Who the original Buffalo Soldiers were and how they got their nickname
After the Civil War, many Black Americans began enlisting in the U.S. Army because it was a way to earn better wages and garner more respect in their daily lives…
The often forgotten Buffalo Soldiers must be remembered
They served in battles on the Great Plains, Cuba, Mexico, the Philippines and France. They fought the Native Americans, protected American pioneers, took on ranchers to protect farmers, battled with Pancho Villa, protected our southern border, charg…
Here’s why Colonel Young rode 450 miles to get a new Army rank
By the time of his death, Col. Charles Young boasted an incredible military career. He was one of just three African-American officers to graduate from West Point. He led troops on the western frontier, became one of the first-ever U.S. military att…
Buffalo Soldiers served as some of the first National Park Rangers
During the Civil War, approximately 180,000 African Americans served in the Union Army. However, after the war, they were not integrated into regular peacetime army units. Rather, with the Army…
A former Confederate general led cavalry in combat in Cuba
It’s easy to forget that most Confederate officers were pardoned after the war, either en masse for rebellion or individually if they were accused of other crimes, and returned to lives of business or started new careers in politics. Relat…
The ex-slave who disguised herself as a man to enlist
Members of the Armed Forces will be familiar with the term “contraband.” In basic training, it was civilian clothing. On deployment, it was alcohol. For the Union soldiers that occupied Jefferson City, Missouri, in 1861, contraband referred to the…