Matthews was born
on August 7, 1894 in Greenville, Alabama and grew up in Mansfield,
Ohio. His horse riding career began early, when he would deliver
newspapers on the back of a pony. When he was only 15 years old, he
met members of the 10th Cavalry, the original Buffalo Soldier unit,
while tending to horses on a racetrack in Lexington, Kentucky.
Although there is disagreement as to the origins of the name
"Buffalo Soldiers," it referred to several segregated units within
the United States army. Although the legal age of recruitment was 17
at the time, documents were forged and Matthews signed up to join
the army in Columbus, Ohio.
After his training,
Matthews was first stationed in Fort Huachuca in Arizona. At the
time, the army was still using Native Americans as guides in the
western United States. During his tenure in the state, he was
regarded as an excellent marksman. Next, he joined General John J.
Pershing's campaign into Mexico in 1916 to hunt for Pancho Villa.
Although Matthews admitted to never having met Villa, he would claim
that "I knew where he was at." When the United States turned its
attention to World War I, Europe had no use for American cavalry,
therefore Matthews and the 10th regiment remained in the United
States for the duration of the conflict.
In 1931, he was transferred
to Fort Myer in Virginia. While stationed there, Matthews and some
of his troops were escorts for King George VI and his wife Queen
Elizabeth when they came to visit President Franklin D. Roosevelt at
the White House. He earned acclaim for his horse shows, which helped
sell war bonds during World War II and he tended to Eleanor
Roosevelt's personal horses. He also played on the polo team
while stationed in the state.
He was also a member of the
Buffalo Soldiers' drum and bugle corps, and performed at funerals in
Arlington National Cemetery, where he himself would later be buried.
Since the Army would not allow colored soldiers to be seen at white
funerals at this time, he was forced to hide in the woods while
playing Taps. A decade later, he fought in the second World
War and saw combat action at the Battle of Saipan in the South
Pacific. During the conflict, he rose to the rank
of 1st Sergeant. He had originally been sent to train with the
Tuskegee Airmen, but was deemed to be too old at the
time.
Although there were conflicting reports on whether he
retired from the Army in 1947, 1949 or 1950, he left the army only
shortly before the Buffalo Soldiers were disbanded as part of
President Harry S. Truman's initiative to integrate the army. His
next job was at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda where
he worked as a security guard. By the time he retired for a second
time, in 1970, he had become the chief of the guards at the
institution. He spent much of his spare time fishing, reading the
Bible, and recounting tales of his extensive military experiences,
which made him a popular and respected figure within the community.
His wife of 57 years, Genevieve Hill Matthews, died in 1986 and one
of his daughters, Shirley Ann, died two years later.
In his old age, he became a
symbol for the Buffalo Soldiers. In 1994, he met with President Bill
Clinton at the White House. In 1997, at the age of 103, Matthews was
present at Arlington National Cemetery for a service honoring the
Buffalo Soldiers, where he unveiled a plaque that dedicated his
former barracks in honor of the soldiers. For his 108th birthday in
2002, he met with then-United States Secretary of State Colin
Powell, where Powell was presented with a portrait of Matthews. He
was a member of his local church, a Prince Hall Masonic Temple and
the Washington chapter of the 9th and 10th Cavalry Association until
his death.
Although partially blind
from glaucoma by the age of 109 and completely blind from cataracts
by 111, he nevertheless retained his memory and good health until
his final days; his medical history showed no signs of high blood
pressure, heart or kidney trouble or diabetes. He was able to walk
without a cane or walker, preferring not to use one, and was able to
feed himself, including Cheerios for breakfast, his favorite vanilla
ice cream with his other meals and a daily can of Ensure for
energy. While he enjoyed to recount tales from his military
experience, he never complained about the segregated nature of his
unit, preferring instead to focus on his own exploits on the
job.
Matthews died at the age of
111 of pneumonia in Washington, D.C. At the time of his death, he
was recognized as the oldest living former Buffalo Soldier, the
oldest man in Washington and the second oldest person in Washington
overall behind then oldest American Corinne Dixon Taylor. He was
survived by two of his four daughters, his son, nine grandchildren
and seventeen great-grandchildren. He was buried at Arlington
National Cemetery in September 2005 and Washington, D.C. Mayor
Anthony A. Williams spoke at his funeral, which was also attended by
councilman and future mayor Adrian Fenty.
Source: Wikipedia; Submitted by
Christine Walters
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