The Brownsville Texas Incident of 1906: The True and Tragic Story of a Black Battalion’s Wrongful Disgrace and Ultimate Redemption

Lt. Col. William Baker was a young boy when he encountered a discharged soldier from the First Battalion, 25th Infantry US Army. The soldier was passing through town, down on his luck. Baker was told about the injustice inflicted on the group of African-American Soldiers. A night of mayhem in Brownsville, Texas erupted in August 1906. The unit would be implicated through flimsy circumstantial evidence heightened by a mostly intolerant city. Lt. Col. Baker would be tasked with re-examining the night in question and the subsequent actions taken by the Government in 1972.

Lt. Col. Baker wanted to ensure that the discharged men received the justice denied them decades ago. Baker examined transcripts of court-martials and written records. Baker would need to overrule higher-ups in the Pentagon if he found enough exonerating material. He would also be condemning the actions of President Theodore Roosevelt, who dishonorably discharged one hundred and sixty-seven men. This was no easy task.

The Brownsville Texas Incident of 1906 is a tragic narrative of injustice. A night marred by confusion and violence and seen through bleary eyes and prejudice led to one hundred and sixty-seven men being stripped of honor and dignity. The work done by Lt. Col. Baker, then and now, is herculean in scope, and well conveyed for the reader now. This is a stellar work that should be read by as many as possible.