[Tamaroa]

WooHoo, Blue.........I am over here. Well just to let you know, I am about 90 pages into the book about the Buffalo soldiers. Its great so far. Holds my attention. It is very well researched and gives you an accurate portrayal of their life.

I just finished reading the chapter where the 9th U.S. Cavalry has been assigned to protect Texas in the late 1860's. Very interesting. Think of this: You are a defeated southerner living in an occupied land controlled by the Yankees. Then who comes to protect you on the Indian frontier but Blue clad former slaves. As a result there was a lot of tension, but the Buffalo soldiers apparently did a very good job of protecting the frontier with what they had. They assisted Sheriffs on a number of occasions (This was before posse comitatus).

They were also given inferior equipment and inferior mounts because certain prejudiced individuals in the army still thought they would be terrible soldiers. So why waste the good stuff on them. For the most part, there was a good relationship between the white officers and black enlisted men. One of the officers in command was Ben Grierson who led that raid down through Louisana during the Civil War. The Buffalo soldiers appeared to have liked him a lot. By the same token some of the punishments were pretty tough. For sassing an officer, a man was sentenced to stand on a barrel 8 hours a day for a week. One guy got drunk on duty and was dishonorably discharged after 6 months in prison.

One thing I am confused about and if there are cavalry experts here please throw in your 2 cents. Both the 9th and 10th cavalry had companies A through M. They did not operate together. The companies of both regiments were scattered throughout 10 states from Texas to the Canadian border. How in god's name were they supposed to do anything when they were scattered so far and wide. The author of the book Buffalo soldiers states that there were only 67,000 men in the army one year after Appomattox. Yet they were supposed to protect the entire western frontier. During the war you could fit 67,000 men on a few square miles of a battle field.

On the whole though, the average Buffalo soldier was a credit to the uniform, hard working hard playing AND very hard fighting.

Bill