Buffalo Soldiers

Introduction

The Buffalo Soldiers were an African American Infantry and Cavalry that fought in the western section of the United States of America. There were two Cavalry regiments, the ninth and the tenth. The twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, and thirty-fifth through the forty-first regiments were infantry regiments.

The tenth regiment experienced the most racist officers, the worst food, and was in the worst section of the west. Even though these bad things happened, the tenth regiment had the lowest desertion rate of any other regiment. Also, they had the highest morale, and fought better. Because of that, thirteen Medals of Honor were awarded to the tenth regiment.

The Buffalo Soldiers made up a good bulk of the army; in fact, 186,000 soldiers fought in the various wars and 38,000 of them died for their family's, their friend's, and their country's freedom. Blacks fought in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, Indian Wars, Philippines War, Mexican Punitive Expedition, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and Expeditionary Campaigns. Now, they fight in the Iraqi war.

Within these regiments, certain individuals were exceptionally great. Cathay Williams, Henry O. Flipper, and Colonel Allen Allensworth were one of these men, or at least thought to be men. Cathay Williams changed her name to Williams Cathay to fight as a soldier in disguise. But one day, Cathay Williams had to go to the doctor, where she was discovered and discharged from the army, despite her bravery.

Henry O. Flipper, a freedman, joined the army and later became the first African American officer in the army. This happened alongside Colonel Allen Allensworth, who became the first black chaplain, and was founder of the first black established town, Bakersfield. Now all Buffalo Soldiers that fought in earlier wars live together.

Origin of Name

The name "Buffalo Soldiers" was given by the Plains Indians to the black soldiers. Reason for the name is uncertain, but there are several theories to how the name came about.

Some think the Indians saw a resemblance between the black men's hair and the mane of a buffalo. Others believe the Indians saw how, when a buffalo was injured, it fought ferociously, in the same manner as black men. In other words, buffalo and black men both fought in an intense, aggressive fighting style when injured or wounded. Several people believe the name comes from the buffalo-hide coats that the troopers wore in cold weather.

For whatever reason, the black men used the name in honor and respect. Native Americans held the buffalo in high standards; therefore, the black men were with great pride. With this pride, the soldiers adopted the buffalo as part of their crest.

Military History

The Buffalo Soldiers fought in the Revolutionary War between the years of 1775 and 1783. There were around five thousand African American soldiers, and, by mid 1778, every brigade in George Washington's army had, on average, forty-three black soldiers. From 1812 to 1814, they fought in the War of 1812.

From 1861 to 1865, the Buffalo Soldiers fought in the Civil War: blacks actually made up twelve percent of the Union army. Between the years of 1866 and 1891, they fought in the Indian Wars. The Spanish-American War took place in 1898, which they were, again, twelve percent of the total forces. From 1899 to 1902, the soldiers fought in the Philippines War. In 1916, they participated in the Mexican Punitive Expedition. They fought in World War I from 1917 to 1918, and in World War II from 1941 to 1945.

From 1950 to 1953, the Buffalo Soldiers fought in the Korean War, which ended segregation in all of the armed forces. However, they still fought in the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1973.

Prejudice and Race Riots

The Buffalo Soldiers were frequently confronted with racial prejudice from both other members of the U.S. Army, and non-military members in the areas where the soldiers were stationed.

In 1899, Rio Grande City, Texas, the relations between races were already very tense. The relations evolved so badly that it lead to the Rio Grande City Riot, where the Mexican population was attacked by the white dominated sheriff's office. So when the Buffalo Soldiers or more accurately, the Ninth United States Cavalry-- came into town, it didn't help at all. Another racial incident occurred in 1899, in which the Buffalo Soldiers fired toward the town during reports of a civilian attack on the garrison.

In 1906 in Brownsville, Texas, the Twenty-Fifth Infantry instantly confronted racial discrimination for some reason, and suffered physical abuse from federal custom collectors many times. A reported attack on a white woman on the night of August 12 aroused an exceeding amount of townsfolk; Major Charles W. Penrose, after talking with Mayor Frederick Combe, declared an early curfew the following day to lay low from any more trouble. The evening passed blissfully until around midnight, when a brief shooting spree took the life of bartender Frank Natus, and incapacitated the arm of police lieutenant M.Y. Dominguez. Many residents claimed to have seen soldiers running through the streets shooting, but this is highly unlikely, due to the darkness and considerable distance.

On August 13, 1917 in Houston, Texas, two policemen arrested a black soldier for batting in on an arrest of a black woman in the Fourth Ward. Quickly afterward, Corporal Charles Baltimore, one of the twelve black military policemen with the battalion, inspected the soldier's arrest. Words were exchanged, but the policeman struck Baltimore on the head. The police shot at Baltimore three times, chased him into an empty house, and took him to police headquarters. Though he was soon released, a rumor quickly