Buffalo Soldier

This article is about the nickname given to African American U.S. Army personnel. For the Bob Marley song, see Buffalo Soldier (song). For other uses, see Buffalo Soldier (disambiguation).

Buffalo Soldiers
Buffalo Soldiers of the 25th Infantry Regiment in 1890
Active1866–1951
Country United States
Branch United States Army
Nickname(s)"Buffalo Soldiers"
ColorsBlue
Engagements

Buffalo Soldiers were United States Army regiments composed exclusively of African American soldiers, formed during the 19th century to serve on the American frontier. On September 21, 1866, the 10th Cavalry Regiment was formed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The nickname "Buffalo Soldiers" was purportedly given to the regiments by the American Indian tribes who fought against them during the American Indian Wars, and the term eventually became synonymous with all of the African American regiments that were established in 1866, including the 9th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Regiment and 38th Infantry Regiment.[1][2]

Although numerous African American Union Army regiments were raised during the Civil War (referred to collectively as the United States Colored Troops), "Buffalo Soldiers" were established by the U.S Congress as the first all-black Army regiments in peacetime.[3] The regiments were racially segregated, as the U.S. military would not desegregate until 1948. On September 6, 2005, Mark Matthews, the last surviving Buffalo Soldier, died aged 111. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[4]

  1. ^ Mills, Charles K. (2011). Harvest of Barren Regrets: The Army Career of Frederick William Benteen 1834–1898. University of Nebraska Press. p. 331. ISBN 978-0-8032-3684-4.
  2. ^ Wilberforce, Mailing Address: P. O. Box 428; Us, OH 45384 Phone: 937 352-6757 Main park information line Contact. "Buffalo Soldiers - Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved June 2, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Chap. CCXCIX. 14 Stat. 332 Archived October 18, 2015, at the Wayback Machine from "A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U. S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774–1875" Archived June 27, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. Library of Congress, Law Library of Congress. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  4. ^ Shaughnessy, Larry (September 19, 2005), Oldest Buffalo Soldier to be Buried at Arlington, CNN, archived from the original on March 27, 2007, retrieved April 24, 2007