Buffalo Soldiers in the American West

Buffalo Soldiers were part of the cavalry that served the U.S.A. between 1866 and 1951. They served in the military just like all the other enlisted American soldiers by that time but sadly little is said about them and not much recognition is given to them. It is because of this lack of detailed attention that even the origin of the name 'Buffalo Soldiers' is widely contested and varied. According to the Buffalo Soldiers museum, the name came about with the Cheyenne warriors in 1877 during winter, writer Walter Hill associates the name with the assertion of Col. Grierson Benjamin who was the founder of the 10th cavalry, some say it was a nickname given to the African-American troop by the Native Americans due to their fierceness during war and the variations are endless.

It is due to this less understanding of the Buffalo Soldiers, and the accompanying lack of due recognition due to scarcity in the information that this paper seeks to delve deeper into the issues surrounding the origin, significance during the war and the contributions of the Buffalo Soldiers.

Stanford L. Davis, (1999). Buffalo Soldiers and Indian Wars. http://www.buffalosoldier.net/

The website delves into the life and contributions made by great-grandfather, Sergeant Henry Parker, who was a slave who escaped from his master and joined the 101st Regiment United States Colored Infantry, at 18 years of age. The writer goes on to indicate the various regiment leaders and colonels that served in the Buffalo Soldier Cavalry and the various contributions they made. Of significance is the explanation and clarification that the author makes to the long held misconception that the Buffalo Soldiers attacked and destroyed the Native-American army, indeed they camped next to them but never attacked them but assisted them during war.

Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, (2011). The Beginning. http://buffalosoldiermuseum.com/bindex.php?linkid=400&kdt=a

The website is hosted by the national museum that is dedicated to the preservation of the precious history of the Buffalo Soldiers. The website indicates the origin and the contributions that were made by the Buffalo Soldiers. There is an apparent assertion that the Buffalo Soldier name began with the Cheyenne warriors in 1867. The Buffalo Soldiers was the first peacetime army that was constituted through the legislation of the congress.

History, (2011). Buffalo Soldiers. http://www.discoverseaz.com/History/BufSold.html

The website unveils the significance that the Buffalo Soldiers regiment held in the midst of the African-Americans during the 1860s to the 1950s. The website solely concentrates on the contribution and the process of formation of the black armies in the U.S.A. It points out the climbing from slavery to winners of Medal of Honor or Emanuel Stance and other soldiers. The writer also takes us through various wars that were fought by the Buffalo Soldiers like the Indian Wars, The Wham Paymaster Robbery of 1889, the border wars with Mexico (chasing Pancho Villa) among other wars that were fought by the Buffalo Soldiers.

Lyrics Freaks, (2010). Bob Marley Buffalo Soldier Lyrics. http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bob+marley/buffalo+soldier_20021701.html

Is lyrics to the song Buffalo Soldier by Bob Marley. In the song are embedded historical innuendoes and the contributions that were made by the Buffalo Soldiers. Therein indicated is the fact that without the Bufallo Soldiers, it would be impossible to win the American wars at that time. The song tries to indicate the harsh conditions from which the African-Americans were taken from and subjected to only to emerge as the victorious soldiers, indeed, he says they were stolen from Africa. This is an example of how art relieves the historical facts and recognizes the significant contributions of the heroes in history. The song also indicates that despite the significant contributions that the Buffalo Soldiers made, people still forget their history and have to ask "who the 'eck do I think I am," an indication of the ignorance that the American society has immersed itself in regarding the contribution of the African-Americans.

The Buffalo Soldiers 9th and 10th Cavalry, (2011). The Buffalo Soldier Story. http://www.whc.net/buffalo/history.html

This source deals deeply into the details of the formal formation of the regiment and the boardroom matters concerning the formation of the Buffalo Soldiers. It gives the various Acts that led to the formation of the Buffalo Soldiers regiment. The website also dwells much on the activities of the 9th and the 10th regiment, the leaders, the areas that they engaged in like the combat with the Indians.