Unburied Lives: The Historical Archaeology of Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Davis, Texas, 1869–1875 by Laurie A. Wilkie

Abstract

Reviewed by: Unburied Lives: The Historical Archaeology of Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Davis, Texas, 1869–1875 by Laurie A. Wilkie Glen Sample Ely Unburied Lives: The Historical Archaeology of Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Davis, Texas, 1869–1875. By Laurie A. Wilkie. (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2021. Pp. 304. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index.) Over the last half-century there have been numerous studies focusing on the Buffalo Soldiers, including those by William Leckie, Charles Kenner, John Langellier, Frank Schubert, William Dobak, Thomas Phillips, and Arlen Fowler, among others. Although similar in some respects to these previous works, Unburied Lives breaks new ground in its analysis of African American troops in the nineteenth century, in this case those serving at Fort Davis, Texas, during Reconstruction. Laurie Wilkie, a professor of anthropology and archaeology at the University of California, Berkeley, sets up her story’s context by discussing many of the same arguments and historiographical threads presented by these authors. She then adds her [End Page 128] own ingredients to the mix: race, class, gender, identity, archaeology, anthropology, and, in a nod to more recent events, the killings of Trayvon Martin and George Floyd. Following the Civil War, military service was one of the few available avenues where Black men could “assert their role as fellows or full citizens in American society” (9). However, Whites in the military and in communities across the United States frequently endeavored to limit that role. Using Fort Davis as her template, the author explains in separate chapters how African American soldiers, in comparison with their White counterparts, experienced unequal housing, diet, medical care, educational opportunities, and treatment under the law. Her primary studies throughout these chapters are considerable and quite detailed. Far from being a passive observer, Wilkie frequently inserts herself into the narrative, commenting on the historical record and proffering alternative scenarios and theories. Although plausible, some of her hypotheses ultimately may never be substantiated. Wilkie presents data on living conditions for Black soldiers at Fort Davis, demonstrating how their crowded and cramped barracks helped facilitate the spread of disease. African American troops experienced rates of tuberculosis and death 70 percent to 100 percent higher than White soldiers at the post. She also argues that Black servicemen did not receive adequate rations, forcing them to endure “chronic hunger while being asked to perform strenuous labor” (54). In addition, post commanders and their subordinate officers did little to encourage the education and advancement of Buffalo Soldiers. Over time, Black troops at Fort Davis found creative solutions to these challenges on their own time and at their own expense. Combining an admirable mix of post records, courts-martial, and biographical sketches, Wilkie carefully crafts new perspectives on several controversial cases involving Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Davis. Two of these men were accused of rape and one died under suspicious circumstances. Wilkie asks the reader to consider possibilities other than official versions found in the historical record. What if these men were innocent, and what if the White officers at Fort Davis and their superiors covered up the truth about these incidents? Unburied Lives operates on several levels and speaks to multiple audiences. Those interested in archaeology and anthropology will be drawn to the chapters detailing the types of artifacts found at Fort Davis and the deeper meanings and resonance that the author assigns to them. Academic readers drawn to issues of gender, class, and race will find Wilkie’s conceptual analysis of “racializing assemblages” (24), “heteronormative patriarchal authority” (163), and “necropolitical agendas” (24) interesting, providing grist for further discussion. The general reader will in turn gravitate toward the individual stories of African American soldiers that [End Page 129] Wilkie spotlights. They are deeply researched, finely grained portraits of humanity, gems that sparkle as this work’s strongest assets. Glen Sample Ely Grand Junction, Colorado Copyright © 2022 The Texas State Historical Association