Buffalo Soldiers
 

Does anybody out there have any idea of how many Buffalo Soldiers ended up fighting the Indian Wars out west, as cavalry/infantry units?

Or, how did they become Buffalo Soldiers from having been enlisted during the War of Rebellion?

Brief history here, the first Black troops were actually raised by the Confederates, they were the 1st Louisiana Native Guards. They were captured, paroled and reenlisted into the Union Army, same name. Other blacks were enlisted in the Carolinas as they were emancipated but the first unit to achieve "famous" status was the 54th Massachusetts Infantry. The movie Glory starring Denzel washington is a fictionalized account of them. Its good but takes a lot of liberties.Other units of note were the 20th and 26th U.S. Colored Troops as well as the 10th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. All in all, about 185,000 Black troops served during the Civil War.

Ironically, I just bought a book about the Buffalo Soldiers. Have not read it yet. There were two regiments actively recruited for Indian fighting. John J. Pershing actually commanded them and was nicknamed "Black Jack" as a result. His black troops actually fought in Cuba.

I will look up the particulars when I get home tonight. It was due to be about the 3rd book in line to be read, but I will jump it over the others to get you the info.

A few years ago Danny Glover made a movie called Buffalo Soldiers. I saw it and thought it was fairly good.

I know the info is sketchy, I'll try to give you a better idea when I read the book.

Regards,

Bill

Tamaroa -
I KNEW you'd know something about this, thanks.

The reason for bringing it up has to do with a conversation on another Forum where we began to discuss this sort of thing, in the context of wondering how a Buffalo Soldier might have felt going after Indians in the West. i.e. plausibly doing to them what had been done to themselves at the hands of others.

Good point...........
 

In fact, that is the tact that the movie Buffalo soldiers takes. Glover's character witnesses the injustice done to the Indian and becomes somewhat sympathetic to them. Now how true that is, is another question.

Ask yourself something else. Of course its 20/20 hindsight but nevertheless, here goes! Why did the US enter a war that killed 625,000 people to free the slave then go out west and begin exterminating Indians? What made the Indian who was here before either the Whites or Blacks so much less than the Black man? Personally, I think it was simply economics. The Indian resided on lands that the white man wanted because of the minerals, precious metals and fertility of the Indian's land. Land was not an issue regarding the freeing of the Slaves.

Sometimes I wonder what our 19th century brethern were thinking. Morally speaking these positions regarding the two races makes no sense. That's what makes history interesting though, the search to find out why!

Bill

Bill -
I know, just like you say, I've wondered deeply about those very same questions...

Years ago I came to the realization that economics, more so than land itself or even morality, too often guides government policies which are made real (and tragic, usually) by we who do not or cannot stop them.

Black Soldiers out west
 

Hello Blue,

As promised, I went home and checked out the book about the Buffalo soldiers. Since I have not read it yet, I can?t heartily recommend it, however, here are the particulars:

Title: The Buffalo Soldiers, A Narrative of Negro Cavalry in the West
Author: William H. Leckie
University of Oklahoma Press
Published 1967

This is a narrative about the 9th and 10th Cavalry all Black soldiers. They campaigned in the Plains, West Texas, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. They policed these areas for nearly 20 years, many of the troops in the regiment for 10 years or more.

I just bought it at Barnes and Noble. I?ll let you know how it turns out. Looks promising.

Regards,

Bill

Thanks Bill, a lot.

There IS a certain question that rivers around in one's mind about the place and the role of Buffalo Soldiers... we've been having a rather similarly cast conversation on another forum vis a vis "Women in combat", where I've taken more or less the position that "segregated" units in a military context could, actually, have the highly desirable effect of building unit cohesion etc., therefore plausibly constitute an increased combat effectiveness. Boats and I have even begun waxing theoretical about trying certain all-female naval vessels.

I'll check back in to learn your learned opinion.

Bill -

I'm sorry, I misspoke... it is Scamp and I who have started talking about all-female vessels, not that Boats might not have an opinion on the topic.

9th and 10th Cavalry, and the 23rd and 24th Infantry are collectively the Buffalo Soldiers. So you have 4 regiments of black troops, just figure out how many enlisted people were in a regiment from 1865 to 1900, and you have your answer. The 10th Cavalry (dismounted) and the 24th Infantry fought next to Roosevelt and the Rough Riders in Cuba (Spanish-American War), and it was the 10th Cavalry who were the first troops to reach the Little Big Horn on June 26th.

Thanks Sarge,

I think Bill will know the exact answer to that, and I appreciate the help.