John T. Gordon (1848 - abt. 1877)

Born 1848 in Norfolk, Virginia, United States

Died about 30 Jul 1877 at about age 29 in Terry, Texas, United States [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Charlie Vines [send private message]

^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Biography

John Gordon is a part of US Black heritage.

John was born in 1848. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

John served in Company A, 10th Cavalry Regiment during the Indian Wars. This unit was part of the Buffalo Soldiers. He enlisted at Baltimore, Maryland, December 26, 1876. ^[3]

He died in the Buffalo Soldier Tragedy of 1877 and was probably buried in Terry, Lynn, or Lubbock County.^{[1] [2] [4]}

Private Gordon has a memorial cenotaph in the Morton Memorial Park, Morton, Cochran County, Texas, USA. It is located in the front of the cemetery near the Historical Marker concerning the Buffalo Soldier Tragedy. ^[1]

There a second cenotaph for Private Gordon at the San Antonio National Cemetery, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, USA. It is located in section MA, Site 9.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Memorial Tombstone for John Gordon, taken by [[vines-20|Charlie Vines on 23 April 2020.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Find A Grave: Memorial #45775114, Memorial for Private John Gordon, San Antonio National Cemetery, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, USA, created by John Boyd (ID=86033236), maintained by Kathleen McQueen Dochtermann Boyd (ID=47131333), accessed 24 October 2020.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Historical Marker for the Buffalo Soldier Tragedy, Morton Memorial Park, Morton, Cochran County, Texas, USA
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Final statements of deceased soldiers of the U.S. Infantry during and after the Civil War. Digitized from NARA textual records. Fold3, (https://www.fold3.com/publication/749/final-statements-1862-1899 : accessed July 15, 2023), database and images, https://www.fold3.com/publication/749/final-statements-1862-1899. https://www.fold3.com/image/271118654

• Cenotaph photo by Charlie Vines.
• NARA M233. Registers of Enlistments in the United States Army, 1798-1914. Fold3, (https://www.fold3.com/publication/891/army-register-of-enlistments-1798-1914 : accessed July 16, 2023), database and images, https://www.fold3.com/publication/891/army-register-of-enlistments-1798-1914 https://www.fold3.com/image/310879429?rec=300362641
• "A Fearful March on the Staked Plains", The United States Army and Navy Journal and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Volume 15, 1877 (Nolan's Account). https://books.google.com/books?id=ggw_AQAAMAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=September%2015%2C%201877%20%20Army%20and%20Navy%20Journal&pg=PA84#v=onepage&q&f=false
• Carlson, Paul H., The Buffalo Soldier Tragedy of 1877, Texas A&M University Press, College Station, Texas, 2003. pp. 105, 116, 120, 136.

Research Notes

Gordon's burial location is uncertain. Carlson's history states that his body was brought back to Double Lakes in Lynn County, Texas for burial, but this is not supported by the documents. Captain Nolan's official report of the scout states that his body was found near Dry Lake (Rich Lake) in Terry County and he was buried there (this is about 17 miles west of Double Lakes). This is contradicted by the "Final Statement", signed by Nolan 10 days later. Nolan possibly neglected to read the document or confused him for another soldier for it states that he was buried near Shafter's 1875 Trail, about 15 miles north of Double Lakes. This would have been in Lubbock County. Apparently his body was buried, but it is uncertain whether in Terry County, Lynn County, or Lubbock County.

Task List

• Marriage Information
• 1850 / 60 U. S. Census (May need to check slave schedules)
• 1870 U. S. Census