Commissioned by Congress in 1866, the 9th and 10th Army regiments and the 24th and 25th infantry were the first peace-time military units and were comprised of all black soldiers. They became known as the Buffalo Soldiers, a name said to be given to them by the Comanche for their fierce fighting spirit and their dark, curly hair which resembled the coat of a buffalo. Over time, it became the name for all black troops who served this country from 1866 until 1951 when the military was integrated. Although not widely known, the Buffalo Soldiers played an integral role in American history.
Military Campaigns in the Southwest and Great Plains
Assigned to remote locations in the Southwest and the Great Plains, the Buffalo Soldiers were the first line of defense on the frontier, guarding forts and ranches and engaging in conflicts with the Comanche and Apache, Mexican revolutionaries, and outlaws. The Buffalo Soldiers also provided protection by escorting wagon trains and stagecoaches.
Development of the Western Infrastructure
According to Captain Paul J. Matthews, founder of the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum in Houston, the Buffalo Soldiers were vital in developing the infrastructure in the West. "Without the contributions of the Buffalo Soldiers, the westward movement would have been delayed by 50 years," says Matthews. The Buffalo Soldiers built forts, camps, railways, telegraph lines, roads and delivered the mail. They explored and mapped areas throughout the Southwest helping make Western expansion possible.
National Park Service
Beginning in 1899 and through 1904, the Buffalo Soldiers became the first "park rangers" in the country protecting Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks from illegal grazing, poaching, timber thieves, and forest fires. The first usable road into Giant Forest and the first trail up to Mount Whitney were also among the Buffalo Soldiers contributions to development of the National Park Service.
Military History
In addition to their role in the Indian Wars, the Buffalo Soldiers served in combat during the Spanish-American War, riding alongside Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders in the charge on San Juan Hill. World War I saw more than 200,000 black soldiers fighting in France. More than 500,000 black servicemen were stationed overseas during World War II. During the Korean War, the 24th Infantry Regiment was the last segregated military unit to engage in combat. Despite prejudice and discrimination, the Buffalo Soldiers were highly decorated throughout their military history.
Vanguards of the Civil Rights Movement
World War II really saw the beginning of the civil rights movement thanks to the visibility of African-Americans' contribution to the war effort. As a result of pressure from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), in 1941 the War Department formed the all-black 99th Pursuit Squadron of the U.S. Army Air Corps to train a small group of pilots who became known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Beginning in 1943, the squadron garnered recognition of the "Buffalo Soldiers" as they flew supply and service missions in Europe and North Africa. Many civil rights leaders including Medgar Evers, were trained in the Army where they learned leadership and organizational skills. Captain Paul J. Matthews says the Buffalo Soldiers were at the "backbone of support for the modern civil rights movement," bringing attention to discrimination of black Americans and making Americans "ashamed of their attitudes," laying the groundwork for the path to equal rights.
