The Houston Riot of 1917: A Moment of Unrest in World War I America

On August 23, 1917, members of the all-Black 24th Infantry Regiment mutinied in Houston, Texas, in response to relentless racism and police brutality. Known as the Houston Riot or Camp Logan Mutiny, the violent clash left 17 people dead and exposed the harsh realities of Jim Crow-era military life. This article revisits the events, aftermath, and recent efforts to rectify the injustice faced by the soldiers involved.

Members of the all-Black 24th Infantry Regiment on trail at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas in 1917. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Context and Tensions Leading to the Riot

In the spring of 1917, as the United States declared war on Germany and entered World War I, the War Department rushed to establish military bases across the country. Among these was Camp Logan in Harris County, Texas, a facility constructed to house soldiers training for combat. On July 27, 1917, the 3rd Battalion of the all-black 24th Infantry Regiment was sent to guard the construction site at Camp Logan.1 This battalion, made up entirely of African American soldiers, faced immediate and systemic hostility upon arrival. In Houston, a city deeply entrenched in segregation under Jim Crow laws, black soldiers were subjected to segregation at every turn, from separate drinking fountains to restricted living quarters.2

The soldiers’ presence in Houston was met with disdain from both the local white population and law enforcement, creating a volatile atmosphere. Tensions had already flared between the soldiers and the all-white Houston Police Department, particularly when a series of confrontations escalated into physical altercations. In these encounters, black soldiers were assaulted by white police officers, often with impunity, leaving the soldiers with lasting injuries and fueling their anger.3

The Incident That Sparked the Riot

On August 23, 1917, the spark that ignited the riot occurred when two HPD officers, Lee Sparks and Rufus Daniels, confronted a gathering of African Americans in the predominantly black San Felipe district of Houston. The officers fired warning shots, causing several people to scatter. Sparks then entered the home of a local woman, Sara Travers, and forcibly arrested her, even dragging her outside barefoot.4 When Private Alonzo Edwards of the 24th Infantry approached the officers and offered to take custody of Travers, Sparks responded by pistol-whipping Edwards and arresting him as well. Tensions escalated further when Corporal Charles Baltimore tried to intervene and was also assaulted, shot at, and arrested by the officers.5

Rumors quickly spread throughout Camp Logan that Baltimore had been killed by the police. While an officer retrieved the injured Baltimore from the station later in the day, this brief moment of calm did little to quell the growing anger among the soldiers. The pervasive feeling of injustice, fueled by years of systemic racism and abuse, led to a deep sense of betrayal. The soldiers, already pushed to their breaking point, began to plan retaliation.

The Mutiny and Its Bloody Consequences

That evening, soldiers began to arm themselves, seizing rifles and ammunition from the supply tents at Camp Logan. Sergeant Vida Henry led the charge, organizing a group of around 150 soldiers to march into Houston. The soldiers moved through the outskirts of the city, firing at houses, streetlights, and a car with white occupants. The riot reached its peak when the soldiers encountered a small group of police officers. In a tragic misidentification, the soldiers opened fire on a car carrying Captain Joseph W. Mattes of the Illinois National Guard, killing him.6

As the soldiers continued their march through the city, they encountered increasingly violent resistance. They killed five policemen, including Officer Daniels, and several civilians were also caught in the crossfire. By the time the shooting ended, at least 19 people were dead, including four police officers, eight white civilians, two national guardsmen, one Mexican-American civilian, and two Black soldiers. As the chaos subsided, soldiers began to desert the group, and Sergeant Henry, deeply shaken by the violence, took his own life shortly after the riot.7

The Aftermath and Military Response

In the wake of the riot, Houston was placed under martial law. The military took immediate action to restore order, disarming the remaining soldiers at Camp Logan and conducting a house-to-house search for the deserters. The 3rd Battalion of the 24th Infantry Regiment was quickly sent back to New Mexico, and nearly 200 soldiers faced court-martial. The subsequent trials were marked by a lack of fairness and transparency, as many soldiers were tried under the prevailing climate of racial bias and hostility. Claims about the events vary, but Robert V. Hayes found that, despite allegations of injustice, the military moved forward with what was, at the time, the largest murder trial in U.S. history, ultimately convicting 110 soldiers. Of those convicted, 19 were executed, and 63 were sentenced to life imprisonment.8

The Legacy of the Houston Riot

The mutiny and subsequent court-martial sent ripples of shock and outrage throughout the African American community, both in the military and beyond. For many, the riot became a symbol of the unbearable burden of racial oppression and the desperate consequences of years of mistreatment. As historian Gregg Andrews noted, the event “shook race relations in the city” and helped catalyze a broader movement of racial activism across the country.

For decades, the soldiers of the 24th Infantry Regiment were vilified and their actions condemned. However, in November 2023, the U.S. Army took a significant step toward rectifying the injustice. The Army set aside all 110 convictions, acknowledging that the soldiers had not received fair trials due to the racial climate of the time. The Army also granted posthumous honorable discharges to all of the convicted soldiers, offering a symbolic but important recognition of their service and sacrifice.9

The story of the Houston Riot is one of both tragedy and hope. While the soldiers’ actions that night resulted in bloodshed and destruction, they also highlighted the deep-seated racial tensions that plagued the nation during the early 20th century. In retrospect, the riot and its aftermath serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of racial injustice and the importance of acknowledging and rectifying historical wrongs.

Conclusion

The Houston Riot of 1917 remains a poignant chapter in the history of American race relations and military law. The mutiny, born out of frustration and the desire for justice, exemplifies the painful reality of African American soldiers’ experiences during World War I and the broader struggle for equality. Though the incident itself was marked by violence and loss, the eventual recognition of the soldiers’ unjust treatment offers a sense of redemption, and their story continues to inspire conversations about racial justice and military reform.

Sources

1 Robert V. Haynes, “The Houston Mutiny and Riot of 1917,” The Southwestern Historical Quarterly 76, no. 4 (1973): 418, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30238208.

2 Edgar A. Schuler, “The Houston Race Riot, 1917,” The Journal of Negro History 29, no. 3 (1944): 305–306, https://doi.org/10.2307/2714820.

3 William Shane, “Correcting the Record: The Houston Riot of 1917,” Army History, no. 131 (2024): 4, https://www.jstor.org/stable/48778757.

4 Garna L. Christian, "The Houston Mutiny of 1917," Trotter Review 18, no. 1 (2009): 112-113, https://scholarworks.umb.edu/trotter_review/vol18/iss1/14

5 Robert V. Haynes, “The Houston Mutiny and Riot of 1917,” The Southwestern Historical Quarterly 76, no. 4 (1973): 428-29, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30238208

6 Edgar A. Schuler, “The Houston Race Riot, 1917,” The Journal of Negro History 29, no. 3 (1944): 305–306, https://doi.org/10.2307/2714820.

7 Robert V. Haynes, “The Houston Mutiny and Riot of 1917,” The Southwestern Historical Quarterly 76, no. 4 (1973): 430-31, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30238208

8 Garna L. Christian, "The Houston Mutiny of 1917," Trotter Review 18, no. 1 (2009): 114, https://scholarworks.umb.edu/trotter_review/vol18/iss1/14; Robert V. Haynes, “The Houston Mutiny and Riot of 1917,” The Southwestern Historical Quarterly 76, no. 4 (1973): 437, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30238208

9 U.S. Army Public Affairs, "Army Sets Aside Convictions of 110 Black Soldiers Convicted in 1917 Houston Riots," U.S. Army, November 13, 2023, https://www.armytimes.com/2023/11/13/army-sets-aside-convictions-of-110-black-soldiers-convicted-in-1917-houston-riots/.