REMEMBERING...

JOHN LAPHAM BULLIS

"Johnnie" 

 on the 

100th anniversary 

of his death

May 26, 1911

TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.R. 1007

"RESOLUTION

"WHEREAS, May 26, 2011, marks the centennial of the death of United States Army Brigadier General John Lapham Bullis, commander of the famed Black Seminole Scouts and a hero of the Texas frontier; and

"WHEREAS, Born in Macedon, New York, in 1841, John Bullis enlisted in the 126th New York Volunteer Infantry in 1862 and was wounded and captured twice during the Civil War, in the battles of Harpers Ferry and Gettysburg; following 10 months in the notorious Libby Prison, he was released in an exchange of combatants and was commissioned as a captain in the 118th Infantry, U.S. Colored Troops, a volunteer regiment composed entirely of African American enlisted men and white officers; and

"WHEREAS, General Bullis briefly ran a business on the Mississippi River after the war and was commissioned in the Regular Army as a second lieutenant in 1867; although many other white officers scorned African American regiments, he served with the 41st Infantry and then requested a transfer to the new 24th Infantry, a consolidation of three Colored Infantry regiments; he was stationed at Fort Clark in the borderlands, where property raids and attacks on settlers were a regular occurrence, and assumed command of the remarkable group of scouts, skillful trackers descended from escaped slaves who had intermarried with members of the Seminole tribe and eventually settled in the Santa Rosa Mountains of northern Mexico; and

"WHEREAS, Resolute and resourceful, General Bullis earned the nickname 'the Whirlwind,' leading the Black Seminole Scouts during the Red River War and on numerous missions to track raiders from the Comanche and Apache tribes; in one celebrated battle, he and three scouts took on more than two dozen Lipan Apaches before they ran low on ammunition and were forced to retreat; General Bullis's horse was lost, but his comrades returned for him under fire and he was able to leap up behind his sergeant and escape on his steed; the scouts were awarded Congressional Medals of Honor; and

"WHEREAS, The stoicism, valor, and fairness General Bullis demonstrated won the complete loyalty of his men; he lived off the land and suffered severe privations alongside them, and they gladly followed him even on a pursuit all the way to New Mexico Territory, which kept them in the saddle for 80 days and more than 1,200 miles; over the course of 8 years, he led his scouts in 26 battles, yet not one was killed or seriously injured; he received brevet citations for his gallant service, as well as recognition from the Texas Legislature, and the people of West Texas and residents of Kinney County showed their gratitude by presenting him with engraved swords; and..."

"WHEREAS, Once the area had become comparatively calm, General Bullis was transferred to Indian Territory, and he was later appointed the paymaster of Fort Sam Houston, with the rank of major; he served in Cuba during the Spanish-American War and in the Philippines during the Philippine Insurrection; the day before his retirement in 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt promoted him to brigadier general in recognition of his outstanding achievements; and

"WHEREAS, John Bullis settled in San Antonio and established himself as a successful businessman, investing in real estate and the Shafter silver mines, and he helped to promote the settlement of West Texas; in addition, he remained a stalwart advocate for the Black Seminole Scouts, trying in vain to obtain for them the military benefits and land grants that the federal government had promised; he died in San Antonio on May 26, 1911, and is buried in the San Antonio National Cemetery; a military camp just north of San Antonio was named Camp Bullis in his honor in 1917; and

"WHEREAS, An extraordinary figure in the history of the Lone Star State, Brigadier General John Bullis fought bravely to secure the frontier, and he set an inspiring example of integrity and dedication; it is indeed fitting to commemorate the centennial of his passing; now, therefore, be it

"RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby recognize May 26, 2011, as Brigadier General John L. Bullis Day and encourage all Texans to learn more about his life and service to the Lone Star State; and, be it further

"RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared for the Shafter Silver Mine John L. Bullis Library at the STAR DAY  Foundation, for the Fort Sam Houston Museum, and for the New York Macedon Public Library Bullis Collection as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives."

Signature: Joe Straus, Speaker of the House

"I certify that H.R. NO. 1007 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on April 7, 2011."
Signature: Robert Haney, Chief Clerk of the House

(Seal) Signature line: Ruth Jones McClendon, State Representative, District 120

MORE HONORS FOR JLB

On April 7, 2011 the State of Texas House of Representatives issued a resolution honoring John Lapham Bullis. This recognition resulted from his military accomplishments as well as the part he played in promoting the settlement of West Texas and his advocacy for the Black Seminole Scouts. We'll post some of this document in the next two weeks, as our way of again recognizing this Bullis family member's contribution to his country.

A second honor for John Lapham Bullis is in the form of an exhibit at Fort Sam Houston Museum in San Antonio the last of this month. A member of our committee will be attending this event. Again, we'll keep you posted.

BIRDS THAT EVERY CHILD SHOULD KNOW: THE EAST

Neltje Blanchan published her book through Doubleday, Page & Co. in 1907. Its sixty-three pages are filled with flowing text and photographs of birds in their natural habitat.

Descriptions and photos of robins, bluebirds, chickadees, nuthatches, kinglets, wrens, warblers, sparrows, swallows, and more are included.

Those of us who have enjoyed this book from the collection have one suggestion.  Don't let the title mislead you. This book could easily be called Birds that Everyone Should Know.  We invite you to stop by the Bullis Room and take a look.