George Owens
Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas
Marker Inscription
After the War Department issued General Order 329 in October 1863, African Americans had the opportunity to fight in the Union Army. George Owens, born enslaved in 1843 in Kentucky, took this opportunity. Owens enlisted in the Union Army on June 28, 1864, most likely after his owner freed him. From 1864 to 1866, George Owens served in Company F of the 116th Colored Infantry. In 1865, the 116th participated in the Appomattox Campaign, a series of battles that led to the defeat of the Confederacy. When the Civil War ended, Congress authorized the creation of the 9th Cavalry, one of the new African American regiments. On October 7, 1866, Owens left the 116th and joined the 9th Cavalry. These men, called Buffalo Soldiers by Plains Native Americans, served in west and southwest Texas. Owens and his fellow soldiers served during the Indian Wars (1866-1891), major frontier campaigns against Native Americans used to continue westward expansion. These campaigns, however, contributed to the harmful, violent process of Native American removal in the 19th century. Soon after Owens joined, Troop F of the 9th Cavalry was sent to Fort Davis. While serving, the 9th rebuilt forts and protected stagecoaches, railroad crews and trains, and surveying parties from hostile forces. Many soldiers in the 9th Cavalry received the Medal of Honor, making it the most honored African American unit. Owens was discharged from the 9th Cavalry in the early 1870s. After his service, he settled in Corpus Christi and died soon after on June 4, 1879. Along with approximately 180,000 other African Americans, George Owens served in the Union Army and fought for his and other enslaved people's freedom. Additionally, his service in the 9th Cavalry highlights African Americans' historical significance in United States military history. (2017)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born into slavery in Kentucky in 1843, George Owens enlisted in the Union Army in 1864 and served with the 116th United States Colored Infantry through the Appomattox Campaign that ended the Civil War. He then joined the newly formed 9th Cavalry—one of the regiments Plains nations called Buffalo Soldiers—patrolling and guarding the west Texas frontier before settling in Corpus Christi, where he died in 1879.
Why it matters
His life traces the arc of Black military service from emancipation through the frontier army, embodying both the fight for freedom and the era's contested westward expansion.
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