The Daniels family Institute of Texan Cultures 68-1013

Many Americans, even Texans, do not know that black Indians lived in Texas and played a significant role in the U.S. Army as a unit, the Seminole Negro Indian Scouts (now referred to as Seminole Indian Scouts), during the Border Wars between 1870 and 1900. If you ever travel south to Brackettville, Texas, you will see a little dusty side road off Highway 90. This road leads to the Indian Scout Cemetery that was established on Fort Clark in Brackettville in 1872. Its obscurity belies its importance in the history of Texas, for here lie the 100 or more black Seminole Indian Scouts and their families.

These Seminoles, as they call themselves, known for their horsemanship, fighting and tracking abilities, and courage, played a major role in defending the Texas borderlands from Indian hostilities between 1870 and 1914. The black Seminole Scouts were accorded the highest honors and accolades of the nation, including three Medals of Honor.

Miss Charles July Wilson

 A descendant, Miss Charles July Wilson, a spry retired teacher of 89, recalls that “My grandfather, my mother, even a lot of those of us who weren’t in the military, we’re all buried here, the Julys, the Jeffersons, the others, we were all cousins” (Evans 1990).

Included in this photo are some of Miss Charles’s famous uncles who served as scouts.

(Left to right: Billy July, Ben July, Dembo Factor, Ben Wilson, John July, and William Shield)

Every Saturday and Sunday during Seminole Days, the third week in September, the scout descendants gather at the cemetery to commemorate the fallen scout heroes and their families.

Miss Charles, as she is known, is the keeper of Seminole traditions, and she always remembers the verse on Sunday morning. Alice Fay Lozano, a descendant from Nacimiento, Mexico, sings with her—

Walk with me, Mother, Lord, walk with me All day long, all alone We want Jesus, walk with me Walk with my sister, Lord, All day long, All alone, walk with me

This black Seminole spiritual reflects the traveler so inherent in the black Seminole, constantly changing, looking for a home place, fleeing from slavery.