Henry Moorehouse (or Moore) Black (January 15, 1827 – August 5, 1893) was a United States Army officer who served as

Commandant of Cadets The Commandant of Cadets is the officer in charge of the cadets at an academy. Lists include: * List of commandants of cadets of the United States Air Force Academy * List of commandants of cadets of the United States Military Academy The Comm ...

at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

Early career

Born in

Delaware County, Pennsylvania Delaware County, colloquially referred to as Delco, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. With a population of 576,830 as of the 2020 census, it is the List of counties in Pennsylvan ...

, in 1827, Henry Black was appointed to the

from Pennsylvania on July 1, 1842. He graduated and was appointed

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the

4th U.S. Infantry The U.S. 4th Infantry Regiment ("Warriors") is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. It has served the United States for approximately two hundred years. History Origins It has been alleged that the regiment traces its lineage to the ...

on July 1, 1847. He was commissioned a full second lieutenant in the

7th U.S. Infantry The 7th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. In its 200-year history it has participated in 12 wars, been awarded 78 campaign streamers, and 14 unit decorations. The regiment has served in more campaigns than any ...

, August 20, 1847, and served with that regiment in the Mexican War at

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

. From 1848 to 1855, Black served with the 7th Infantry at

Jefferson Barracks The Jefferson Barracks Military Post is located on the Mississippi River at Lemay, Missouri, south of St. Louis. It was an important and active U.S. Army installation from 1826 through 1946. It is the oldest operating U.S. military installation w ...

, in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, and at

Fort Gibson Fort Gibson is a historic military site next to the modern city of Fort Gibson, in Muskogee County Oklahoma. It guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory from 1824 to 1888. When it was constructed, the fort was farther west than any othe ...

. He was promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

in the 9th U.S. Infantry on March 3, 1855, and served with them at

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...

and on recruiting duty. He was then promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the 9th Infantry on September 10, 1856. From 1857 to 1861, he served with that regiment at

Fort Simcoe Fort Simcoe was a United States Army fort erected in south-central Washington Territory to house troops sent to keep watch over local Indian tribes. The site and remaining buildings are preserved as Fort Simcoe Historical State Park, located eight ...

and

Fort Dalles Fort Dalles was a United States Army outpost located on the Columbia River at the present site of The Dalles, Oregon, in the United States. Built when Oregon was a territory, the post was used mainly for dealing with wars with Native Americans. Th ...

, engaging in scouts against the

Yakima Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, and the state's 11th-largest city by population. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The uninco ...

and other Indians.

Civil War

During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

Black was on the Pacific Coast from 1861 to 1864. In June 1861, he assumed command of the Army's

Fort Vancouver Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading post that was the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company's Columbia Department, located in the Pacific Northwest. Named for Captain George Vancouver, the fort was located on the northern bank of the ...

, relieving future Union general John S. Mason. He was promoted to lllColonel in the Sixth California Infantry on February 1, 1863. In February 1864, he was sent to

Fort Humboldt A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

with three companies of reinforcements ("C," "E" and "G"), to take command of the

Humboldt Military District During the American Civil War, Army reorganization created the Department of the Pacific on January 15, 1861. On December 12, 1861, the District of Humboldt was created, consisting of the counties of Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Trinity, Humboldt, ...

. In June 1864 he was sent to

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

to be

of the United States Military Academy and an instructor of tactics. He was mustered out of the Sixth California Infantry October 27, 1865; was promoted to lllMajor in the 7th U.S. Infantry on July 25, 1866; and promoted to lllLieutenant-lllColonel in the Fourth U.S. Infantry, on October 7, 1868.

Later career

Following his assignment at West Point Black was assigned to 15th U.S. Infantry, on July 1, 1870. From then until 1891, he was on duty with his regiment at posts in the South and West. He conducted courts martial, and commanded troops in Maryland and West Virginia during the railroad troubles in 1877. He was made colonel in the 23rd U.S. Infantry, on February 6, 1882. He commanded

Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...

, Michigan, until May, 1890. He then commanded

Fort Sam Houston Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas. "Fort Sam Houston, TX • About Fort Sam Houston" (overview), US Army, 2007, webpageSH-Army. Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the U.S. Senator from Texas, U.S. Represen ...

until January 15, 1891, when he retired from active service, at 64 years of age. Black died of heart failure on August 5, 1893, at the home of his son-in-law George M. Randall in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, aged 66. He was interred at the

West Point Cemetery West Point Cemetery is a historic cemetery in the eastern United States, on the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. It overlooks the Hudson River, and served as a burial ground for Revolutionary War soldiers and early ...

on August 8, 1893.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Black, Henry M. 1827 births 1893 deaths Military personnel from Delaware County, Pennsylvania United States Military Academy alumni United States Army officers American military personnel of the Mexican–American War People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Commandants of the Corps of Cadets of the United States Military Academy United States Military Academy faculty Union Army colonels Bald Hills War Burials at West Point Cemetery