"The passing of a picturesque and interesting figure in U.S. Army life was recorded in a cablegram to the State Department from Monrovia, Liberia, which recorded the death of Colonel Charles Young, formerly of the 10th United States Cavalry, who commanded a squadron in Pershing's Punitive Expedition into Mexico against Pancho Villa, and the only member of the Negro race to reach the rank of Colonel in the Regular Army. What mission took him to Nigeria and how he met his death has not been reported to the U.S. government.

"While a Major he was in command of a squadron of the famous 10th Cavalry. He and his squadron rode to the relief of Major Tompkins when the latter and his men were ambushed at Parral in an affair that nearly brought the American and Mexican governments to the verge of hostilities. Besides commanding troops in Mexico, he served in the field with Cavalry units as a line officer in the Far West and on two tours of duty in the Philippines.

"A native of Kentucky he graduated with the class of 1889, 49th out of 49 graduates, at West Point, and reached his Majority in 1912. He was retired for physical disability early in World War I, with the rank of Colonel."

He died on January 8, 1922 and his funeral was one of only a handful in history to be held at the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery. He is buried in Section 3 of the cemetery.