalling an 1871 campaign against the Comanche tribe. Hill attributed the origin of the name to the Comanche due to Grierson's assertions. Some sources assert that the nickname was given out of respect for the fierce fighting ability of the 10th cavalry. Other sources assert that Native Americans called the black cavalry troops "buffalo soldiers" because of their dark curly hair, which resembled a buffalo's coat. Still other sources point to a combination of both legends. The term Buffalo Soldiers became a generic term for all African-American soldiers. It is now used for U.S. Army units that trace their direct lineage back to the 9th and 10th Cavalry, units whose service earned them an honored place in U.S. history.
During the American Civil War, the U.S. government formed regiments known as the United States Colored Troops, composed of black soldiers. After the war, Congress reorganized the Army and authorized the formation of two regiments of black cavalry with the designations 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry, and four regiments of black infantry, designated the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st Infantry Regiments (Colored). The 38th and 41st were reorganized as the 25th Infantry Regiment, with headquarters in Jackson Barracks in New Orleans, Louisiana, in November 1869. The 39th and 40th were reorganized as the 24th Infantry Regiment, with headquarters at Fort Clark, Texas, in April 1869. All of these units were composed of black enlisted men commanded by both white and black officers. These included the first commander of the 10th Cavalry Benjamin Grierson, the first commander of the 9th Cavalry Edward Hatch, Medal of Honor recipient Louis H. Carpenter, the unforgettable Nicholas M. Nolan and the first black graduate of West Point Henry O. Flipper.
From 1866 to the early 1890s, these regiments served at a variety of posts in the Southwestern United States (Apache Wars) and Great Plains regions. They participated in most of the military campaigns in these areas and earned a distinguished record. Thirteen enlisted men and six officers from these four regiments earned the Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars. In addition to the military campaigns, the "Buffalo Soldiers" served a variety of roles along the frontier from building roads to escorting the U.S. mail. On 17 April 1875, regimental headquarters for the 9th and 10th Cavalries were transferred to Fort Concho, Texas. Companies actually arrived at Fort Concho in May 1873. At various times from 1873 through 1885, Fort Concho housed 9th Cavalry companies A–F, K, and M, 10th Cavalry companies A, D–G, I, L, and M, 24th Infantry companies D–G, and K, and 25th Infantry companies G and K. Buffalo Soldier in the 9th Cavalry, 1890
A lesser known action was the 9th Cavalry's participation in the fabled Johnson County War, an 1892 land war in Johnson County, Wyoming between small farmers and large, wealthy ranchers. It culminated in a lengthy shootout between local farmers, a band of hired killers, and a sheriff's posse. The 6th Cavalry was ordered in by President Benjamin Harrison to quell the violence and capture the band of hired killers. Soon afterward, however, the 9th Cavalry was specifically called on to replace the 6th. The 6th Cavalry was swaying under the local political and social pressures and was unable to keep the peace in the tense environment.
The Buffalo Soldiers responded within about two weeks from Nebraska, and moved the men to the rail town of Suggs, Wyoming, creating "Camp Bettens" despite a racist and hostile local population. One soldier was killed and two wounded in gun battles with locals. Nevertheless, the 9th Cavalry remained in Wyoming for nearly a year to quell tensions in the area.
After the Indian Wars ended in the 1890s, the regiments continued to serve and participated in the 1898 Spanish-American War (including the Battle of San Juan Hill) in Cuba, where five more Medals of Honor were earned.
The regiments took part in the Philippine-American War from 1899 to 1903 and the 1916 Mexican Expedition.
In 1918 the 10th Cavalry fought at the Battle of Ambos Nogales, where they assisted in forcing the surrender of the federal Mexican and German forces.
Buffalo soldiers fought in the last engagement of the Indian Wars; the small Battle of Bear Valley in southern Arizona which occurred in 1918 between U.S. cavalry and Yaqui natives.
Another little-known contribution of the Buffalo Soldiers involved eight troops of the 9th Cavalry Regiment and one company of the 24th Infantry Regiment who served in California's Sierra Nevada as some of the first national park rangers. In 1899, Buffalo Soldiers from Company H, 24th Infantry Regiment briefly served in Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park and General Grant (Kings Canyon) National Parks.
U.S. Army regiments had been serving in these national parks since 1891, but until 1899 the soldiers serving were white. Beginning in 1899, and continuing in 1903 and 1904, African-American regiments served during the summer months in the second and third oldest national parks in the United States (Sequoia and Yosemite). Because these soldiers served before the National Park Service was created (1916), they were "park rangers" before the term was coined.
A lasting legacy of the soldiers as park rangers is the Ranger Hat (popularly known as the Smokey Bear Hat.) Although not officially adopted by the Army until 1911, the distinctive hat crease, called a Montana Peak, (or pinch,) can be seen worn by several of the "Buffalo Soldiers" in park photographs dating back to 1899. Soldiers serving in the Spanish American war began to recrease the Stetson hat with a Montana "pinch" to better shed water from the torrential tropical rains. Many retained that distinctive "pinch" upon their return to the U.S. The park photographs in all likelihood show Buffalo Soldiers who were veterans from that 1898 war.
One particular Buffalo Soldier stands out in history: Captain Charles Young who served with Troop "I", 9th Cavalry Regiment in Sequoia National Park during the summer of 1903. Charles Young was the third African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy. At the time of his death, he was the highest ranking African American in the U.S. military. He made history in Sequoia National Park in 1903 by becoming Acting Military Superintendent of Sequoia and General Grant National Parks. Charles Young was also the first African American superintendent of a national park. During Young's tenure in the park, he named a Giant Sequoia for Booker T. Washington. Recently, another Giant Sequoia in Giant Forest was named in Captain Young's honor. Some of Young's descendants were in attendance at the ceremony.
In 1903, 9th Cavalrymen in Sequoia built the first trail to the top of Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the contiguous United States. They also built the first wagon road into Sequoia's Giant Forest, the most famous grove of Giant Sequoia trees in Sequoia National Park.
In 1904, 9th Cavalrymen in Yosemite built an arboretum on the South Fork of the Merced River in the southern section of Yosemite National Park. This arboretum had pathways and benches, and some plants were identified in both English and Latin. Yosemite's arboretum is considered to be the first museum in the National Park System. The NPS cites a 1904 report, where Yosemite superintentent (Lt. Col.) John Bigelow, Jr. declared the arboretum "To provide a great museum of nature for the general public free of cost ..." Unfortunately, the forces of developers, miners and greed cut the boundaries of Yosemite in 1905 and the arboretum was nearly destroyed.
In the Sierra Nevada, the Buffalo Soldiers regularly endured long days in the saddle, slim rations, racism, and separation from family and friends. As military stewards, the African American cavalry and infantry regiments protected the national parks from illegal grazing, poaching, timber thieves, and forest fires. Yosemite Park Ranger Shelton Johnson researched and interpreted the history in an attempt to recover and celebrate the contributions of the Buffalo Soldiers of the Sierra Nevada.
In total, 23 "Buffalo Soldiers" received the Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars.
On March 23, 1907, the United States Military Academy Detachment of Cavalry was changed to a "colored" unit. This had been a long time coming. It had been proposed in 1897 at the "Cavalry and Light Artillery School" at Fort Riley, Kansas that West Point Cadets learn their riding skills from the black non-commissioned officers who were considered the best. The one hundred man detachment from the 9th Cavalry served to teach future officers at West Point riding instruction, mounted drill and tactics until 1947.
The "Buffalo Soldiers" were often confronted with racial prejudice from other members of the U.S. Army. Civilians in the areas where the soldiers were stationed occasionally reacted to them with violence. Buffalo Soldiers were attacked during racial disturbances in:

* Rio Grande City, Texas in 1899
* Brownsville, Texas in 1906
* Houston, Texas in 1917

General of the Armies John J. Pershing is a controversial figure regarding the Buffalo Soldiers. He served with the 10th Cavalry from October 1895 to May 1897. He served again with them for less than six months in Cuba. Because he saw the "Buffalo Soldiers" as good soldiers, he was looked down upon and called "Nigger Jack" by white cadets and officers at West Point. It was only later during the Spanish-American War that the press changed that insulting term to "Black Jack." During World War I Pershing bowed to political and progressive racial policies of President of the United States Woodrow Wilson, Secretary of War Newton D. Baker and the southern Democratic Party with its "separate but equal" philosophy. For the first time in American history, Pershing allowed American soldiers (African-Americans) to be under the command of a foreign power.
The Buffalo Soldiers did not participate with the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) during World War I, but experienced non-commissioned officers were provided to other segregated black units for combat service—such as the 317th Engineer Battalion. The Soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Division (United States) and the 93rd Infantry Division (United States) were the first Black Americans to fight in France. The four regiments of 93rd fought under French command for the duration of the war.
In August 1918, the 10th Cavalry fought a border skirmish with the 35th Infantry Regiment at the Battle of Ambos Nogales in which German military advisors fought along with Mexican soldiers. This was the only battle during World War I where Germans engaged and died in combat against United States soldiers in North America.
The 35th Infantry Regiment was stationed at Nogales, Arizona on August 27, 1918, when at about 4:10 PM, a gun battle erupted unintentionally when a Mexican civilian attempted to pass through the border, back to Mexico, without being interrogated at the U.S. Customs house. After the initial shooting, reinforcements from both sides rushed to the border. For the Americans, the reinforcements were the 10th Cavalry, off duty 35th Regimental soldiers and milita. Hostilities quickly escalated and several soldiers were killed and others wounded on both sides. A cease fire was arranged later after the US forces took the heights south of Nogales.
Early in the 20th century, the Buffalo Soldiers found themselves being used more as laborers and service troops rather than as active combat units. During World War II the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments were disbanded, and the soldiers were moved into service-oriented units, along with the entire 2nd Cavalry Division. One of the infantry regiments, the 24th Infantry Regiment, served in combat in the Pacific theater. Another was the 92nd Infantry Division, AKA the "Buffalo Division", which served in combat during the Italian Campaign in the Mediterranean theater. Another was the 93rd Infantry Division—including the 25th Infantry Regiment—which served in the Pacific theater.
Despite some official resistance and administrative barriers, black airmen were trained and played a part in the air war in Europe, gaining a reputation for skill and bravery (see Tuskegee Airmen). In early 1945, after the Battle of the Bulge, American forces in Europe experienced a shortage of combat troops. The embargo on using black soldiers in combat units was relaxed. The American Military History says:

Faced with a shortage of infantry replacements during the enemy's counteroffensive, General Eisenhower offered Negro soldiers in service units an opportunity to volunteer for duty with the infantry. More than 4,500 responded, many taking reductions in grade in order to meet specified requirements. The 6th Army Group formed these men into provisional companies, while the 12th Army Group employed them as an additional platoon in existing rifle companies. The excellent record established by these volunteers, particularly those serving as platoons, presaged major postwar changes in the traditional approach to employing Negro troops.

The 24th Infantry Regiment saw combat during the Korean War and was the last segregated regiment to engage in combat. The 24th was deactivated in 1951, and its soldiers were integrated into other units in Korea. On December 12, 1951, the last Buffalo Soldier units, the 27th Cavalry and the 28th (Horse) Cavalry, were disbanded. The 28th Cavalry was inactivated at Assi-Okba, Algeria in April 1944 in North Africa, and marked the end of the regiment.
There are monuments to the Buffalo Soldiers in Kansas at Fort Leavenworth and Junction City. Then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell, who initiated the project to get a statue to honor the Buffalo Soldiers when he was posted as a brigadier general to Fort Leavenworth, was guest speaker for the unveiling of the Fort Leavenworth monument in July 1992.
In the last decade, the employment of the Buffalo Soldiers by the United States Army in the Indian Wars has led many historians to call for the "critical reappraisal" of the "Negro regiments." In this viewpoint, shared by most historians, the Buffalo Soldiers were used as mere shock troops or accessories to the forcefully-expansionist goals of the U.S. government at the expense of the Native Americans and other minorities.




The United States Disciplinary Barracks (or USDB, popularly known as Leavenworth, the DB, or the Castle) is a military prison located on Fort Leavenworth, a United States Army post in Kansas.
It is one of two major federal prisons built on Fort Leavenworth property. The civilian United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth is four miles south. A third prison the Midwest Joint Regional Confinement Center is scheduled to open nearby on the fort in 2010.
It reports to the United States Army Corrections Command. Its commandant usually holds the rank of Colonel.
The USDB is the U.S. military's only maximum-security facility and houses male service members convicted at court-martial for violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Only enlisted prisoners with sentences over five years, commissioned officers, and prisoners convicted of offenses related to national security are confined to the USDB. Enlisted prisoners with sentences under five years are housed in smaller facilities, such as the Regional Correctional Facility at Fort Knox, Kentucky or the Marine Corps Brig at Quantico, Virginia.
Guards for the prison are Army "corrections specialists" trained at the U.S. Army Military Police school located at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, as well as Marine and Air Force corrections personnel.
Originally known as the United States Military Prison, the USDB was established by Act of Congress in 1874. Prisoners were used for the majority of construction, which began in 1875 and was completed in 1921. The facility was able to house up to 1,500 prisoners. From 1895 until 1903, prisoners from the USDB were used to construct the nearby United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth until around 400 federal prisoners were moved there to complete the work.
Although work on the two prisons continued at about the same time and they share the same design of a central dome topped building the two prisons reflect dramatically different prison concepts.
The original USDB followed the Pennsylvania plan modeling on a layout of the Eastern State Penitentiary where cell blocks radiated out from a central structure. Individual cells were relatively isolated. In contrast, the civilian prison is modeled on the Auburn Correctional Facility in New York reflected a newer concept where prisoners were housed in a large rectangular building where there was a certain amount of communal living.
The original USDB was Fort Leavenworth's biggest and tallest building sitting on top of a hill at the corner of McPherson Avenue and Scott Avenue overlooking the Missouri River. The largest buildings of the original barracks ("The Castle") were torn down in 2004. The old domed building was nicknamed "Little Top" in contrast to the domed federal prison two miles north which was nicknamed the "Big Top.". The walls and 10 of the buildings in the original location remain—including Pope Hall—have been converted or are in the process of being converted to other uses at the Fort. The prison's original commandant's house still remains.
The original prison was 12 acres. Its walls were 14 to 41 feet high.[citation needed]
Gail Dillon of the Airman magazine said in 2002 that "A visitor would immediately notice the medieval ambience of this institution - the well-worn native stone and brick walls constructed by long-forgotten inmates when "hard labor" meant exactly that have witnessed thousands of inmates' prayers, curses and pleas over the past 128 years" and that entering the facility was "like stepping back in time or suddenly being part of a kitschy movie set about a prison bust."
new state-of-the-art, 515-bed, USDB became operational in September 2002, replacing the old stone wall and brick castle.
The new barracks opened at a cost of $67.8 million and is about a mile north of the original barracks. It is on 51 acres on the site of the former USDB Farm Colony and is enclosed by two separate 14-foot high fences. There are three housing units each of which can accommodate up to 142. The units described as "pods" are two-tiered triangular shaped domiciles.[7] The cells in the new facility have solid doors and a window. There are no bars. The new facility is said to be much quieter than the old one and is preferred by inmates. Each cell has a window. Colonel Colleen McGuire, the first female commandant of the USDB, said in 2002 that the new facility is "much more efficient in design and layout -- much brighter and lighter."
The new prison reflects current prison design of smaller low-rise separate buildings where prisoners can be more easily isolated from the general population.[10] The USDB has continuously been accredited from the American Correctional Association (ACA) since 1988.
In 2009, the Barracks along with the Standish Maximum Correctional Facility in Michigan are being considered for relocation of 220 prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Kansas officials including both U.S. Senators have objected to the transfer with Pat Roberts saying the transfer would require the that 2,000 privately-owned acres around the fort would need to be acquired by the use of eminent domain to establish a stand-off zone because the prison is on the perimeter of the fort.
Deceased prisoners who are not claimed by their family members are buried near the original USDB. There were 300 graves dating from between approximately 1894 and 1957, 56 of which are unmarked and 14 more that belong to German prisoners of war executed for the murder of fellow POWs. The German soldiers were executed over a two day period in 1945.
The USDB houses the U.S. military's death row inmates. Since 1945, there have been 21 executions at the USDB, including fourteen German prisoners of war executed in 1945 for murder. The last execution by the U.S. Military was the hanging of Army Pfc. John A. Bennett, on April 13, 1961, for the rape and attempted murder of an 11-year-old Austrian girl. Bennett's execution took place four years after it was approved by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. All executions at the USDB thus far have been by hanging, but lethal injection has been specified as the military's current mode of execution. As of November 12, 2008, there are four prisoners on death row at the USDB, the most recent addition being Andrew P. Witt, the only Air Force member currently on the USDB death row.
The execution of Army private Ronald A. Gray, who has been on military death row since 1988, was approved by President George W. Bush on July 28, 2008. Gray was convicted of the rape, two murders and an attempted murder of three women, two of them Army soldiers and the third a civilian taxi driver whose body was found on the post at Fort Bragg. On November 26, 2008, a federal judge granted Gray a stay of execution to allow time for further appeals.
# William Calley - In connection with My Lai Massacre
# John T. Neufeld was a World War I era Mennonite conscientious objector sentenced to 15 years hard labor in the Disciplinary Barracks. Neufeld was paroled to do dairy work and released after serving five months of his sentence.
# Jonathan Wells, who later wrote Icons of Evolution which criticized the teaching of evolution in American schools, served 18 months for refusing military service during the Vietnam war.

We did not see the new barracks but it was interesting to see the old ones.