WHO THEY WERE Buffalo soldiers

WHO THEY WERE Buffalo soldiers

Black troops have served in every war, including the American Revolution.

XJuly 1866: Blacks are permitted to enlist in the Army. The new black regiments were designated the 9th and 10th United States Cavalry regiments and the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st U.S. Infantry regiments.

X1869: The four infantry units were consolidated into two: the 24th and 25th United States Infantry regiments.

XNicknamed ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ reportedly by the Indians, the soldiers of the black regiments were recruited from the United States Colored Troops that served in the Civil War, from the New Orleans area, from the fringes of the southern states and from large northern cities. They were former slaves as well as freedmen.

Source: National Park Service