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Buffalo Soldiers is a nickname originally applied to the members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army by the
Native American tribes they fought.
It was formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The term eventually encompassed these units:
9th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 27th Cavalry Regiment, 28th Cavalry Regiment, 24th Infantry Regiment, and 25th Infantry Regiment
Although several African-American regiments were raised during the Civil War to fight alongside the Union Army
(including the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and the many United States Colored Troops Regiments), the "Buffalo Soldiers" were
established by Congress as the first peacetime all-black regiments in the regular U.S. Army.
Sources disagree on how the nickname "Buffalo Soldiers" began. According to the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, the name originated with the
Cheyenne warriors in 1867, the actual Cheyenne translation being "Wild Buffalo". However, writer Walter Hill documented the account of Colonel
Benjamin Grierson, who founded the 10th Cavalry regiment, recalling an 1871 campaign against the Comanche tribe. Hill attributed the origin of the
name to the Comanche due to Grierson's assertions. There is some controversy as to where the name originated. Some sources assert that the
nickname was given out of respect for the fierce fighting ability of the 10th cavalry. Other sources assert that Native Americans called the black
cavalry troops "buffalo soldiers" because of their dark curly hair, which resembled a buffalo's coat. Still other sources point to a combination
of both legends. The term Buffalo Soldiers became a generic term for all African-American soldiers. It is now used for U.S. Army units that trace their
direct lineage back to the 9th and 10th Cavalry, units whose bravery earned them an honored place in U.S. history.
During the American Civil War, the U.S. government formed regiments known as the United States Colored Troops, composed of black soldiers led by
white officers. After the war, Congress reorganized the Army and authorized the formation of two regiments of black cavalry with the
designations 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry, and four regiments of black infantry, designated the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st Infantry Regiments (Colored).
The 38th and 41st were reorganized as the 25th Infantry Regiment, with headquarters in Jackson Barracks in New Orleans, Louisiana, in November 1869.
The 39th and 40th were reorganized as the 24th Infantry Regiment, with headquarters at Fort Clark, Texas, in April 1869.
All of these units were composed
of black enlisted men commanded by white officers such as Benjamin Grierson and Ranald S. Mackenzie and, occasionally, black officers such
as Henry O. Flipper.
From 1866 to the early 1890s, these regiments served at a variety of posts in the Southwestern United States (Apache Wars) and Great
Plains regions. They participated in most of the military campaigns in these areas and earned a distinguished record. Thirteen enlisted men and
six officers from these four regiments earned the Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars.
In addition to the military campaigns, the "Buffalo Soldiers" served a variety of roles along the frontier from building roads to escorting the U.S. mail.
After the Indian Wars ended in the 1890s, the regiments continued to serve and participated in the Spanish-American War
(including the Battle of San Juan Hill), where five more Medals of Honor were earned. They took part in the 1916 Punitive Expedition into
Mexico and in the Philippine-American War.
A lesser known action was the 9th Cavalry's participation in the fabled Johnson County War, an 1892 land war in Johnson County, Wyoming between
small farmers and large, wealthy ranchers. It culminated in a lengthy shootout between local farmers, a band of hired killers, and a sheriff's posse.
The 6th Cavalry was ordered in by President Benjamin Harrison to quell the violence and capture the band of hired killers. Soon afterward, however,
the 9th Cavalry was specifically called on to replace the 6th. The 6th Cavalry was swaying under the local political and social pressures and were unable to
keep the peace in the tense environment.
The Buffalo Soldiers responded within about two weeks from Nebraska, and moved the men to the rail town of Suggs, Wyoming,
creating "Camp Bettens" despite a racist and hostile local population. One soldier was killed and two wounded in gun battles with locals.
Nevertheless, the 9th Cavalry remained in Wyoming for nearly a year to quell tensions in the area.
"Buffalo Soldiers" received the Medal of Honor, more times than any other United States military unit.
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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