The Buffalo Soldiers

One of the most effective military units ever established in the United States Army was that of the famed "Buffalo Soldiers". Buffalo Soldiers history was an important part of US military history. The 10th Cavalry was formed in 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. At the same time the 9th Cavalry was formed at Greenville, Louisiana. Forming the 10th Cavalry was Colonel Benjamin Grierson, a career army officer. The 9th was formed by Colonel Edward Hatch. Both regiments were comprised of African-Americans led by white officers.

The African American Soldier of the 1800's


It's a well known fact that African-Americans fought alongside the Union Army during the Civil War. There are many records of their valiant service during that war but it was not until the Civil War ended that Congress, while reorganizing the peacetime army, officially acted to establish official African-American regiments.


When the Civil War ended there was a big need for added troops on the western frontier. Settlers were moving west in droves and the transcontinental railroad added even more. The need for a heavier army presence in the west was great and the new African-American regiments helped fill the need.

Involvement All Over The West

For over twenty years these regiments were involved in numerous campaigns in the west before, during and after the Indian Wars. They served all over the west, from Montana in the north to Arizona and new Mexico in the southwest.

 The photo at right is of a Buffalo Soldier circa 1890.

The Buffalo Soldiers guarded stagecoach lines, railroads, telegraph lines and settlers. They engaged the Indians very shortly after they entered the plains and in some instances they were threatened by the very same white settlers they took an oath to protect. This plus the harsh elements of the northern plains made the duty of the Buffalo Soldier a particularly tough one. While the Buffalo Soldiers did not take part in such high profile battles as at the Little Bighorn, they were involved in many lesser, yet equally dangerous, campaigns.

During the years 1870-1890 there were 14 Medals of Honor awarded to Buffalo Soldiers. The Medal of Honor was the military's highest award for bravery. When the 1890's arrived the Buffalo Soldiers pretty much worked themselves out of a job. The Indian Wars were over with most tribes settled on their reservation land. Towns were growing rapidly and law enforcement was mostly relegated to local and state jurisdictions.

The picture below is of the Buffalo Soldiers at the Red Cloud Indian Agency.

There are a few different versions as to how these regiments were given the name Buffalo Soldiers. What is known is that the name originated during the Indian Wars, One story is that the name was given to these soldiers by the Cheyennes in 1867. The Indian name translated as "Wild Buffalo". Another version is that the name was given during a Comanche campaign in 1871. The Comanche translation was "Fierce Fighter". There are other versions but what is known is that the Indians respected the fighting ability of these troops. There is another very interesting story of the Buffalo Soldiers involvement in New Mexico regarding Indian uprisings and the Lincoln County War.

The Buffalo Soldier in the Twentieth Century

The Buffalo Soldiers  went on to play a big part in other historic events. One in particular was during the Great Fires of 1910. This was the total devastation by several connected forest fires in a large area of Montana and northern Wyoming.

Towns were being evacuated, people were being trapped by the flames, some while inside retreating rail cars,, and the Buffalo Soldiers were called from their encampment in Montana to help maintain order. They operated successfully in what was considered the largest forest fire in American history and obviously under very dangerous conditions.

Prior to that the Buffalo Soldiers distinguished themselves during the Spanish-American War. There appears to have been some disagreement at the time regarding their involvement in that war. Some thought that the African-American regiments should not be involved in conflicts off  American soil. Nevertheless, they were involved in the war and were sent to Cuba via Tampa, Florida. These soldiers put up with a lot of abuse from certain whites in their own country and it was certain that it would continue during their deployment in Cuba. It did continue but the Buffalo Soldiers performed exemplary. Even knowing what they were getting into, the soldiers looked at their participation as yet another opportunity to prove themselves. The photo below is a Buffalo Soldier regiment stationed in Cuba.

The 92nd Infantry Division was an African-American unit with soldiers from all states. The division was formed in 1917 and participated in both World Wars. Most action was seen in France during World War I and Italy during World War II. The picture below right is the 92nd Infantry Division marching through Italy in 1945.


Below left are the pictures of two Buffalo Soldiers awarded the Medal of Honor in 1997 for their bravery with the 92nd Infantry Division during World War II.

At top is John R. Fox who was killed after deliberately ordering artillery fire on his own position while being overrun by Germans. His actions stalled the enemy advance. The picture below it is of Vernon J. Baker, awarded the Medal of Honor for destroying six enemy machine gun nests, two observation posts and four dugouts.


Another interesting note about the Buffalo Soldiers is that aside from serving their country as military fighting men, parts of the 9th Cavalry and 24th Infantry Regiments served in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1899 as some of the very first national park rangers. The army was involved with our national parks acting similar to forest rangers as far back as 1891 but it was not until 1899 that African-American units were involved. The park ranger hat visitors are accustomed to seeing today dates back to photographs of the Buffalo Soldier Rangers from 1899.

The Buffalo Soldiers were an incredibly brave fighting force. Today there are several monuments across the country honoring their contributions. One is the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum in Houston, Texas. It's a great weekend trip or a good educational stop during your extended vacation. There are also monuments located in Kansas City, MO, Junction City, KS. and at Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX.



The web sites below will give you more detailed information.

www.buffalosoldiermuseum.com 


www.blackhistoryreview.com/visit/BufSoldierMemKS.php

www.bordersights-tours-of-elpaso.com/photo2.html 

(Article copyright Western Trips. Photos and images from the public domain)