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Essay on The Buffalo Soldiers
In 1866, following the Civil War, Congress established the 9th and 10th U. S. Cavalry units for service on the frontier. The units were made up of African-Americans, the majority of whom had served during the war in black units. The name Buffalo Soldiers was given to the troops by the Cheyenne and Comanche Indians who saw a similarity between the trooper’s hair and buffalo fur. The Indians soon learned to respect the Buffalo Soldiers for their courage.
Protection for the frontier settlers depended on the bravery of the Buffalo Soldier. With little law enforcement available to the settlers, the soldiers fought hostile Indians, outlaws, rustlers and Mexican revolutionaries. The protection of the Buffalo Soldiers extended from Kansas to the Rio Grande, to the western mountains and to Canada.
The Buffalo Soldiers also scouted and mapped large areas of the west, strung telegraph lines and protected crews building the expanding railroads.
Despite their great service, the Buffalo Soldiers faced prejudice and racial discrimination from many of the people they served and from the Army. They were given the worst assignments, issued inferior horses, rations and equipment.
In spite of the hardships they suffered, the Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry served the Army with distinction. Sixteen of the troops were awarded the Medal of Honor.
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