Pvt. William Mance: Houston, TX 1917 Riot Camp Logan Series

William Mance was born 30 Dec 1896 in Winchester, KY to Joseph P Mance (1873-1915) and Nellie Mary Fountain (1876-1962).







Inmate #13249 Leavenworth
Rec: 25 Sep 1918
Crime: Mutiny & Murder
Term: life






























Poor William contracted Tuberculosis and died 27 Mar 1932 in Winchester, KY.

His father Joseph  was the son of George & Harriet Ecton Mance. He married Nellie Mary Fountain on August 23, 1894 in Clark County, Kentucky. The couple were the parents of William, Beatrice, Juanita, Arthur Lee and George Henry Mance.

Joseph Mance was the proprietor of a grocery store, located at the corner of Burns Avenue & Washington Street, in Winchester, and a member of the local U.B.F. Lodge. He passed away from the effects of lobar pneumonia, complicated by valvular heart disease.


Nellie re-married in 1919 to David R. Haggard.


William Mance Death Certificate 


William Mance was a soldier in the 24 Infantry regiment, Third Battalion, Company I and served in the Philippines with this unit. His unit was a descendant of the "buffalo soldier" regiments created after the Civil War. Four of the companies, including Company I, from the 24th were sent to Fort Logan in Houston in 1917, where members of the unit encountered extreme racial prejudice. In response to the beating of one of their soldiers and (incorrect) reports of that soldier's death at the hands of the Houston police, a rebellion spontaneously started by some 150 soldiers from the regiment on the night of August 23, 1917 to seek revenge against the responsible police officers. By the time the night was over, five Houston police and nine civilians were dead, along with four soldiers.

The largest court martial and murder trial in U.S. history was held against soldiers suspected of participation. Very little in the way of legal representation for, or evidence or reliable testimony against, the soldiers, was provided but, ultimately, nineteen soldiers were executed and dozens more sentenced to life in prison for their alleged participation. William Mance was one of those sentenced to life in prison. He always denied having participated. His sentence was eventually reduced to twenty years and he was paroled from Fort Leavenworth in 1924. However, he contracted tuberculosis, apparently while in prison, and was not long-lived.

William was the son of Joseph P. & Nellie Mary Fountain Mance.

Added to his FAG Memorial by Lyndon Comstock



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4zYgm5lpIo


May they all rest in peace.




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