A recent research request gave me the chance to look through our historical photograph collection of pictures of Agave. While searching for a photo of Susan Delano McKelvey, a long-time Arnold Arboretum associate who botanized in the American southwest, I came across this image of a large Agave plant with a man posed next to it for size. The yellowed label on the back of the mounting card reads, “Agave palmeri Ft. Huachuca, Ariz. 1895.”
The man in the photograph, standing tall and looking into the distance, caught my attention. He is African-American, and wears the uniform of the United States Army. In 1895, the US military was still segregated. The Army had fought in segregated units in the American Civil War (a notable example being the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry), and afterwards African-American regiments were formed for both cavalry and infantry. Fort Huachuca, Arizona was part of a string of forts commissioned to secure southern Arizona during the Indian Wars of the 1870s. The region was at peace by the 1890s, and in 1895 the fort was garrisoned by Companies A, B, C, and H of the 24th Infantry Regiment. The unnamed soldier in our photograph is a sergeant, a position of trust and authority.
Taking a look at our collection of plant monographs for information on Agave, I happened on a copy of A study of the agaves of the United States by A. Isabel Mulford [In Missouri Botanical Garden Annual Report. St. Louis. 25 cm. v. 7 (1895), p. 47-100], which had belonged to Susan Delano McKelvey! The book included our photograph (plate 48) of the sergeant from Fort Huachuca. The caption tells us that the image was taken by Dr. T.E. Wilcox, United States Army. Dr. Timothy Erastus Wilcox was the post surgeon at Fort Huachuca who spent a portion of his time making botanical and zoological collections for the Herbarium of Columbia College and the United States National Museum, respectively. He was born in 1840, served in the Civil War as an Assistant Surgeon, was posted to Fort Huachuca from May 1891 to May 1895, and retired a brigadier general. He died in 1932 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
In the end we could not uncover the name of the sergeant with the resources at hand, but perhaps one of our readers may take up the challenge of finding it out.
— Lisa E. Pearson, Interim Library Supervisor, Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library
From “free” to “friend”…
Established in 1911 as the Bulletin of Popular Information, Arnoldia has long been a definitive forum for conversations about temperate woody plants and their landscapes. In 2022, we rolled out a new vision for the magazine as a vigorous forum for tales of plant exploration, behind-the-scenes glimpses of botanical research, and deep dives into the history of gardens, landscapes, and science. The new Arnoldia includes poetry, visual art, and literary essays, following the human imagination wherever it entangles with trees.
It takes resources to gather and nurture these new voices, and we depend on the support of our member-subscribers to make it possible. But membership means more: by becoming a member of the Arnold Arboretum, you help to keep our collection vibrant and our research and educational mission active. Through the pages of Arnoldia, you can take part in the life of this free-to-all landscape whether you live next door or an ocean away.