Matthew Forney Steele was born in Huntsville, Alabama on June 19, 1861. As one of four children of Matthew W. and Catharine Steele, he grew up in the post-Civil War South on a plantation near Huntsville. Steele's mother taught him at home until he was fourteen, after which he attended a private school in Huntsville. During his school years he read about the lives of great southern military men, including generals Robert E. Lee, Joe Johnston, and Stonewall Jackson.
The emulation of these great generals prompted him to secure an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. He entered the Academy on July 1, 1879, shortly after his eighteenth birthday, and on June 13, 1883 he graduated as a second lieutenant and was assigned to the Eighth Cavalry at Fort Clark, Texas.
The following years were spent serving at various frontier forts including Fort Clark, Fort Davies, and Del Rio, Texas from 1883 to 1888. In 1885 he was involved in the campaign against the Cheyenne Indians. He was stationed at Fort Yates, Dakota Territory from 1888 to 1891 and was a member of the Cavalry unit sent to relieve the besieged Indian police who attempted to arrest Sitting Bull. He was involved in the subsequent campaigns against the Sioux in 1890 and 1891. In 1891 he was promoted to first lieutenant and transferred to Fort Keogh, Montana, then to Fort Meyer, Virginia from 1891 to 1894 and to Fort Meade, South Dakota from 1894 to 1898. In the Spanish-American War he served as an aid to General Wheeler in the Santiago Campaign, including the Battle of San Juan Hill. Promoted to Captain in 1899 he served as adjutant of the Sixth Cavalry until 1899. He served in the Philippine Campaign from 1899 to 1900 as a major in the Thirtieth Volunteers and as commander of Troop K. Sixth Cavalry from 1901 to 1903.
He served as an instructor at the U.S. Army Command and Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and at the War College, Washington, D.C. from 1903 until 1909. During this period he authored a collection of books on the American Civil War entitled The American Campaigns. Also during his tenure there he authored the article "The „Color Line‟ in the Army‟ published in the North American Review. In this article he advocated the end of "the legal restriction that compels the assignment of colored recruits to one of four regiments." This fascinating article demonstrated his advanced views much ahead of his time.
He returned to the Philippines in 1909 as commander of Squadron Second Cavalry stationed at Jolo and was involved in the campaign against the Moros from 1911 to 1912. He retired from active duty in 1912 and was called back to active service from 1917 to 1919 as commandant of the North Dakota Agricultural College ROTC (now North Dakota State University).
Mr. Steele married Stella Folsom in Fargo October 5, 1887, the daughter of John B. and Lavisa C. (Forsythe) Folsom. After Stella's father died on August 6, 1912, Steele retired from the army and moved to Fargo to take over his father-in-law‟s real estate, loan, and insurance business. He was very active in the local community as a member of the Fargo Chamber of Commerce, Fargo Commons Club, Fargo Rotary, and the Fargo Country Club. Stella died on November 15, 1945. The Steeles had no children. Matthew F. Steele died on February 25, 1953 and was buried at Riverside Cemetery in Fargo.
From the NDSU Institute for Regional Studies & University Archives - North Dakota State University Libraries.
The emulation of these great generals prompted him to secure an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. He entered the Academy on July 1, 1879, shortly after his eighteenth birthday, and on June 13, 1883 he graduated as a second lieutenant and was assigned to the Eighth Cavalry at Fort Clark, Texas.
The following years were spent serving at various frontier forts including Fort Clark, Fort Davies, and Del Rio, Texas from 1883 to 1888. In 1885 he was involved in the campaign against the Cheyenne Indians. He was stationed at Fort Yates, Dakota Territory from 1888 to 1891 and was a member of the Cavalry unit sent to relieve the besieged Indian police who attempted to arrest Sitting Bull. He was involved in the subsequent campaigns against the Sioux in 1890 and 1891. In 1891 he was promoted to first lieutenant and transferred to Fort Keogh, Montana, then to Fort Meyer, Virginia from 1891 to 1894 and to Fort Meade, South Dakota from 1894 to 1898. In the Spanish-American War he served as an aid to General Wheeler in the Santiago Campaign, including the Battle of San Juan Hill. Promoted to Captain in 1899 he served as adjutant of the Sixth Cavalry until 1899. He served in the Philippine Campaign from 1899 to 1900 as a major in the Thirtieth Volunteers and as commander of Troop K. Sixth Cavalry from 1901 to 1903.
He served as an instructor at the U.S. Army Command and Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and at the War College, Washington, D.C. from 1903 until 1909. During this period he authored a collection of books on the American Civil War entitled The American Campaigns. Also during his tenure there he authored the article "The „Color Line‟ in the Army‟ published in the North American Review. In this article he advocated the end of "the legal restriction that compels the assignment of colored recruits to one of four regiments." This fascinating article demonstrated his advanced views much ahead of his time.
He returned to the Philippines in 1909 as commander of Squadron Second Cavalry stationed at Jolo and was involved in the campaign against the Moros from 1911 to 1912. He retired from active duty in 1912 and was called back to active service from 1917 to 1919 as commandant of the North Dakota Agricultural College ROTC (now North Dakota State University).
Mr. Steele married Stella Folsom in Fargo October 5, 1887, the daughter of John B. and Lavisa C. (Forsythe) Folsom. After Stella's father died on August 6, 1912, Steele retired from the army and moved to Fargo to take over his father-in-law‟s real estate, loan, and insurance business. He was very active in the local community as a member of the Fargo Chamber of Commerce, Fargo Commons Club, Fargo Rotary, and the Fargo Country Club. Stella died on November 15, 1945. The Steeles had no children. Matthew F. Steele died on February 25, 1953 and was buried at Riverside Cemetery in Fargo.
From the NDSU Institute for Regional Studies & University Archives - North Dakota State University Libraries.
Matthew Forney Steele was born in Huntsville, Alabama on June 19, 1861. As one of four children of Matthew W. and Catharine Steele, he grew up in the post-Civil War South on a plantation near Huntsville. Steele's mother taught him at home until he was fourteen, after which he attended a private school in Huntsville. During his school years he read about the lives of great southern military men, including generals Robert E. Lee, Joe Johnston, and Stonewall Jackson.
The emulation of these great generals prompted him to secure an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. He entered the Academy on July 1, 1879, shortly after his eighteenth birthday, and on June 13, 1883 he graduated as a second lieutenant and was assigned to the Eighth Cavalry at Fort Clark, Texas.
The following years were spent serving at various frontier forts including Fort Clark, Fort Davies, and Del Rio, Texas from 1883 to 1888. In 1885 he was involved in the campaign against the Cheyenne Indians. He was stationed at Fort Yates, Dakota Territory from 1888 to 1891 and was a member of the Cavalry unit sent to relieve the besieged Indian police who attempted to arrest Sitting Bull. He was involved in the subsequent campaigns against the Sioux in 1890 and 1891. In 1891 he was promoted to first lieutenant and transferred to Fort Keogh, Montana, then to Fort Meyer, Virginia from 1891 to 1894 and to Fort Meade, South Dakota from 1894 to 1898. In the Spanish-American War he served as an aid to General Wheeler in the Santiago Campaign, including the Battle of San Juan Hill. Promoted to Captain in 1899 he served as adjutant of the Sixth Cavalry until 1899. He served in the Philippine Campaign from 1899 to 1900 as a major in the Thirtieth Volunteers and as commander of Troop K. Sixth Cavalry from 1901 to 1903.
He served as an instructor at the U.S. Army Command and Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and at the War College, Washington, D.C. from 1903 until 1909. During this period he authored a collection of books on the American Civil War entitled The American Campaigns. Also during his tenure there he authored the article "The „Color Line‟ in the Army‟ published in the North American Review. In this article he advocated the end of "the legal restriction that compels the assignment of colored recruits to one of four regiments." This fascinating article demonstrated his advanced views much ahead of his time.
He returned to the Philippines in 1909 as commander of Squadron Second Cavalry stationed at Jolo and was involved in the campaign against the Moros from 1911 to 1912. He retired from active duty in 1912 and was called back to active service from 1917 to 1919 as commandant of the North Dakota Agricultural College ROTC (now North Dakota State University).
Mr. Steele married Stella Folsom in Fargo October 5, 1887, the daughter of John B. and Lavisa C. (Forsythe) Folsom. After Stella's father died on August 6, 1912, Steele retired from the army and moved to Fargo to take over his father-in-law‟s real estate, loan, and insurance business. He was very active in the local community as a member of the Fargo Chamber of Commerce, Fargo Commons Club, Fargo Rotary, and the Fargo Country Club. Stella died on November 15, 1945. The Steeles had no children. Matthew F. Steele died on February 25, 1953 and was buried at Riverside Cemetery in Fargo.
From the NDSU Institute for Regional Studies & University Archives - North Dakota State University Libraries.
The emulation of these great generals prompted him to secure an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. He entered the Academy on July 1, 1879, shortly after his eighteenth birthday, and on June 13, 1883 he graduated as a second lieutenant and was assigned to the Eighth Cavalry at Fort Clark, Texas.
The following years were spent serving at various frontier forts including Fort Clark, Fort Davies, and Del Rio, Texas from 1883 to 1888. In 1885 he was involved in the campaign against the Cheyenne Indians. He was stationed at Fort Yates, Dakota Territory from 1888 to 1891 and was a member of the Cavalry unit sent to relieve the besieged Indian police who attempted to arrest Sitting Bull. He was involved in the subsequent campaigns against the Sioux in 1890 and 1891. In 1891 he was promoted to first lieutenant and transferred to Fort Keogh, Montana, then to Fort Meyer, Virginia from 1891 to 1894 and to Fort Meade, South Dakota from 1894 to 1898. In the Spanish-American War he served as an aid to General Wheeler in the Santiago Campaign, including the Battle of San Juan Hill. Promoted to Captain in 1899 he served as adjutant of the Sixth Cavalry until 1899. He served in the Philippine Campaign from 1899 to 1900 as a major in the Thirtieth Volunteers and as commander of Troop K. Sixth Cavalry from 1901 to 1903.
He served as an instructor at the U.S. Army Command and Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and at the War College, Washington, D.C. from 1903 until 1909. During this period he authored a collection of books on the American Civil War entitled The American Campaigns. Also during his tenure there he authored the article "The „Color Line‟ in the Army‟ published in the North American Review. In this article he advocated the end of "the legal restriction that compels the assignment of colored recruits to one of four regiments." This fascinating article demonstrated his advanced views much ahead of his time.
He returned to the Philippines in 1909 as commander of Squadron Second Cavalry stationed at Jolo and was involved in the campaign against the Moros from 1911 to 1912. He retired from active duty in 1912 and was called back to active service from 1917 to 1919 as commandant of the North Dakota Agricultural College ROTC (now North Dakota State University).
Mr. Steele married Stella Folsom in Fargo October 5, 1887, the daughter of John B. and Lavisa C. (Forsythe) Folsom. After Stella's father died on August 6, 1912, Steele retired from the army and moved to Fargo to take over his father-in-law‟s real estate, loan, and insurance business. He was very active in the local community as a member of the Fargo Chamber of Commerce, Fargo Commons Club, Fargo Rotary, and the Fargo Country Club. Stella died on November 15, 1945. The Steeles had no children. Matthew F. Steele died on February 25, 1953 and was buried at Riverside Cemetery in Fargo.
From the NDSU Institute for Regional Studies & University Archives - North Dakota State University Libraries.
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