Homer W. Wheeler (May 13, 1848 – April 11, 1930) was an American military officer and author. A veteran of the American Indian Wars and Spanish–American War, he attained the rank of colonel and wrote several books, including memoirs of his experiences on the western frontier of the United States in the late 1800s.
Wheeler was a native of Montgomery, Vermont, and was raised in Montgomery and in Winona, Minnesota. He attended New Hampton Institute in Fairfax, Vermont and graduated from Eastman Business College in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1866. After working for the United States Army as a civilian, in 1875 he received a commission as a second lieutenant of Cavalry. He served in the American Indian Wars and Spanish–American War, primarily as a member of the 5th Cavalry Regiment. He later served in the 11th Cavalry Regiment, then commanded the 5th Cavalry Regiment before retiring in 1911.
After leaving the Army, Wheeler was a successful writer, and he authored several autobiographical works detailing his career in the western United States. He died in Los Angeles, California on April 11, 1930, and was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Hillside, New Jersey.
Early life
Homer Webster Wheeler was born in Montgomery, Vermont on May 13, 1848, the son of Augustus C. Wheeler and Lucretia (Babcock) Wheeler. His relatives included David Olmsted, who was his grand-uncle, and Orville E. Babcock and Lorenzo A. Babcock, who were his uncles. Wheeler's family moved to Winona, Minnesota when he was ten years old. His mother became ill when he was 13, and the family returned to Vermont. After his mother's death, he was raised in Montgomery by his grandmother. Wheeler attended New Hampton Institute in Fairfax, Vermont, then began working for the Central Vermont Railway, for which he loaded and unloaded freight at its facility at St. Albans station. With several friends, Wheeler traveled to Burlington, Vermont and attempted to enlist in the Union Army, but they were rejected for being too young and not having the permission of their parents.
When Augustus Wheeler established a general store in Montgomery, Wheeler left his position at the railroad to work in the store. Wheeler subsequently attended Eastman Business College in Poughkeepsie, New York. After graduating in 1866, he resided in New York City, where he worked as the shipping clerk for a silversmith. When the firm went out of business, Wheeler obtained a civilian position in the transportation department of the quartermaster's office for the Army's Department of the East.
Move to Kansas
In June 1868, Wheeler accepted the offer of employment at the trading post of Fort Wallace, Kansas. On his way to Fort Wallace, Wheeler stopped at Lawrence, Kansas to visit his uncle Carmi William Babcock, who was acquainted with General Ulysses S. Grant and serving as U.S. surveyor general of Kansas. Wheeler's uncle Orville Babcock served in the army with Grant, and when Wheeler resumed his journey, he discovered that the train's passengers included Grant and Grant's staff. Wheeler used the Grant connection to his Babcock uncles to introduce himself to Grant, who invited Wheeler to sit with him until the end of the railroad line in Monument, Kansas, where Grant continued his journey to Denver by stagecoach.
After arrival at Fort Wallace, Wheeler became friendly with William Comstock, the post's guide and American Indian interpreter. Wheeler accompanied Comstock on several hunting and scouting trips, which equipped Wheeler with a working knowledge of the local terrain and the culture of the local Indians. During his time at Fort Wallace, Wheeler also became acquainted with Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody while they were employed as Army scouts. Afterwards, he continued to correspond and visit with them, and he met in person with Cody for the final time in 1915.
In September 1868, Wheeler volunteered for one of three expedition that attempted to rescue U.S. troops following the Battle of Beecher Island. By the time they arrived, most of the soldiers had been killed, and the party Wheeler was part of buried the dead who had not already been interred, and led the few survivors back to Fort Wallace. As the conflict with Indians in the area continued to grow, Wheeler was employed several times to carry messages from Fort Wallace to other posts and return with replies as local Army commanders worked to coordinate their activities.