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African American History
Buffalo soldiers

Definition: Respectful Indian nickname given to black soldiers in the U.S. Army
during the nineteenth century

Regiments of buffalo soldiers served on the western frontier from 1866 until 1898. They played instrumental roles in helping the United States defeat the Apaches, as well as Mexican outlaws led by Pancho Villa. In addition to protecting settlers, installing telegraph lines, and building roads, buffalo soldiers escorted wagon trains and stagecoaches, built forts, and found sources of drinkable water. The name was retained by black units in the twentieth century, and many buffalo soldiers earned Medals of Honor for their valiant service in the U.S. military.

During early 1866, the first U.S. military units composed solely of African Americans, the Fifty-seventh and 125th United States Colored Infantry Regiments, were organized to provide protection for mainly white settlers in New Mexico. On July 28, 1866, the U.S. Congress approved the formation of six additional regiments of African American troops. The Ninth Cavalry regiment was activated on September 21, 1866 at Greenville, Louisiana. On the same day, the Tenth Cavalry regiment began duty at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Later in 1866, the Thirty-eighth, Thirty-ninth, Fortieth, and Forty-first infantry units composed of African Americans were assembled. Enlistment periods were for five years, with salaries of thirteen dollars per month, along room, board, and clothing.

The members of these regiments fought many engagements against Plains Indians, who came to respect them greatly. Because the exception courage, dark skin, and curly hair of the African American soldiers resembled characteristics of the buffalo, the Indians dubbed members of the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry regiments "buffalo soldiers." The soldiers themselves were proud of the respect that the name conveyed. Before long, the title was applied to all African American soldiers.

The Ninth Cavalry served in Texas from 1867 until 1875, when they were transferred to the New Mexico District. There they participated in several military campaigns against the Apaches, who were led by such skilled leaders as Victorio, Geronimo, and the Apache Kid.

After serving for over eight years in Kansas and present-day Oklahoma, the Tenth Cavalry opened more than 300 miles of new roads and strung more than 200 miles of telegraph lines in Texas. In 1879-1880, the Tenth served in a key military campaign against the Victorio and Apaches whom the government regarded as "renegades."

During the Spanish-American War of 1898, buffalo soldiers fought in Cuba, and companies from the Ninth and Tenth Cavalries participated in Theodore Roosevelt's famous charge on San Juan Hill. In 1899, members of the Ninth and Tenth served in the Philippines to help control the Filipino nationalists. Buffalo soldiers also served in later conflicts in Malaysia, China, and Japan.

During World War I, buffalo soldiers patrolled the U.S.-Mexican border, while others served in the Philippines, Hawaii, and Europe. In 1941, the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry regiments were combined into the Fourth Cavalry Brigade, which was deactivated in 1944. During World War II, buffalo soldiers fought in Italy during the fall of Rome in 1944 and in breaking through the Gothic line in France in 1945.

In 1948, U.S. armed forces were officially desegregated, and buffalo soldiers were transferred to integrated military units.

Alvin K. Benson

Further Reading
Leckie, William H. The Buffalo Soldiers: A Narrative of the Black Cavalry in the West. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2003.

Raabe, Emily. Buffalo Soldiers and the Western Frontier. Barrington, Ill.: Rigby, 2002.

Stovall, Taressa. The Buffalo Soldiers. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1997.

Willard, Tom. Wings of Honor. New York: Forge, 2000.

See Also
Military; Military desegregation; Tuskegee Airmen; World War II