Discovering Captain Sylvester Henry Epps
Sylvester Henry Epps
Photo courtesy of ABC 7 News
Jim Ortte came into the museum one day in 2019 with a dusty box under his arm. He has been a friend of the Museum for many years, and we help each other out now and then. Jim is a collector and a reenactor, and his wife gets irritated with him when his “collecting” of military memorabilia cramps their living space. The museum provide a place to store some of his items where others can view them, and Mrs. Ortte grants Jim some peace because their living room is free from “clutter.”
“What’s in the box?” I ask.
“I’m not sure,” Jim replies.
This scene has happened many times at the museum. Something comes in, the research begins and, slowly, the story emerges.
On one particular day, I asked, “Where did you get it?”
“In a thrift store in Warrenton,” Jim responded.
The box contained two helmets, field gear—including a pack and trenching tool—, assorted awards and decorations, and a large, framed certificate. All of it looked old, like it came from WW1. One helmet and the awards looked French.
Jim is a detective by trade and his approach to finding answers is relentless. There were so many questions that needed answers. Our team started with the large certificate of promotion to the rank of Captain in the First Separate Battalion, Washington D.C. National Guard, dated; July 16, 1913. It was signed by the acting Secretary of War and by the President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson. We quickly Googled the unit and found out it was related to African American U.S. soldiers who fought in France during WW1, which explained the Gabriel helmet and the French medals which included the Croix de Guerre, one of the highest French military honors.
It belonged to Sylvester Henry Epps, an African American soldier who was among the first to be trained and deployed to France to fight in the Spanish-American War. He also fought against Poncho Via in Mexico and in the trenches of WW1. Unfortunately upon a quick return right before the end of the war, the American army fired all of its African American officers and replaced them with newly trained West Point officers. However, that may have saved Sylvester as he was able to work in the Department of Defense and raise a family on Capitol Hill once the war had ended. After finding out who Sylvester was, we wanted to know what he looked like.
A couple of weeks passed while we unsuccessfully searched for more about Sylvester. Then, a husband and wife visiting the museum mentioned they were forming a new company to help families complete their genealogy. I told them of our quest to find a picture of Sylvester and they said they could do it. Six weeks passed and one day, they brought the museum a photo of him in his WW1 uniform.
The developing story of who Sylvester was became interrupted by the museum’s relocation to Old Town Manassas. One of the first displays to make the move was Epps’. Meanwhile, the local News 7 reporter, John Gonzales, heard about our new display from Jim. May was Military Appreciation Month and Sylvester was a D.C. National Guard Soldier. Therefore, a new WW1 Monument was opening, and it was only fitting that News 7 wanted to cover a local interest news story. Gonzales headed up four news spots for their morning news cast and as a result, a D.C. family called in to say that Sylvester was one of their relatives.
Check back soon for the latest developments on discovering Sylvester Henry Epps and what it was like for his family to visit the museum, sharing more of his story as a local hero.
Many of the Freedom Museum’s items are donated by local families to tell the story of veterans from Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William County and their patriotic contribution to preserving our liberty. To see this artifact and much more, visit us at our brand new location.