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African
Americans have served proudly in every great
American war. Over two hundred
thousand African American servicemen fought
bravely during the Civil War. In 1866
through an act of congress, legislation was
adopted to create six all African American
army units. The units were identified
as the 9th and 10th cavalry and
the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st infantry
regiments. The four infantry units
were reorganized in 1868 as the 24th and the
25th infantry. Black soldiers enlisted
for five years and received $13.00 a month,
far more than they could have earned in
civilian life.
The 10th
cavalry was formed at Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas, and recruited soldiers from the
northern states. Colonel Benjamin
Grierson was selected to command the 10th
cavalry. Colonel Edward Hatch was
selected to command the 9th cavalry and he
recruited soldiers from the south and set up
his headquarters in Greenville, Louisiana. The troops
were led by white officers. Many
officers, including George Armstrong Custer,
refused to command black regiments and
accepted a lower rank rather than do so.
The black regiments could only serve west of
the Mississippi River because of the
prevailing attitudes following the Civil
War.
The Buffalo Soldier’s main charge was to
protect settlers as they moved west and to
support the westward expansion by building
the infrastructure needed for new
settlements to flourish.
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The name
“Buffalo Soldiers” has become interesting
lore in itself. There seem to be three
possible reasons for the name. One, it is
said that the curly hair of the soldiers
reminded them of the Buffalo. Two, they
were given the name because their fierce,
brave nature reminded them of the way
buffalos fought. Third, it may have been
because they wore thick coats made from
buffalo hide during winter. Whatever the
reason, the term was used respectfully and
with honor.
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History of Buffalo Soldiers of the American
West (Colorado Unit)
The Buffalo
Soldiers of the American West began as the
result of an oversight in the history of the
West. John Bell, an aficionado of Western
history, participated in reenactments in
Colorado and noticed a lack of
representation of the Buffalo Soldiers. He
wondered whether there were Buffalo Soldier
organizations in Colorado and found that
there were none. After much research and
more deliberation, John decided to start an
organization of Buffalo Soldiers in Colorado
in 1986. John needed to answer the
following questions before he began:
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Would the
unit be cavalry or infantry?
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Where
could authentic equipment and uniforms be
found?
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What would
be the cost?
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How much
travel would be involved to research the
history of the Buffalo Soldiers?
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Who would
be interested in becoming members and
portraying the soldiers?
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Which time
period would the unit represent?
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John Bell, Founder of the Buffalo
Soldiers of the American West
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Finally,
John decided that the organization would be
cavalry and represent the time period
between the 1870 and 1890.
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John sent
letters and phoned prospective members. The
first meeting was held in Westminster,
Colorado in 1992. The official name of the
organization became The Buffalo Soldiers of
the American West. The group registered
with the State of Colorado as a non-profit
organization in 1994 and received its tax
exempt status (501) ( C ) (3) from the
Internal Revenue Service in 1995.
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The Buffalo
Soldiers of the American West represent
members of the 10th Cavalry M
Company, organized in 1867 under Commanding
Officer, Capt. Alvord. Troopers of the M
Company rode mix colored horses—black,
brown, bay, gray, chestnut, and at times,
other color combinations. Company M,
therefore, is known as the Calico Company.
The 10th
Cavalry mounted units were deactivated in
North Africa in 1944.
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