Gratts Family Reunion

Lawson D. Gratz (Gratts)was born a slave to the Benjamin Gratz family in Fayette County, Kentucky on September 18, 1836. He was enslaved from his birth until the age of 26 when he volunteered for service in the 114th United States Colored Troops in 1864.  

 

The U.S. Government reimbursed  Slave owners $350.00 per slave to enter into the military, even though many Slaves could join the Army after January 1th, 1863. Lawson Gratz alone with many thousands of former slaves and freedmen wanted to fight for the cause of freedom for African Americans. Ex-slaves were exposed to posters and recruiters offering enlistment in the civil war. Of course being newly freed there were not jobs offered to BLACK men and they certainly did not want to go back to work for their former slave owners. 

 

A call to arms from President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass encouraged many to volunteer for the U.S. Army and Navy. In one of Frederick Douglass's speeches quoted these profound word, "Once let the Black man get upon his person the brass letter, the U.S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, there is no power on this earth that can deny he has earned the right to citizenship".

 

It was these words that convinced grandfather to volunteer for service in the 114th United States Colored Troops (114 U.S.C.T.) based at Camp Nelson Kentucky, the largest training facility for African Americans during the civil war. Black troops faced the same racism and discrimination that they did in everyday lives as slaves and they knew that it would not be easy to prove themselves to the Officers and White soldiers who already thought that the Black Troops were not ready for the battles that lye ahead. While most black troops did not see any fighting and were relegated to garrison duty, the digging and cleaning of latrines, and doing other mundane jobs. The 114th had destiny on their side and worked hard to be top notch soldiers and showed their command that they were ready for whatever would come.

 

It was known that the officers of the Black troops thought that Black men would not and could not fight up to the standards set by White soldiers. They were proven wrong because the 114th worked very hard to prove themselves. 

 

Lawson Gratz(Gratts) was somewhat educated and could read and write, Officers in his command said that he was above average in his education and that ability to work with White officers and take instructions and pass those instructions down to the enlisted men was a big factor in his promotions. Grandfather was promoted to First Sergeant in less than a year and worked closely with the officers of that command. 

 

U.S. war department records obtained from the National Archives in Washington D.C. show that grandfather was missing from his troop on four occasions and would be written up by his commander of the 114th U.S.C.T. as being AWOL,. (absent without leave) Muster Rolls show that Grandfather would lose his stripes breaking him often to private or corporal. On these occasions, he would be missing for 2 to 3 months at a time and eventually found at the Freedman's Hospital in Louisville, Ky. where he was found recuperation from malnourishment and treated for other wounds. Each time upon his return to 114th he would receive his stripes back through the orders of the War Department, Department of Defense.

 

Records show that grandfather was what was called during the Civil war, a Black Dispatch (Spy) of course they did not call Black n and women spy's in those days, A dispatch would be sent into and behind Confederate territory to keep track of the number of troops, the number of heavy guns such as the different sizes of canons and how many troops there were. This situation was made for ex-slaves because they could blend in with others who were working in the fields and doing other slave work.Vital information during the civil war from Black Dispatches allowed the Union Army to make war altering decisions which lead to the Union Victory over the South.

 

The 114th United States Colored Troops fought in many battles during the Civil War, listed are the major battles in which they fought; 

 

Petersburg, Richmond on the Bermuda Hundred Front, March 1865, Hatchers Run, City Point, The Pursuit of General Lee's troops and the ultimate surrender of his troops April 3-9th, and the surrender of General Lee on Palm Sunday, April 9, 1865, Appomattox Court House...

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During one conflict the fighting skills of the Black troops were noticed and written about to his wife, Thomas Speed, Union Officer and Kentuckian describes in a letter to his wife, February 25, 1865, the fighting ability of the Kentucky African Americans during the assault, 

 

"There is a division of Negro troops here -- a great many of them from Kentucky . You must not turn up your nose when I say they fight splendidly. I saw them tired yesterday and our regiment   saw it and they all acknowledged that "we have to give it up to them (the Blacks) these men they fight well"

 

Following the end of the Civil War , the 114th  U.S.C.T. s  did not immediately return home. Their units were sent to Texas as part of an American buildup of troops intended to discourage French operations in MEXICO. The 114th operated along the Rio Grande River around Brownsville and Matamoros border until April 1866.

 

Grandfather moved to Washington D.C. where he lived briefly when he learned that the Congress sought to reorganize and restructure the army after the Civil War and passed the Army Organization Act on July 28, 1866. The War Department organized two new Black Companies to be regular Army troops (the 9th and 10th Cavalries)  The army was looking for seasoned veterans that had spent time in the Civil War, so grandfather signup for a 4-year hitch in the 10th Cavalry.   .Recruitment for colored soldiers was very strict and most men who had no experience in the civil war likely were sent home.

 

On August 6, 1866, General William T. Sherman, Commander Military Division of Mississippi, issued from his headquarters in St. Louis, General Order No. 6, which established the first command structure for the 10th Cavalry. the unit was initially based at Leavenworth, Kansas. The Command Structure at Leavenworth did not want Black soldiers to be located at their, so the 10th was moved to Fort Riley, Kansas.

 

The Indian campaign of the West provided the signature recognition for the 10th Calvary and shortly after the 10th was transferred to the west they alone with other cavalry units would be engaged with the Native Americans in battle. Between  1867 and 1875 the 10th was engaged in extended campaigns against the Cheyenne, Kiowa, Comanche and the Apaches in Kansas, New Mexico, Arizona and in the Indian territory of Oklahoma. According to Colonel Benjamin H. Grierson commander of the 10th stated that in a battle in 1871, several companies of the 10th were outnumbered by a band of Comanche in Indian territory, the Black soldiers literally had their backs against the wall of a canyon and fought off a band off the Comanche until their brothers in arms came to put down the Comanches, it was at this time in History that the U.S. 10th Cavalry was recognized by the name Buffalo soldier! The Indians said that they respected the fighting skills and the tenacity of the Black soldiers and compared them to the revered Buffalo! Grierson also stated that the Indian respected the soldiers tireless marching and dogged trailing skills. The Black Soldiers made the Buffalo its regimental coat of Arms a few years later and the term Buffalo Soldier would become synonymous with all the Black troops of the day including the 9th, 24th, 25th Black regiments.

 

It Should be made aware that the United States 10th Cavalry was offered to General Custer, but he was racist and said that he would rather resign his commission than to command a troop of Nigger Soldiers!! So he is more famous for dying at The Little Big Horn on June 26, 1876, and taking 265 Honorable soldiers of the 7th Cavalry with him.

 

Great Grandfather participated in two winter campaigns under the leadership of the Famous General William T. Sherman,  a very tuff and commanding General that stood up for his Black troops and at one time was almost  dishonorably discharged because he would not let his commanders mistreat his command and the 10th  cavalry of Black Soldiers that would do anything to show they believed in him.

 

 

During training for the second winter campaign in 1868 grandfather was at the firing range when his rifle exploded putting out his right eye. Because the War Department gave defected rifles and ammunition to the Black troops the rifle backfired. 

He was taken to the hospital by his commander Lt. Smithers and when he was being treated by doctors he was told that it would be best if he were to be medically discharged but grandfather did not want to be discharged and said he would overcome his injuries stating it will heal. He did heal and did go on the campaign although he lost vision in the right eye and weakened the left eye. 

 

After the Indian wars and after they were sent to their reservation, the 9th and 10th  cavalries were dispatched to Forts in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Grandfather was discharged at Fort Richardson at Jacksboro, Texas. He made his way to Albany Texas where he worked as a teamster hauling Hides to Weatherford, Fort Worth and Dallas. Living in Albany at that time was my Great, Great Grandmother Malaha Dedman and her 16-year-old daughter Rose Ann. It is said that Mahala wanted to marry the Soldier but he was in love with Rose Ann, soon they were married (1874) although there was a big difference in their ages.. He and Mahala were about the same age, about 42 years old.. Lawson and Rose Ann while living in Fort Griffin Texas had a son named Benard Jobe Gratts. In 1882 Lawson and Rose Ann would buy a farm in Annetta, Texas

where the would have 13 more children. They were known by their neighbors Black and White as the Salt of The Earth people, always helping and sharing with anything that they had. 

 

Lawson Daniel Gratz passed away suddenly from a heart attack on June 19th, 1909.

 

This photo is said to be Lawson D. Gratz

this uniform is from his civil war days (1864) and 

not from 10th cavalry enlistment. This photo

hangs in the Old Sheriffs Jail House Museum

at Fort Griffin, Albany,Texas.. 

 

CLICK ON LINKS BELOW

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https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fgrtz

 

http://aiwa.americanindiansource.com/buffalo%20soldiers/buffalosoldiers