Buffalo Soldier #1062
$ 10.00
- Caption from poster__
Buffalo Soldier
The nickname buffalo soldiers began with the Cheyenne
warriors in 1867. The actual Cheyenne translation was
Wild Buffalo. The nickname was given out of respect
and the fierce fighting ability of the 10th cavalry. Overtime,
Buffalo Soldiers became a generic term for all African
American soldiers.
- Buffalo Soldiers was a name given to two cavalry regiments and
- two infantry regiments. These United States Army units were made
- up entirely of African American soldiers. In 1866 two U.S. Army
- African American regiments were formed, the 9th and 10th cavalries.
- Members of these two cavalry units and two all-black infantry
- regiments, the 24th and 25th, came to be called Buffalo Soldiers.
- By 1867, the first Buffalo Soldier units were sent to the West to
- fight Indians and protect settlers, cattle herds, and railroad crews.
- Indians gave the troops the name of Buffalo Soldiers, probably
- because their short, dark, curly hair resembled the mane of the
- buffalo. In the 1950s, Buffalo Soldier regiments were disbanded
- when all military services were integrated.