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Lawson Daniel Gratz(Gratts)

Lawson Daniel Gratz (September 19, 1936, to June 18, 1909) An African American Civil War Veteran with the 114th United States Colored Troops and the U.S. 10th Cavalry (Buffalo Soldier Trooper), was born a slave in Kentucky to Benjamin Gratz. He volunteered for service in the 114th Colored Infantry on June 24, 1864, he enlistment papers show that he was born in Fayette County, Kentucky and at the age of 26 years of age. The Texas Historical Marker granted by the State of Texas states that Gratz was born in Mason County, Kentucky on the plantation of Benjamin Gratz. Lawson Gratz became Sergent of company "C" of the 114th U.S.C.T., one of the Black units that trained at Camp Nelson, Kentucky, which was the largest training facility for African American soldiers in the south. Lawson Gratz was educated to read and write and could communicate effectively with White Officers, Gratz was promoted to first sergeant in less than 12 months. On several occasions Sergent Gratz was found to be away from his troop, sometimes for several months at a time, on these occasions, Gratz was thought to be Absent without permission from his commanders and would lose his rank, but his stripes would soon be returned to him. In one incident Gratz' stripes were taken again but soon as he rerturned to the 114th United States Colored Troops a communication from the Adjutant General's Office of the War Department of the United States offered the reason for Gratz' absence from his troops, the letter stated that Sergeant Gratz had been on Special Duty for the War Department during those absences. After each absence from the 114th U.S.C.T., Sergent Gratz would be found at the Freedman's hospital at Lousiville, Kentucky recuperating from illnesses, dehydration and malnutrition from his months of undercover duty for the War Department. Because the 114th U.S.T.C. was highly trained and ready to fight it was ordered to Virginia in 1865 to participate in General Ulysses S. Grant's campaign that forced the surrender of the southern General Robert E. Lee's Confederate army at Appomattox on April 9th. The 114th remained in Virginia until July 1865 and were then ordered to the Texas/Mexico Rio Grande as part of the United States Army build-up of troops guarding the border and guarding against the build-up of Spanish troops in Mexico. Sargent Lawson Gratz and his fellow soldiers did not muster out of service until April 1867.

Lawson Gratz moved to Washington D. C. for a short period of time before hearing of the newly created Tenth Cavalry Unit in August of 1868. Enlistment records show that when Lawson Gratz gave his last name as Gratz, the registrar wrote the name as Grats, That was the first change to the Gratz name. The Tenth Cavalry under the command of Col. Benjamin Grierson campaign against the Plains Indians, especially the Comanches from 1867 to 1875 and earned the nickname "Buffalo Soldiers" for their fighting skills and their tenacity.

Sargent Lawson Gratz suffered an accidental wound that destroyed the vision in his right eye when his rifle exploded because of faulty ammunition given to the Buffalo Soldiers in 1868, they were preparing to capture renegade Indians with General Tecumseh Sherman's winter campaign against the Cheyennes, Arapahos, and Commanches. The company doctor recommended that Sargent Gratz should be discharged from the !0th Cavalry but Gratz insisted that he wanted to remain with his troopers of the 10th Cavalry and if necessary he could learn to shoot his weapon on his left side, which he did for the remainder of his tour of duty. Sergent Gratz was discharged from the military at Fort Richardson in Jacksboro, Texas in 1873.

In 1873 after his discharge from the U.S. Army and Gratz moved to Albany, Texas, Shackleford County, to Fort Griffin which was one of the Texas Forts in which the 10th Cavalry was stationed during his enlistment. He worked as a farmer for a short while and took on a job as a teamster hauling Buffalo and other hides to and from the Dallas / Fort Worth area. While working at Fort Griffin Sergeant Gratz met Mahala Dedman and her daughter Rose Ann, Rose Ann who was 16-years old and worked with her mother doing laundry for the officers at the Fort and in the nearby town of Albany. On September 24, 1877, Gratz married Rose Ann, and on 19th of January 1879 a son, Bernard Jobe Gratz was born.

The family purchased a 280 area farm in Annetta, a community of (Aledo, Texas)Where his family grew to 14 children. Lawson D. Gratz died of a heart attack on June 18, 1909, and left behind a family that loved and respected him.

In August of 2011, Sargent Gratz was awarded a Historical Marker from the State of Texas for his bravery and loyalty to his country. From Slave to Civil War Veteran and Buffalo soldier.

Sergent Gratz's name will live forever with his name being among side the 209,145 African Americans on the African American Civil War Monument in Washington D.C. who volunteered to give their lives to end of Slavery and fight for freedom in the United States of America. The Museum is located at 10th Street and U Street N.W., Sargent Gratz is located on Wall "D" Plaque 113. His Texas Historical Marker is located at his burial site located at Mikus Road and Interstate 20, Weatherford, Texas.

HISTORICAL MARKER FILES, TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, AUSTIN, SCHUBERT, FRANK "MICKEY"''10TH CAVALRY REGIMENT(1866-1944)"BLACK PAST.ORG http;//www.blackpast.org/aaw/10th-cavalry-regiment-1866-1944),accessed April12,2016. Soldier Details; Gratz, Lawson, The Civil War, National Park Service,http://nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierID=AC8B842-DC7-DFH-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A),accessedApril14,2016 http://www.tsh aonline.org/handbook/online/article/fgrtz Josef gratts (talk) 20:53, 17 July 2018 (UTC)