The original Buffalo Soldiers were African American Cavalry and Infantry regiments who served in the U.S. Army shortly after the end of the Civil War. They first distinguished themselves in the Indian War campaigns during the westward expansion of the 1860s and 1870s.

In 1866 Congress authorized the formation of two cavalry regiments, the 9th and 10th, and four infantry regiments (later consolidated into two, the 24th and 25th regiments,) which were to be made up of African American soldiers, many of whom had served in the Union Army during the Civil War. The 9th and 10th regiments accounted for about 20% of the total cavalry force deployed in the Western frontier until the 1890s.

The African American regiments tended to receive the toughest and least desirable assignments, and received slightly less compensation for their service than their white counterparts. White officers commanding these units received bonuses, because they considered the job undesirable. Luckily for the Buffalo Soldiers, General George Armstrong Custer (remembered mainly for his defeat by the Sioux at the Battle of Little Big Horn) turned down a commission to lead one of their regiments. The monthly pay for a private was between $10 and $13. Still, desertions in white regiments were about three times more frequent than in the African American regiments, and rates of alcoholism among African American soldiers were lower as well. The Buffalo Soldiers, along with all troops assigned to the frontier, lived a harsh life. They were assigned to patrols for months at a time, exposed to extreme weather while subsisting on a simple diet, little water, and no amenities. Diseases such as dysentery and tuberculosis took their toll among the soldiers. In their interactions with local citizenry, African American soldiers were often subject to the racial prejudice of residents of the frontier towns and their local government officials. There were few recreational opportunities for the Buffalo Soldiers, but many spent their spare time becoming literate in classes taught by Army chaplains.

The Buffalo Soldiers were given their name by their frequent opponents, the Plains Indians. Some accounts state that the Native Americans first encountering the African American soldiers came up with the name because of the texture of the soldiers' hair, but most accounts agree that the name reflected the respect the Plains Indians came to have for the valor and martial skill of the soldiers. The Apache, Cheyenne, Sioux, and Kiowa (including the famous chiefs Victorio and Sitting Bull, and famous warrior Geronimo) engaged in numerous battles with and raids against the 9th and 10th Cavalries. The Buffalo Soldiers also had to keep the peace against outlaws like Billy the Kid and Pancho Villa. They were assigned various tasks such as guarding the crews building the transcontinental railway, and protecting stagecoach and mail routes from outlaws and Indian raiding parties.

The Buffalo Soldiers became well-respected in the U.S. Army because of their bravery and military success. During the Western Campaigns, they won more than eighteen Medals of Honor. The name itself became a badge of honor, and subsequent African American troops continued to use the name. Some of the later "Buffalo Soldiers" took part in the charge up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War, and later regiments served in World War I. A memorial was dedicated to the Buffalo Soldiers in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1992, and their deeds are remembered as an important part of the history of the American West. []

by
Susan Robinson

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