Henry Ossian Flipper was born on 21 March 1856 in Thomasville, Georgia, received early schooling from private tutors, the American Missionary Association, and Atlanta University, and attended the U.S. Military Academy from 01 July 1873 to 14 June 1877 as the fourth Black cadet to attend and the first Black cadet to graduate. From 15 June 1877 to 30 Jun 1882, he served with the 10th U.S. Cavalry as commander of G Troop, one of the Buffalo Soldiers, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Fort Elliott, Texas, Fort Concho, Texas, and Fort Davis, Texas. After a court-martial from 17 Sept to 08 Dec 1881, he was unjustly dismissed from service on 30 June 1882. An honorable discharge was approved on 08 Feb 1977, and on 19 Feb 1999 he received the first presidential pardon granted posthumously. In civilian life, he rose from slavery to become a scholar, author, inventor, historian, surveyor, engineer, linguist, mining and oil consultant, newspaper editor, cartographer, special agent in the U.S. Justice Department, interpreter and translator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and assistant to the Secretary of the Interior. In 1898, seeking justice from Congress, he asked only for the righting of a great wrong, and in 1999 President William J. Clinton declared that his good name had been completely restored. Flipper died on 26 April 1940 and was buried in Thomasville, Georgia.