On June 14, 1877 Henry Ossian Flipper (1856 – 1940), born
into slavery in Thomasville, Georgia, in 1856, became the
first African American cadet to graduate from the U.S.
Military Academy at West Point, New York, earning a
commission as a second lieutenant in the United States
Army.

Flipper was also an author who wrote about scientific topics
and his life experiences.

A painting depicting Lt. Flipper near the Rio Grande River,
TX in 1880 while scouting with company A, 10th US Cavalry
Regiment.