Dismissed Soldier Shared Hard tack With Roosevelt.
January 5, 1907
Summary
The black Infantry in Brownsville, Texas, uses their excellent character ratings to help allow reenlistment rights.
Transcription
Dismissed Soldier Shared Hard tack With Roosevelt.
Sergeant Saunders’ Story.
Only Four Men Missing When He called the Roll at Brownsville.
Washington, December 21.-Interesting information the Twenty-fifth Infantry (colored) has been compiled at the War Department in response to a senate resolution of inquiry. It includes the individual military record of the 167 soldiers recently dismissed without honor by direction of the President, and a brief history of the 25th Infantry.
These official records show that prior to the final discharge of these soldiers the character of 48 of them was rated as “excellent;” the character of 43 was rated as “very good.” And the character of 37 was rated as “good.” That accounts for 128 of the dismissed soldiers. The remaining thirty- ine members of the battalion is First Sergeant Mingo S. Sanders of Company D, who is one of the few who have applied for re-enlistment, on the score that their past military service has been honest and faithful, In his affidavit regarding the midnight raid at Brownsville, August 13th last, Sanders tells the main events of his life, and his entire knowledge of what occurred at Brownsville in the following quaint but honest way:
“He deposes and says that he is 50 years old; that he has served for a period of twenty-five years, six months and seven days, being a non-commissioned officer for a period of thirteen years and a sergeant for a period of six years: that he has served in Cuba and the Philippines, three months in Cuba, and was continually on the firing line; that upon the 25th day of June, about nine or ten miles from Siboney in Cuba, Theodore Roosevelt came to him and at his special request his company shared their supply of hard-tack with his command; that in the Philippine campaign he charged up Comanche mountain as first sergeant, North Luzon, on January 5, 1900.
“That on January 21, 1901, he captured Corporal I. Mauser and W. Remington, near Cabangan; that on March 14th he captured fourteen rifles, one saber, near Wilkins, camp.
“Affiant doeth further say that he was garrisoned at Fort Brown, Tex., on the 13th day of August, 1906, and a member of Company B, 25th United States Infantry. That on August 13th, 1906 near four o’clock, Lieut. George C. Lawson, company commander, said to him: ‘Sergeant, are there any men in town on pass?’ To which he replied, “No sir, no men on pass.” Lieut. Lawson said, ‘Send me two responsible men.’ Affiant obeyed said order and sent Sergt. Walter McCurey and Corporal Waddington. Said Officer Lawson told the men to go all over the town and if they saw any of Company B’s men to tell them to report at quarters at once. Said officer asked affiant to publish on retreat that no man of the company would be allowed in town after 8 o’clock
“Affiant further says that on the evening of the 13th of August, 1906 he retired to his quarters, about 500 yards east of Company B’s quarters that he was aroused about 12:30 by his wife, and that he heard firing, which, from his long army experience, he knew that there were mixed arms being fired. He at once rushed to his company’s quarters, gave the order to fall in, and proceeded to call the roll. The time when he was first aroused and the calling of the roll consumed about ten minutes. That on roll call of fifty-seven.’
Sergeant Saunders’ Story.
Only Four Men Missing When He called the Roll at Brownsville.
Washington, December 21.-Interesting information the Twenty-fifth Infantry (colored) has been compiled at the War Department in response to a senate resolution of inquiry. It includes the individual military record of the 167 soldiers recently dismissed without honor by direction of the President, and a brief history of the 25th Infantry.
These official records show that prior to the final discharge of these soldiers the character of 48 of them was rated as “excellent;” the character of 43 was rated as “very good.” And the character of 37 was rated as “good.” That accounts for 128 of the dismissed soldiers. The remaining thirty- ine members of the battalion is First Sergeant Mingo S. Sanders of Company D, who is one of the few who have applied for re-enlistment, on the score that their past military service has been honest and faithful, In his affidavit regarding the midnight raid at Brownsville, August 13th last, Sanders tells the main events of his life, and his entire knowledge of what occurred at Brownsville in the following quaint but honest way:
“He deposes and says that he is 50 years old; that he has served for a period of twenty-five years, six months and seven days, being a non-commissioned officer for a period of thirteen years and a sergeant for a period of six years: that he has served in Cuba and the Philippines, three months in Cuba, and was continually on the firing line; that upon the 25th day of June, about nine or ten miles from Siboney in Cuba, Theodore Roosevelt came to him and at his special request his company shared their supply of hard-tack with his command; that in the Philippine campaign he charged up Comanche mountain as first sergeant, North Luzon, on January 5, 1900.
“That on January 21, 1901, he captured Corporal I. Mauser and W. Remington, near Cabangan; that on March 14th he captured fourteen rifles, one saber, near Wilkins, camp.
“Affiant doeth further say that he was garrisoned at Fort Brown, Tex., on the 13th day of August, 1906, and a member of Company B, 25th United States Infantry. That on August 13th, 1906 near four o’clock, Lieut. George C. Lawson, company commander, said to him: ‘Sergeant, are there any men in town on pass?’ To which he replied, “No sir, no men on pass.” Lieut. Lawson said, ‘Send me two responsible men.’ Affiant obeyed said order and sent Sergt. Walter McCurey and Corporal Waddington. Said Officer Lawson told the men to go all over the town and if they saw any of Company B’s men to tell them to report at quarters at once. Said officer asked affiant to publish on retreat that no man of the company would be allowed in town after 8 o’clock
“Affiant further says that on the evening of the 13th of August, 1906 he retired to his quarters, about 500 yards east of Company B’s quarters that he was aroused about 12:30 by his wife, and that he heard firing, which, from his long army experience, he knew that there were mixed arms being fired. He at once rushed to his company’s quarters, gave the order to fall in, and proceeded to call the roll. The time when he was first aroused and the calling of the roll consumed about ten minutes. That on roll call of fifty-seven.’
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Right Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Benton Camper
Citation
“Dismissed Soldier Shared Hard tack With Roosevelt.,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed January 20, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/2.