Henry Vinton Plummer (July 30, 1844 – February 10, 1905) was an American Baptist preacher and chaplain with the United States Army Buffalo Soldiers.

Born a slave on a plantation near Bowie, Maryland, he escaped slavery in his early 20s and enlisted in the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

He served as a pastor at several churches before being appointed chaplain of the 9th Cavalry Regiment by President Chester A. Arthur in 1884.

[2][3][4] He and his mother were sold in 1851, and in 1862, Plummer escaped from slavery and traveled to Riversdale Plantation in Prince George's County to find his father.

[6] In 1872, he enrolled at Wayland Seminary in Washington and when he graduated, became the pastor at St. Paul Baptist Church in Bladensburg, Maryland.

[11] In 1883 he was put forward as a Republican candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates but was passed over for the nomination on account of his race.

[14] He replaced Chaplain Pierce and was the only black officer in the Army, holding the rank of captain.

[19] In August 1894, Plummer proposed a scheme to the Secretary of War, Daniel S. Lamont, to explore parts of Africa.

[20] He designed this proposal with the support of Bishop Henry Turner and numerous other proponents of African Americans moving to Africa.

[2] In 2003, after appeal from the group, Prince George's County Council passed a resolution calling on the president, Congress, the defense secretary, and the Army to review Plummer's case.

[2] In 2004, Maryland governor Robert Ehrlich signed an official document overturning the court-martial of Henry Plummer.