Notable people · Military · Civil Rights
Charles Young
Born into slavery in Mays Lick, Kentucky, he grew up in Ripley, Ohio, graduated from West Point in 1889 as the third Black graduate, and was promoted to colonel in 1917, a first for a Black officer. He lived at Wilberforce, Ohio.
At a glance
- Born
- 1864-03-12
- Died
- 1922-01-08
- Education
- Ripley integrated high school, Ripley, OH, graduated 1881
- US Military Academy, West Point, NY, 1884-1889, graduate
- Known as
- Military, Civil Rights
- Organizations
- 9th Cavalry, Wilberforce University
Life story
Charles Young was born in 1864 in Mays Lick, Kentucky, to enslaved parents. His father escaped to join a Black artillery regiment in 1865, and the family later settled in Ripley, Ohio, where Charles graduated with honors from the integrated high school in 1881.
He entered West Point in 1884, the ninth Black cadet and the third to graduate, and was commissioned in 1889. He served with the 9th Cavalry and was assigned to Wilberforce University in Ohio in the 1890s.
In 1903 he served as acting superintendent of Sequoia National Park, a first for a Black officer. He later served as military attache in Haiti and Liberia.
In 1917 the Army medically retired him, and he rode horseback roughly 500 miles from Ohio to Washington to show he was fit. He was promoted to colonel. He died in Lagos in January 1922 and was buried at Arlington. He was promoted posthumously to brigadier general in 2021.
Timeline
- 1864-03-12: Born (Mays Lick, KY) source
- 1881: Graduates from high school with honors (Ripley, OH) source
- 1884-06-10: Enters West Point (West Point, NY) source
- 1889: Commissioned second lieutenant (Fort Robinson, NE) source
- 1894: Assigned to Wilberforce University (Wilberforce, OH) source
- 1903: Superintendent of Sequoia National Park (California) source
- 1916: Awarded the NAACP Spingarn Medal (United States) source
- 1917-07: Promoted to colonel (Washington, DC) source
- 1922-01-08: Dies (Lagos, Nigeria) source
- 2021-11-01: Posthumously promoted to brigadier general (United States) source
What Charles is known for
- Third African American graduate of West Point (1889)
- First African American national park superintendent (Sequoia, 1903)
- Promoted colonel 1917; posthumously brigadier general 2021
Honors and things named for them
- Spingarn Medal 1916
- Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, Wilberforce, OH
- Posthumous brigadier general 2021
Family
- father: Gabriel Young
- mother: Arminta Young
Places in Ohio to see
- Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument (home)
1120 US Route 42 E, Wilberforce, Greene County ZIP 45384 · Greene County · official page
Ohio places
Where Charles Young was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- School: Ripley, Brown County (Graduated Ripley high school 1881) ZIP 45167 · Ripley · Brown County
- Lived: Wilberforce, Greene County (Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, 1120 US Route 42 E) ZIP 45384 · Greene County
Myths and corrections
- Disputed: He is called the first Black colonel in the U.S. Army. That claim comes from the National Park Service and has not been checked against other sources.
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. High: the main facts were confirmed in sources we opened.
- NPS: Charles Young born 1864-03-12 Mays Lick KY; Ripley OH high school 1881; West Point 1889; Sequoia 1903; colonel 1917; died 1922-01-08 Lagos; Arlington
- NPS: Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument Wilberforce OH 45384