Buffalo Soldiers Research Paper

Craig Williams
Renee Garris
Survey of the Humanities
5 May 2016
The Buffalo Soldiers
The United States Army has a rich history of battles, wars, and peacekeeping missions, both on and off American soil that were fought to maintain the freedom that we enjoy today. During the mid-1800s, the African American male population was allowed to join and fight in the U.S. Army. After the Civil War ended, the nickname of “Buffalo Soldiers” was given to the troops served in the Army from 1867 to 1951. The significance of the nickname is uncertain, but it is certain that it was given by the Native Americans. Some people believed that in 1871, the Comanche bestowed the name of an animal they respected on the men of the 10th Cavalry because they were impressed
with their toughness in battle. Others speculate the name originated with the belief of some Native Americans that the soldiers’ dark, curly, black hair resembled that of a buffalo. Whatever the case, the soldiers viewed the nickname as one of respect, and the 10th Cavalry even used a figure of a buffalo in their coat of arms.
In July of 1862, The U.S. Congress passed the Militia Act of 1862. This Act would permit free men of color to join volunteer regiments in Illinois and New York, which was needed to help the Union fight the Confederate forces. On July 17, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Militia Act of 1862 and regiments comprised of African-American men were created. These regiments were named the United States Colored Troops (USCT) regiment. These African-American men would go on to fight in some of the most noted campaigns and battles of the war to include, Antietam, Vicksburg, Gettysburg, and Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign.
After the Civil War ended, Congress decided to reorganize and restructure the Army and passed the Army Organization Act on July28, 1866 which allowed African Americans to enlist in the country’s regular peacetime military (Dobak).
The legislation also brought about the creation of the 9th and 10th Cavalries and the 38th through 41st Infantries, which was later consolidated into the 24th and 25th Infantries. These regiments consisted of approximately 180,000 African American men from the USCT that served in the Union Army during the Civil War. The nickname “Buffalo Soldier” was later given to the 10th cavalry and soon became synonymous with the 9th
cavalry.
The Buffalo Soldiers served on the western frontier, battling Indians and protecting the settlers. They were given aged horses, deteriorating equipment, and inadequate supplies of ammunition to complete their duties. Their duties included escorting trains, work parties, and stagecoaches. They were also responsible for policing cattle rustlers and illegal traders who sold guns and liquor to the Indians, but their primary mission was to control the Native Americans of the Plains and Southwest. After the Indian War, the 10th Cavalry was relocated to Texas, where the 9th Cavalry had long been based. The two cavalries fought Native Americans and outlaws that frequently conducted raids and robberies from reservations in Mexico. They later launched a campaign against the Apache that were resisting relocation and confinement on reservations. While the 10th Cavalry sustained operations against the remaining Apache for another decade, the 9th was sent to Native American Territory to deal with whites that were illegally settling on Native American lands.
The Buffalo Soldiers were renowned for their courage and discipline.
Although drunkenness was a common problem in the Army, it was rare among them. The black soldiers had the U.S. Army’s lowest desertion and court-martial rates despite that nearly a third of the white army soldiers deserted (Britannica, 2015). For the duration of almost 30 years of service, Buffalo Soldiers took part in nearly 200 major and minor engagements. From 1870 to 1890, the Army’s highest award for bravery, the Medal of Honor, was awarded to 14 Buffalo Soldiers.
In 1948, President Harry Truman issued an executive order eliminating racial segregation and discrimination in America’s armed forces. This order began the end of the Buffalo Soldiers. The last all black units were disbanded during the first half of the 1950s. Mark Matthews, the United States oldest living buffalo soldier, died at age 111 in Washington, D.C., in 2005.
The Buffalo Soldiers provide valiant and honorable service to America despite the racial intolerance that surrounded them. Their display of unwavering character and thoughtless sacrifices created opportunities for many African Americans in the future. I proudly serve in the U.S. Army today and I am very thankful for the sacrifices that were made for me. The Buffalo Soldiers were a shining example of what a soldier should encompass, regardless of the
race.