1874, 24th Infantry, Captain John W. Clous, Buffalo Soldiers,signed pay order

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1874, 24th Infantry, Captain John W. Clous, Buffalo Soldiers,signed pay order:
$12.50

This item is a wonderful, original document dated 1874, Fort Brown, Texas,a pay voucher signed by Captain John W. Clous...document is 8x11, folds, else in overall good condition.

Born in Wurttemberg, Germany in June 1837, John Walter Clous immigrated to the United States as a teenager in 1855. Two years later, then 19-year-old Clous enlisted as a private and musician in Company K, 9th Infantry. He remained with this Regular Army unit until 1860, when then-Sergeant (SGT) Clous transferred to the 6th Infantry. After the Civil War broke out in April 1861, SGT Clous saw considerable combat and received a commission as a second lieutenant in November 1862. He was twice cited for gallant and meritorious service at the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863 and finished the war as a first lieutenant.

Sometimes called \"The Dutchman\" by his contemporaries , Clous remained in the Regular Army after the war ended in 1865. in 1867, he obtained a promotion to captain by transferring to the 38th infantry, one of the original all--African-American.

regiments created by Congress in 1866. Two years later, Clous transferred again, this time to the all--black 24th infantry. Major Clous subsequently served on the Frontier with that regiment and, during an 1872 engagement with Native American tribes, Clous was again cited for gallantry in combat.

In 1881, while serving in the Department of Texas, Clous, who had previously studied law, was detailed as the judge advocate in the infamous court-martial of Lieutenant Henry O. Flipper, the first African-American graduate of the U.S. Military Academy. Flipper, who had been the acting commissary officer at Fort Davis, Texas, had been charged with embezzlement and conduct unbecoming an officer and gentlemen arising from a shortage of funds at Fort Davis. Major Clous prosecuted the case but failed to convince the court that Flipper was guilty of the first charge. However, the panel did find that Flipper had committed a crime by concealing the shortage of monies, and this conviction required that he be dismissed from the service. Secretary of War Lincoln and President Chester Arthur subsequently approved the verdict and sentence of the court.

Amazingly, it was not until after the Flipper court-martial, when Clous had twenty-four years of service as a line officer, that he obtained an appointment as a major and judge advocate in 1886.

From 1890 to 1895, Clous served as a professor and the Head of the Law Department at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. After the Spanish-American War began in 1898, then-Colonel Clous received an appointment as a brigadier general of Volunteers. He subsequently served on the staff of Major General Nelson A. Miles and as Secretary and Recorder of the Commission for the Evacuation of Cuba. In 1899, Colonel Clous was back in Washington, D.C.--he had relinquished his appointment as a volunteer general officer--and was serving as Deputy Judge Advocate General when he was promoted to TJAG.

Please view the other historical and Civil War related documents I\'ll be listing this week.SEE SCAN.I now accept PAYPAL but PREFER other forms of traditional paper payment. Buyer pays shipping(usually FREE within the US and $12 for International),payment must be received within 5 days.