The legacy of the

Buffalo Soldiers

10th Cav. Montana

Who were the Buffalo Soldiers?

• “Buffalo Soldiers”– A letter in 1872 references black troops as

“buffalo soldiers”– Named out of respect for the “Courage of the

buffalo”

History of the Buffalo Soldiers• 1792

– Federal Law barred blacks from bearing arms for the US Army

• 1863 – Emancipation Proclamation– Government established the Bureau of Colored

Troops– General Order 233

• Threatened against mistreatment of black troops by Confederate POWs

• 1866– Congress passed a law creating the all black 9th & 10th

Cavalry regiments

U.S. Army Recruitment Poster

WWI

9th Cav., Pine ridge, S.D.

Buffalo Soldiers Statistics

• By the end of the Civil War– 179,000 black men (10% of the army) – 19,000 served in the Navy– ~40,000 black soldiers died of infection or disease

• During the Indian Wars;– 20% of the Calvary troops were black– Fought in over 177 engagements

• In early 1890s Buffalo Soldiers earned $13 a month

Buffalo Soldier Campaigns• Western Frontier

– Movement of Native Americans– Settlement of the frontier– Indian Wars

• Spanish-American War• Philippine American War• Military Campaign to capture Pancho Villa• Resource Protection of the National Parks• WWI