The Buffalo Soldiers:

Forgotten Heroes of the West

by

Brenna Farrell

The Buffalo Soldiers were formed in 1866 following the end of the Civil War. These six regiments were made up of Black soldiers, many of whom had fought in the Civil War and wanted to continue as freedman in the Army. It offered good pay ($16/month) and steady work, things not easy for freed Blacks to find in 1866. The Buffalo Soldiers, however, were commanded by white soldiers only and many of these white soldiers requested a bonus to work with Blacks. Custer even turned down a commission with the Buffalo Soldiers. It would take more than amendments to the constitution to bring about integration in both the North and the South.

Two of the six regiments, the only two Cavalry units, served in the Western states from 1866 to 1891 when they were transferred to the Dakotas. During the time they served in the West, they fought in most of the major battles against the Indians, who named them the Buffalo Soldiers because of their curly hair. Many of the soldiers received the Congressional Medal of Honor for their heroism. During the 1900's, the Buffalo Soldiers served in Cuba with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Rider's and fought in World Wars I and II.

These soldiers were also responsible for building telegraph lines, mapping the southwest, protecting workers, building the railroad tracks that would unite East and West, and building forts around which towns sprang. Without their service, the American West would not have grown as quickly as it did.These soldiers were often stationed in the worst outposts of America, and endured harsh conditions while performing their duties. Their commander, Colonel Hatch, wrote "... the work performed by these troops is most arduous, horse worn to mere shadows, men nearly without boots, shoes, and clothing." They also faced prejudice from the townspeople they protected.

The 9th Cavalry Unit was formed in Greenville, Louisiana on September 21, 1866. In 1875, they were transferred to New Mexico. Here they fought the Apache war chiefs Victorio, Geronimo, and Nana. After 14 years of continuous battle with the Apaches, the 9th was transferred to Fort Riley, Kansas and later, to Fort Reno in Oklahoma, then known as Indian Territory. During this time, they protected the Indians from white settlers attempting to settle on Indian land. The following years, the 9th was moved to Wyoming, Nebraska and Utah. They were used in 1891 to quell the Sioux in the Ghost Dance campaign. The Sioux had engaged in a religion which involved the Ghost Dance to ask ancestors to come to the aid of the tribes. The whites were fearful. This campaign ended at the massacred of the Sioux at Wounded Knee, however, the 9th Cavalry did not take part in this battle, but this was their last campaign.

The 10th Cavalry unit was formed at the same time as the 9th Unit, but in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. They served in Kansas and Oklahoma for ten years, providing protection for railroad workers and stringing telegraph lines. They also patrolled the reservations to prevent Indians from moving into Texas. They eventually served in Texas and New Mexico. Together with the 9th Cavalry, they chased Apache War Chief Victorio into Mexico. In 1885, they were moved to Arizona, where they participated in the campaign against Geronimo. Their final post was in Montana and the Dakotas. They disbanded in 1898.

One of the most interesting stories about the Buffalo Soldiers was that a woman pretended to be a man and served in the 38th Infantry, one of four infantry units. Her name was Cathay Williams and she was a slave at the time of the Civil War. When her master died, she joined one of the Union Army units as a cook. She joined the Buffalo Soldiers in 1866 pretending to be William Cathay. She said she joined the Army because she did not want to depend on anyone. She served in New Mexico and in Kansas. I could not find when she was discharged and the title for the article had the dates wrong. Her commander said that she was a "good soldier".

In 1992, William Colin Powell dedicated a memorial to the Buffalo Soldiers in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Despite this, not much is written about the Buffalo Soldiers in our history books. I did this report because when I studied the Westward Expansion, nothing was said about these soldiers in my history book. My Mom told me about them. It is really sad that the contributions of Blacks in America is not mentioned in our history.

Bibliography

N.A. (nd). No title. National Historical and Preservation Insitute. Online: http://www.zianet.com/wblase/courier/buffalo.htm

N.A. (nd). The Buffalo Soldiers on the Western Frontier. The International Museum of the Horse. Online: http://www.imh.org/imh/buf/buftoc.html

N.A. (nd). The Historical Desert: The Buffalo Soldiers :"Where they went, peace and civilization followed.". Bureau of Land Management. Online: http://www.desertusa.com/mccain/oct_buffalo.html

Savage, Cynthia (1997). Cathay Williams, Black Woman Soldier 1886-1887. Oral Presentation to the West Texas Historical Society. Online: http://www.femalebuffalosoldier.org/cynthiasavage_pg1.html

Stiles, T.J. (1998). Abstract of an article by T. J. Stiles originaly published in December, 1998 Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian. Online: http://smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian/issues98/dec98/buffalo.html

Author: Brenna Farrell

(c)2001