Legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers

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The Civil War ended. Troops went home, among them nearly 145,000 African Americans. But Confederate white people did not want armed former slaves roaming the south. Something had to be done. Instead of trying to disarm these veterans, the Army organized new regiments and sent the men west to defend sparse, yet rapidly expanding, settlements. It was an “out of sight, out of mind” solution, and it worked well. Thus, the legacy of the Buffalo Soldier was born.

In 1866, Congress created five all-black regiments — the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th, 25th, and 38th Infantry. No one knows for certain where the name Buffalo Soldier came from. Some believed Plains Indians first used it. They saw the dark skin and curly hair and thought the men resembled their sacred buffalo. Others said it was because black troopers stood and fought long after white regiments retreated. The Indians thought them ferocious and brave, traits they respected. So, Buffalo Soldier was a name of high praise.

Nearly 4,000 Buffalo Soldiers served at 11 frontier forts, established along the length of New Mexico like a string of pearls. The first black troops arrived at Fort Selden in 1866. There were no African American officers, and black troopers faced extreme racial prejudice from the Army establishment. To break the monotony of routine, the Army frequently rotated troops. But troopers scarcely had time to learn the land and who their enemies were before they were moved and had to start over.

Life at Fort Selden was never easy. When not standing guard or on patrol — always on horseback and year-around, often for a week or two at a time — they had to care for their animals and keep their gear in good condition. Historic letters say food was, at best … marginal.

9th Cavalry Sergeant John Denny was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor November 27, 1894 for rescuing a wounded comrade under fire on September 18, 1879 from Victorio's Apache warriors in Hembrillo Canyon.
Library of Congress
Corporal Clinton Greaves of the 9th Cavalry received the Congressional Medal of Honor June 26, 1879, for rescuing six troopers and three Navajo scouts attacked by 40 to 50 Chiricahua. The sculpture, created by Gregory Whipple, was placed at Fort Bayard in 1992 by the Historic Preservation Society.
Wikipedia Creative Commons
“The Sentinel” is Mesquite Artist Reynaldo “Sonny” Rivera’s 1994 memorial to the Buffalo Soldiers’ 9th and 10th Cavalry. It was donated to Fort Selden by State Representative William Porter and his wife, Caryl.
Photo by B. Russo

They built roads and other infrastructure, guarded the mail, and protected settlers playing significant roles. They engaged Chief Victorio in Hembrillo Canyon near Victorio Peak on the west side of today’s White Sands Missile Range. They fought the Apache in Dog Canyon, where the Indians not only fired on them but dropped large rocks from above. By the time the troopers reached the ridge line, like true guerrilla fighters, the Apache were gone.

Buffalo Soldiers fought in the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars. They contributed to maintaining border security during the Mexican Revolution. Black regiments were excluded from WWI’s American Expeditionary Force because of President Wilson’s racist policies. Instead, they fought under French command, the first time ever American troops were controlled by a foreign power.

During World War II, the Army established the 92nd Infantry Division for African American troops. They fought in Europe. The original 25th Infantry served in the Pacific. When the Army ended segregation in 1951, those who had served as Buffalo Soldiers were allowed to retain that distinction. Two remain alive; both are centenarians. Roy Caldwell, born 1922, had been an assistant deputy warder at New York’s Rikers Island. Marshall Allen, born 1924, an avant-guard jazz musician, released his latest album just last November.

National Museum of African American History & Culture reminds us, the remarkable courage demonstrated by the Buffalo Soldiers in the face of fierce combat, discrimination, and repressive laws continues to inspire us today.

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