Douglass Syphax
| Douglas Syphax | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1842 Alexandria, Virginia |
| Died | 4 February 1890 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Landowner |
| Known for | Civil War Sergeant |
Douglas Syphax (1842 - 4 February 1890) or Douglass Syphax was a member of the African-American aristocracy, from a wealthy land-owning family. A descendant of Martha Washington, he was one of the few black sergeants to serve in the American Civil War.
Douglas Syphax was a member of an illustrious Virginia clan who owned land in Arlington County, Virginia, that later became part of Arlington National Cemetery. The family was descended from Martha Washington (1731–1802), wife of President George Washington (1732–1799). The family, considered aristocratic in African-American society, traces its origins to Mariah (with an "h") Custis, the mulatto daughter of George Washington Parke Custis (1781–1857), grandson of Martha Washington. Mariah's mother was Ariana Carter, one of Custis's house slaves.
When Mariah Custis asked her father for permission to marry Charles Syphax, one of his slaves, he freed them both, held a wedding for them in his Arlington mansion, and gave them fifteen acres of his Arlington estate. Mary Custis (1808–1873), Mariah's white half-sister, was to marry the Confederate General Robert E. Lee (1807–1870). Mariah and Charles had ten children, several of whom were given important political positions from the 1850s onward. Their eldest son, William B. Syphax, was eventually appointed superintendent of Washington's black segregated school district.
Douglas Syphax was born in Arlington, Alexandria, Virginia in 1842. Douglas' parents were Charles Syphax, (who was the son of Mariah (with an "h") Custis Syphax) and Eliza. In 1864 he entered the Union Army, serving for ten months before being honorably discharged. Douglas Syphax married Abbie McKee, daughter of the wealthy businessman Colonel John McKee. Colonel McKee had come to Philadelphia from Virginia in the 1840s, become a waiter and then the owner of restaurants before moving into real estate and reputedly becoming a very wealthy man.
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