Edward Lee Baker Jr.

The Buffalo Soldier Who Left Cover to Save a Drowning Comrade

Bullets tore through the tall grass beside the San Juan River. Spanish troops fired from commanding positions above the valley, and every movement in the open invited death. Then Sergeant Major Edward Lee Baker Jr. heard a wounded soldier struggling in the water.

Other men warned him that attempting a rescue was too dangerous.

Baker went anyway.

Leaving cover under enemy fire, he pulled the wounded trooper from the river and carried him to safety. He then returned to the battle, continued toward San Juan Heights, and fought on despite suffering shrapnel wounds of his own. His courage on July 1, 1898, earned him the Medal of Honor and secured his place among the most distinguished Buffalo Soldiers in United States Army history.

Edward Lee Baker Jr. was born on December 28, 1865, near Fort Laramie at Platte River, Wyoming. The son of a French father and a Black American mother, he grew up in the American West learning horsemanship, roping, and the practical skills of frontier life. He also developed a strong interest in education. In addition to learning French from his father, he later studied Spanish, Russian, and Chinese.

At only sixteen years old, Baker enlisted in the 9th U.S. Cavalry on July 27, 1882. He began a military career in one of the Army’s segregated African American cavalry regiments, whose members became known as Buffalo Soldiers. During his first enlistment, Baker was promoted to trumpeter. He reenlisted in the 10th U.S. Cavalry in August 1887 and steadily advanced through positions of increasing responsibility, serving as chief trumpeter, quartermaster sergeant, and eventually regimental sergeant major.

His rise was remarkable. In an era when Black soldiers served in segregated regiments and faced discrimination both inside and outside the Army, Baker reached the highest enlisted position within his regiment. His responsibilities demanded discipline, organization, and leadership, but the true measure of those qualities would come under fire in Cuba.

When the Spanish-American War began in 1898, the 10th Cavalry traveled from its western posts to Tampa, Florida, before sailing for Cuba. On the morning of July 1, Baker and his regiment took position near the San Juan River. The 10th Cavalry formed part of the American right alongside the 1st Cavalry and the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, popularly known as the Rough Riders. Spanish forces entrenched on San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill poured rifle and artillery fire into the exposed troops below.

As Baker moved along the line encouraging his men, he heard a groan from the river. Private Lewis Marshall of C Troop had been wounded and was lying face down in the water. He was in immediate danger of drowning, but reaching him meant leaving cover and exposing himself to enemy fire.

What would make a man step into the open when every instinct demanded that he remain protected?

For Baker, the life of a fellow soldier mattered more than his own safety. Ignoring warnings from those around him, he entered the danger zone, pulled Marshall from the river, carried him to safety, and summoned the regimental doctor. Marshall survived because Baker refused to leave him behind.

Baker’s official Medal of Honor citation reads:

“Left cover and, under fire, rescued a wounded comrade from drowning.”

The citation is brief, but the courage behind it was immense. Baker did not merely expose himself for a moment. He crossed ground swept by enemy fire, rescued a helpless soldier, and ensured that the wounded man received medical attention. The Medal of Honor record identifies him as Sergeant Major of the 10th U.S. Cavalry and places his action at Santiago, Cuba, on July 1, 1898.

His duty did not end with the rescue. Baker rejoined the advance toward San Juan Heights. During the fighting, shrapnel struck his left side and left arm, but he continued forward through barbed-wire obstacles and intense converging fire. He reached the heights with the surviving troopers of the 10th Cavalry as American forces drove the Spanish defenders from their positions.

On July 3, 1902, Baker received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Cuba. By that time, his service had taken him to the Philippines, where he served with the 10th U.S. Volunteer Infantry, 49th U.S. Volunteer Infantry, and Philippine Scouts. His highest military rank was captain, although his Medal of Honor action will always be associated with his service as sergeant major of the 10th Cavalry.

Baker retired from the Army on January 12, 1910, after approximately twenty-eight years of service. His career had carried him from the western frontier to Cuba and the Philippines, transforming a sixteen-year-old cavalry recruit into a commissioned officer and Medal of Honor recipient.

Edward Lee Baker Jr. died in San Francisco on August 26, 1913, at the age of forty-seven. He was buried at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

His legacy rests on more than rank or recognition. It lives in the moment he heard a wounded man struggling in the river and chose to act. Under fire, Baker placed another soldier’s survival above his own. After completing the rescue, he returned to the fight and continued forward despite his wounds.

Captain Edward Lee Baker Jr. did not become a hero because he was without fear. He became a hero because, when fear and duty collided, he chose his comrade.