My Family Died For The Republic We Have Just Lost

Many of our service members died in darkness. We Cannot fail them by sulking.

Photo: The Death registry of the US Army for my great Great Grand-uncle William Henry “Hank” Nance. (Photo: US Army)

William Henry Nance, was an African-American man aged 37. He was sweating profusely in a US Army Hospital bed in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. At that time, the fort was one of the last major government outposts protecting what would be known as Indian country. Wagon trains and lone riders were heading west to populate land allotments given to them by the US government. Of course the land was taken from the Native Americans, but they were not considered people.  The US Army provided protection to these settlers.