In 1890 Grierson retired with the rank of Brigadier General of the US Army and in 1896 moved into his cottage on Omena Bay. I imagine after all those years in the dry dusty west, he spent a lot of time on that long dock and high tower looking at the bay. – photo credit Weengush Odeimin
Photo credit Weengush Odeimin
General Grierson’s cottage, named “the Garrison” in his time was a magnificent, towered building on the end of Omena Point. (Now called the Rule cottage) Benjamin Greirson was an unlikely hero of the civil war.
He was a gangling Scotch-Irishman with dark hair, a music teacher from Illinois with no military experience.
When he was 8, a kick from a skittish horse that nearly killed him left his face permanently scarred and him forever distrustful of horses. Yet in 1861 he joined the Illinois Cavalry, and four years later he accepted leadership of the 10th US Cavalry, one of two newly formed black mounted regiments.
Ben was continually denied promotions by the army probably because he commanded a black regiment which many white officers refused to do, and because he advocated dealing honorably with the Indians at a time when the prevailing government policy was undeclared war.
He led them through Mississippi rain, mud and heat destroying enemy supplies, capturing 500 confederates and inflicting 100 casualties while losing only 24 men. It was considered one of the most brilliant cavalry exploits of the war and landed him on the cover of Harper’s Magazine.