Buffalo Soldiers was a name given to the 9th and 10th cavalry regiments of the United States Army, which were made up of African American soldiers. Members of all-Black infantry regiments that served in the West, primarily the 24th and 25th infantry regiments, are also sometimes called Buffalo Soldiers. Although the enlisted soldiers in these cavalry and infantry regiments were African Americans, nearly all their commissioned officers (officers above the rank of sergeant) were white. Formed in 1866, the 9th and 10th cavalries were sent to the West in 1867 to fight Indigenous (native) American groups. Indigenous people gave the troops the name Buffalo Soldiers, probably because they thought their short, dark, curly hair resembled the mane of the buffalo. The buffalo was the most important animal to the Indigenous people, and the name Buffalo Soldiers was a sign of respect.
The Buffalo Soldiers performed many duties in addition to fighting Indigenous groups. They were assigned to capture outlaws and to protect pioneers. The Buffalo Soldiers patrolled the Rio Grande border between the United States and Mexico and scouted land in the West. Between about 1870 and the mid-1890’s, Buffalo Soldiers won 13 Medals of Honor.
During the Spanish-American War of 1898, Buffalo Soldiers rescued some of Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders at the Battle of Las Guasimas in Cuba. They fought with the Rough Riders in the charge up Kettle Hill in the Battle of San Juan Hill. Buffalo Soldiers fought overseas during World War II, from 1942 to 1944. During the Korean War (1950-1953), the practice of segregating army units racially was ended.
