John Hanks Alexander
| John Hanks Alexander | |
|---|---|
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From 1900's A New Negro for a New Century: An Accurate and Up-to-Date Record of the Upward Struggles of the Negro Race.
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| Born |
January 6, 1864 Helena, Arkansas |
| Died | March 26, 1894 (aged 30) Wilberforce, Ohio |
| Buried at | Cherry Grove Cemetery, Xenia, Ohio |
| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Service/branch |
 United States Army
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| Years of service | 1887–1894 |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Unit | 9th Cavalry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | Indian Wars |
John Hanks Alexander (January 6, 1864 – March 26, 1894) was the first African-American officer in the United States armed forces to hold a regular command position and the second African-American graduate of the United States Military Academy (after Henry Ossian Flipper).
John Hanks Alexander was born on 6 January 1864 at Helena, Arkansas to former slaves James Milo Alexander and Fannie Miller Alexander. His father was a barber in Helena and acquired property there. All of the Alexander children graduated from high school and three attended Oberlin College in Ohio.
Alexander graduated number one in his high school class in Helena and soon moved to Carrollton, Mississippi to take a position as a teacher. In late 1880 he visited his uncle in Cincinnati, Ohio and ended up remaining in that city. The next year, he enrolled at Oberlin College and attended that institution until passing the entrance examination for West Point in 1883. Alexander was sponsored by Democratic U.S. Rep. George W. Geddes of Ohio.
During his term at West Point, Alexander was generally accepted by the other cadets and was not subjected to as much intolerance as previous black cadets. Alexander was known as an excellent student, especially in mathematics and languages and was a skilled boxer while at the academy. He graduated in the class of 1887 ranking 32nd in a class of 64.
Alexander was assigned to the 9th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Robinson, Nebraska which was an all-black regiment commanded by white officers and nicknamed Buffalo soldiers. Alexander became the only black officer in an actual command position. In 1888, he was transferred to Fort Washakie, Wyoming where he engaged in the normal activities of an officer with a western frontier posting.
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