Born:
Died: 17 Sep 1939
Served: Company E, 10th US Calvary 14 Nov 1873 until 14 Nov 1878
Residence 1873
The 1873 city directory for Washington DC shows a Luther Dorsey
living at 472 Ridge NW. The closest Dorsey living near him at
that time was a William Dorsey living at 481 Ridge NW.
Military Record
According
to the Enlistment
records,
Luther James Dorsey enlisted in Company E, 10th US cavalry, also
known as the Buffalo Soldiers, an all black cavalry commissioned
by Congress, on 14 Nov 1873. He was 21 7/12 years old and was
born in Montgomery County Maryland. This would place his birth
date in May 1852.
This enlistment record can be found at
Fold3.com
Army Register of Enlistments,
1798-1914,
Registers of Enlistments › 1871-1877 › A-G › Page
383; and is from the National Archives, NARA M233. Registers
of Enlistments in the United States Army, 1798-1914, Roll
Number: 38
He was discharged from the army on three years later 14 Nov 1878, in San Felipe,
Texas.
Records of engagement for Company E, 10th US Cavalry include:
·
22-23 Aug 1874; Wichita Agency, Indian Territory: Troops C, E,
H, and L fought roughly 400 Comanches and Kiowa. They attempted
to burn out the Agency and its friendly Indians. Four soldiers
were lost and four horses. Sixteen warriors were also lost and
wounded.
·
10-29 Apr1876: Troops B, E, and F, bordering Coahuila, Mexico,
scouted unknown territory without guides. They describe the
country as the roughest and most desolate land they had ever
seen. It was without any value, in anyway.
·
Jul 1876; Troops B, E and K crossed into Mexico as part of a
column commanded by Lieut. Colonel Shafter, 24th Infantry. A
detachment of this command, made up of twenty picked men of
Troop B under Lieutenant Evans, and twenty Seminole scouts, all
under command of Lieutenant Bullis, 24th Infantry, made a march
of 110 miles in twenty- five hours and thereby succeeded in
surprising a camp of twenty-three lodges of hostile Lipans and
Kickapoos near Saragossa, Mexico. They killed ten Indians and
captured four, and also captured about 200 horses. They then
made a bonfire of the camp material and with their prisoners and
captured stock rejoined the main column as fast as their horses
would carry them.
·
12 Aug 1876; Troops B, E, and K, in the Santa Rosa Mountains of
Mexico, destroyed an Indian village and its' supplies. Sixty
horses were captured in the raid.
·
Nov-Dec 1876; Company at Ft. Clark, Texas, Colonel Grierson put
Companies A, B, D, E, F, K, L on patrol in the Pecos River area
and in the Guadalupe Mountains, scattering small bands of
Indians.
·
10 Jun 1877; Devil's River north side of The Rio Grande: Mexican
Federal Troops attacked 50 Mexican Lerdistas revolutionaries.
The troops chased the Lerdistas across the border into the
United States. The Lerdistas were intercepted and arrested by
Captain Kelly of the Tenth, with E Company and Seminole-Negro
Indian Scouts. The Mexican troops had crossed the Rio Grande
River back into Mexico before the arrests were made. Their
incursion across the border into the U. S. was illegal.
·
25 Jul 1878; Company E: Company left San Felipe, Texas, on a
fresh trail in pursuit of cattle thieves, marched to San
Vincente, Mexico, and returned to and recrossed the Rio Grande
River into Texas the same day, having captured most of the
stolen stock, and returned to post 26 Jul 1878.
·
15 Aug 1878; Company E: San Felipe, Texas. The company left post
and crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico in pursuit of Mexican
murderers, and returned to post 18 Aug 1878.
Pension Application – 31 Mar 1897
Luther Dorsey applied for a pension as an invalid on 31 Mar
1897, Application # 1188212 under the 3 Mar 1827 law,
Certificate # 1292259. He is listed on the application as
serving in Company E, 10th Regiment, US Cavalry.
Contributed by Frank Johnson
from
Fold3.com
Civil War & Later Veterans Pensions Index,
The National Archives Publication Number: T289
1880 Federal Census – 14 Jun 1880
Luther Dorsey is listed as James Dorsey, living in Precinct 1 of
Montgomery County, mulatto, 28 years of age, single, born in
Maryland. He is working as a farm hand and living in the home of
James Mitchell.
1900 Federal Census – 9 Jun 1900
Luther Dorsey is living in Justice Precinct 7 of Montgomery
County, Conroe Town. His date of birth is listed as Jul 1850 and
that he was born in Washington DC. He has been married for 19
years. He was working as a day laborer and had not worked for
four months. He owned his home free of mortgage.
Also in his home was:
·
Emma Dorsey, wife, born in Nov 1847 in Texas. She had been
married 19 years, had 11 children of which only 6 are alive. She
works as a laundry woman and has not worked for six months.
·
Mike Dorsey, son, born in Aug 1885 in Texas.
·
Beatrice J Dorsey, daughter, born Dec 1887 in Texas.
·
D D Dorsey, son, born Mar 1892 in Texas.
·
T Bertha Dorsey, daughter, born Apr 1896 in Texas.
·
Carrie Davis, boarder, born Mar 1872 in Texas. She works as a
cook and has not worked for three months.
·
Charles Collins, boarder, born Feb 1853 in Texas. He works as a
tie maker and has not worked for three months.
1910 Federal Census – 28 Apr 1910
Luther Dorsey is listed in the census as Jim Dorsey, living in
Justice Precinct 7 of Montgomery County, Part of Conroe. He is
listed as being born in Washington DC and is 60 years old which
places his birth year at 1850. He has been married 30 years and
is working on his own account as a house builder. He owns his
home free and clear.
Also in his home was:
·
Ella Dorsey, wife, age 60 years, born in Texas. She has been
married 30 years, has had 13 children of which seven are still
living. She is not working.
·
Mike Dorsey, son, age 25 years, single, born in Texas. He is
working as a team driver.
·
Beatrice Lewis, daughter, age 17 years, married, born in Texas.
She has been married for one year and has had one child, still
living. She is not working.
·
Will Lewis, son-in-law, age 22 years, married one year. He is
working as a porter.
·
Bishop Dorsey, son, age 14 years, born in Texas. (Real name was
David Daniel)
·
Bertha T Dorsey, daughter, age 10 years, born in Texas.
1920 Federal Census – 31 Jan 1920
Luther Dorsey is living in Justice Precinct 7 of Montgomery
County, part of Conroe. His age is very difficult to read as it
appears to have been written over several times. He was born in
Washington DC, is now widowed, and is now working as a carpenter
in public work. He owns his home free and clear.
Also in his home was:
·
Beatrice Kirby, daughter, age 27 years, born in Texas. She is
widowed and working as a cook for a private family. The
interesting thing is her father is listed as having been born in
Maryland.
·
Luderlay Lewis, granddaughter, age 9 years, born in Texas.
·
Ludger Lewis, granddaughter, age 8 years, born in Texas.
·
Henry W Lewis, grandson, age 6, born in Texas.
Pension Application – 8 Mar 1929
A Pension Application for the Indian Wars was filed on 8 Mar
1929 for Luther Dorsey. It lists Application # 1188212,
Certificate # 1292259 under the 3 Mar 1827 Act. He is living in
Texas. On this application it shows he served from 1873 to 1878
in Company E, 10th US Cavalry.
1930 Federal Census – 30 Apr 1930
Luther Dorsey is living in part of Justice Precinct 7 of
Montgomery County, Conroe City, in the house of his daughter,
Beatrice Bonner. He is listed as being 65 years of age which
puts his birth year as 1865, and born in Texas. He is widowed
and was married at 19 years of age. He is not working.
Also in the house were:
·
Beatrice Bonner, head of house, age 38 years, born in Texas. She
is widowed, married first time at 15 years of age, and working
as a cook for a private family. The interesting thing is her
father is listed as having been born in Washington DC even
though her father is shown in the house being born in Texas.
·
Lula M Lewis, daughter, age 20, single, born in Texas. She is
working in a private home but unable to read what her job
description is.
·
Lazelle Davis, daughter, age 18, born in Texas, married at age
18. She is not working.
·
Charlie Davis, son-in-law, age 23, born in Texas, married at age
23. He is working as a tie maker.
·
Henry W Lewis, son, age 16, single, born in Texas. He is working
in a box factory.
Gift Deed - 1 Sep 1937
In a gift Deed by Luther Dorsey, dated 1 Sep 1937, he stated he
was 88 years of age, which would make his birth year 1849.
In the Gift Deed he names his daughter Bertha Dorsey Mapp of
Louisville, Kentucky, his granddaughters Sula Mae Lewis and
Luzella Lewis Davis, daughters of Beatrice Bonner who is
deceased.
The
interesting thing about this Gift Deed is Beatrice Dorsey Bonner
was alive at this time and died
in 1978.
Beatrice is the one who was the informant on Luther Dorsey’s
Death Certificate and the one who filed for his military
headstone. The Gift deed below can be found online at
Montgomery County Clerk ,
https://gov.propertyinfo.com/tx-montgomery/,
File #:104899, Book #:405 Page #:0510
PDF version of Gift Deed.
Deed
Contributed by
Frank Johnson
Death – 17 Sep 1939
Luther James Dorsey died on 17 Sep 1939, in Conroe, due to
pneumonia. His daughter,
Beatrice Bonner, was the informant on the death certificate. She
stated he was born on 26 Nov 1878, making him 60 days, 1 month,
and 21 days old at the time of his death. She also listed his
birthplace as Montgomery, Texas. J. E. Pruitt of Pruitt &
McIntyre Funeral Home was the undertaker.
Death
Certificate of Luther Dorsey
who died 17 September 1939 in Conroe Texas
from Texas Deaths 1890-1976 on
FamilySearch.org
On 14 Nov
1940, Beatrice Bonner applied
for a military headstone for Luther Dorsey.
Application for
Headstone for Luther Dorsey
His records were located by the War Department indicating he
served from 14 Nov 1873 until 14 Nov 1878, as a sergeant in
Company E, 10th shipped to Beatrice Bonner on 24 Jan 1941.
LUTHER DORSEY
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
SGT 10 CAV
SEPTEMBER 17, 1939
His date of birth seems to have always been a mystery throughout
his life as he is listed with the same family members in various
census records and other records, but different ages/dates of
birth are given.
1873 – 21 7/12 years old – Date of birth, May 1852
1900 – Jul 1850
1910 – 60 years old – Year of birth, 1850
1920 – Unclear date
1930 – 65 years old – Year of birth, 1865
1937 – 88 years old – Year of birth, 1849
1939 – 60 years old – Date of birth, 26 Nov 1878
Thank you Larry, Jon & Frank for your contribution to Luther
James Dorsey, Buffalo Soldier.
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