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Who were they?
After
the Civil War, Congress passed a bill to establish a peacetime
military.
Provisions in this bill created six regiments of colored troops—four
infantry
(foot soldiers) and two cavalry (on horseback)—of about 1,000 men each.
The troops were placed under the command of Colonels Benjamin Grierson
and Edward Hatch. African Americans from the North and South, many of
them
freed slaves, enlisted in what were organized as the 9th and 10th
Cavalries.
The Buffalo Soldiers served at Wounded Knee and with Teddy Roosevelt in
Cuba, battled Crazy Horse, helped capture Geronimo and Billy the Kid
and
strung telegraph lines across the West.
The Name
Although
there are several theories, the Calvaries actually got their name from
their enemies, the American Indians, who admired the colored troopers'
fearlessness and courage (qualities also found in the buffalo). The
Native
Americans also believed that the Soldiers' hair resembled the tuft
between
the horns of the bison. Thus, the name Buffalo Soldiers stuck, and the
Soldiers wore it with pride.
Their Mission
The
primary assignment of the Buffalo Soldiers was the suppression of
Native
American tribes who interfered with the settlement of the Americans on
the frontier. Like white units, they were called into service to "carry
out U.S. Government public policy of Westward expansion," as well as
escort
tribes to designated reservations. The Soldiers built and defended the
telegraph lines, built and repaired forts and helped establish the
foundation
of future towns. They were also involved in the settling of disputes
between
railroads and unions as well as those between the white settlers. In
the
Westward expansion, the Buffalo Soldiers mapped the vast territories in
New Mexico and Arizona, marking the water holes.
Our own "Barry Tompkins" both acted in this movie and provided technical assistance in horsemanship during the filming of "The Buffalo Soldiers."