Fitz Lee

Pvt. Fitz Lee served in Troop M, 10th Cavalry, during the Spanish American War. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on June 30, 1898, while aboard the USS Florida at Tayabacoa, Cuba. A landing party from the ship attempted to link up with Cuban insurgents ashore but was ambushed. After their boats were sunk, at least 16 wounded survivors became prisoners. Private Lee and three other privates volunteered to go ashore and “in the face of the enemy” they rescued the wounded.

African American soldiers have fought in every conflict, including the American Revolution and the War of 1812, often without due or recognition. African American soldiers also fought as volunteers during the Civil War when they were known as the U.S. Colored Troops. It was after the Civil War that they adopted the nickname of Buffalo Soldiers – and their history within the U.S. Army runs deep.

The Buffalo Soldiers spent more than 20 years helping the nation expand west. These troops provided security for settler convoys, guarded post carriers, and built roads. They also regularly engaged in battle with Native American tribes, including Apache, Kiowa, Cheyenne, and Comanche. During peacetime, Buffalo Soldier units also served as U.S. Park Rangers in Yosemite, Sequoia, and General Grant National Parks.

Some have credited the Comanche with coining the term, while others say it was the Cheyenne. There are accounts that claim the term was used to describe the fierce fighting tenacity of the troops, while different ones state the name stemmed from physical attributes. And others say it could have been a combination of the two.

While the history remains unclear about the origins of the nickname Buffalo Soldiers, what’s apparent is that the group’s mystique and valor have survived the onward march of history.

The regiments accepted the nickname with honor. The 10th Cavalry Regiment even had a buffalo on their coats of arms. The label became associated with every Army unit that could trace its roots back to the four original regiments of Buffalo Soldiers.

The 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments operated under mottos that were as succinct as they were impactful: “We Can, We Will” (9th) and “Ready and Forward” (10th). Though the Buffalo Soldiers endured hardships and discrimination – often at the hands of those they were tasked with protecting – they reached many notable accomplishments.

They were involved in campaigns that led to the capture of prominent figures such as Geronimo and Pancho Villa. Following the end of the American Indian Wars, they went on to fight in the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, and both world wars. Through these engagements, the Buffalo Soldiers earned many Congressional Medals of Honor.

When the nation’s social climate began to change, President Harry Truman issued an executive order to end racial segregation in the military. By the mid-1950s, the remaining all-black units were officially disbanded. The last of the Buffalo Soldiers, Mark Matthews, died in 2005 at age 111. Although the living remnants have gone, the accomplishments of these first African American units will stay alive in the history pages of the country they helped establish.

Fitz Lee was born in June 1866 in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. In December 1889, Lee enlisted in M Troop, Tenth Cavalry, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1898, as the Army was mobilizing for war with Spain, Lee was serving as a private. As the Tenth Cavalry was boarding its transport ships bound for Cuba, Lee, along with 50 other troopers, was chosen by Lieutenant Carter P. Johnson for a special assignment. Johnson and his men were headed behind enemy lines to reenforce and resupply Cuban fighters seeking liberation from Spanish rule.

On June 30, 1898, Cuban freedom fighters and some American volunteers aboard the U.S.S. Florida attempted an amphibious landing at Tayabacoa, Cuba. The landing party immediately engaged with Spanish soldiers from a nearby blockhouse. The Cubans and Americans retreated, leaving behind a group of wounded comrades. A call for volunteers to rescue the wounded soldiers on the U.S.S. Florida began to make the rounds. After several unsuccessful rescue attempts Private Lee, Corporal George H. Wanton, Private Dennis Bell, Sergeant William H. Thompkins, and Lieutenant George P. Ahern stepped forward and offered to rescue their wounded comrades.

The five soldiers went ashore and surprised the Spanish holding their comrades. The rescuers were able to free all the wounded soldiers, and everyone returned safely to the U.S.S. Florida. Lee, Wanton, Bell, and Thompkins were awarded the Medal of Honor in the summer of 1899 for their actions at Tayabacoa. Lee received his Medal of Honor while he was in the hospital at Fort Bliss, Texas. His health declined quickly after the rescue mission, with severely limited vision, swollen limbs, and abdominal pain that left him bedridden for three months. Lee was medically discharged from the Army on July 5, 1899, a few days after receiving the Medal of Honor.

Lee moved to Leavenworth, Kansas, after discharge to live with fellow retired Buffalo Soldiers. His comrades took care of him while he awaited his disability benefits from the War Department. In constant pain and totally blind, Fitz Lee died at the home of a friend in Kansas on September 14, 1899. He was buried with full military honors at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Section G, Site 3183.

Source: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; Wounded Warrior Project; nps.gov