John Young Fillmore Blake | |
|---|---|
 John Blake alongside officers of theIrish Brigade. Blake stands third from left. | |
| Nickname | Beau |
| Born | (1856-10-06)October 6, 1856 |
| Died | January 24, 1907(1907-01-24) (aged 50) |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United States South African Republic |
| Branch | United States Army Boer foreign volunteers |
 | Colonel |
| Unit | 6th Cavalry Regiment Navajo Scouts Irish Transvaal Brigade |
| Commands | Irish Transvaal Brigade |
| Conflicts | |
| Alma mater | United States Military Academy |
| Other work | A West Pointer with the Boers |
John Young Filmore Blake (October 6, 1856 – January 24, 1907), also known asJohn Y.F. Blake andJ.Y.F. Blake was anIrish-American soldier and writer.[1] Blake served as a foreign volunteer for theBoers of theSouth African Republic during theSecond Boer War.
After his birth in 1856, Blake's family soon moved toDenton County,Texas. There he grew upcattle ranching and learned toride horses.[2] His father sent him to theUniversity of Arkansas atFayetteville in 1871.[2] Soon after graduating, he received an appointment toWest Point in 1876.[2] Upon graduating from West Point in June 1880, Blake began his military career, assigned as a 2nd Lieutenant to the6th U.S. Cavalry stationed inArizona. He served underGeneral Willcox,General Crook, andGeneral Miles during theApache Wars.[3] Resigning from the military in 1889, Blake moved toGrand Rapids,Michigan to become a businessman, as his wife and family wanted him to settle down. After about five years he soon found out that "'the tricks of the trade', were too deep for me"[3] and giving into his desire for adventure, headed to South Africa as a gold prospector.
While in South Africa he became involved in theSecond Boer War on the side of theSouth African Republic, leading the Chicago Irish-American Corps, known as Blake's Irish Brigade into battle against British forces.[4][5]He returned to the United States after the war to a hero's welcome and toured on the lecture circuit. He subsequently published a memoir of his experience during the war,A West Pointer With The Boers.[6]
John's mother Sinclair T. Chitty married his father Thomas Kincaid Blake Jr. at the age of 15. In 1885 John married Katherine Euphrasia Aldrich in Grand Rapids while still in the service. Together they lived in the officers' quarters atFort Leavenworth, where John's first son Aldrich Blake was born on November 6, 1885. In 1888 Katherine, being pregnant with John's second son, persuaded him to resign from the military and return to Grand Rapids. He agreed, and on September 19, 1889, Ledyard Blake was born.
Blake was found dead in his home inHarlem, New York City of gas asphyxiation on January 24, 1907. He had previously been tending a sick friend for three days. Some sources said the death was accidental, while others called it suicide.[1][7][8] He is buried at West Point, New York.
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