Buffalo Soldiers in Tampa Bay

They've been immortalized.  In song, movies, books and most poignantly, in history's archives.

The Buffalo Soldiers, African American frontiersmen revered for their combat prowess, loyalty and ferocity, left indelible patriotic marks across Tampa Bay, our nation and the world at large.

Throughout America's history, black soldiers have honorably answered the call to duty, participating in military conflicts since colonial days. They were volunteers–unpaid, under-appreciated and severely discriminated against often.

During the Civil War, more than 180,000 African Americans wore the Union Army blue. Another 30,000 served in the Navy and 200,000 served as workers on engineering, labor, hospital and other military support projects.  More than 33,000 lost their lives for the sake of freedom and their country.

After the Civil War, the United States faced a need for a large peacetime military to occupy the South and protect settlers on the Western Frontier.

On July 28, 1866, U.S. Congress passed legislation to establish the first peacetime military.  Before the legislation passed, a hotly contested issue concerned the inclusion of African Americans.  Many politicians wanted the peacetime military to remain white only.

Eventually, opposing factions agreed to maintain the status quo. Nearly sixteen months after the end of the Civil War, “An Act to increase and fix the Military Peace Establishment of the United States” was passed. A provision of the 1866 legislation authorized Congress to create six regiments of African American troops including four infantry and two cavalry of approximately 1,000 men each. In August 1866, the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st Infantry Regiments were born. The four infantry regiments were later reorganized to form the 24th and 25th infantry regiments. They later came to be known collectively as the Buffalo Soldiers.

The 9th Cavalry was based in Greenville, Louisiana with most of the original recruits from nearby New Orleans, Louisiana and Louisville, Kentucky. The 10th Cavalry was at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  Many of the recruits in both units were freed slaves from the North and veterans from service in the Civil War.

Free at last from the malignant structure of slavery, African Americans were still burdened by the injustices of bigotry and discrimination. Many intended to earn their place and their fellow soldiers' respect in the new social structure of the land.  The military would be their conduit.  Their loyalty and quest for equality would be their platform.

The assigned mission of these African American troops was to escort the Native Americans from their indigenous homeland to designated reservations in the West. Black troopers, usually under the command of white officers, marched westward for the purpose of flushing out the Indian peoples of the desert Southwest and the Great Plains, opening the land for white settlement.

For over two decades, the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry Regiments conducted campaigns against American Indian Tribes that extended from Montana in the Northwest to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona in the Southwest.  They engaged in several skirmishes against such great Indian Chiefs as Geronimo, Victorio and Nana. Their efforts were aligned to bring law and order to the West while building railroads and forts. The troops installed telegraph lines, located waterholes, escorted wagon trains, cattle drives and protected settlers from renegade Indians, outlaws and Mexican revolutionaries. They were given the worst horses and the oldest uniforms, sent to the most severe places and received the lowest pay.

History presents variations on the origin of the nickname buffalo soldier. The most recognized theory is that buffalo soldier was bestowed on the troops by the Cheyenne warriors in 1867. The Indians apparently identified the troopers' dark skin and tenacious spirit with the iconic animal of the plains. The actual Cheyenne translation was Wild Buffalo and was given out of respect for the fierce fighting ability of the 10th cavalry.  Over time, Buffalo Soldiers became a generic term for all African American soldiers.  The troopers bore their name with pride and as a mark of distinction.

At least 18 Medals of Honor were presented to Buffalo Soldiers during the Western Campaign.  Similarly, 23 African Americans received the nation's highest military award during the Civil War.  The 5,000 troopers who served in the all-black 9th and 10th Cavalry and 24th and 25th Infantry constituted about 10% of the total troops who guarded the Western Frontier for a quarter century.

In July 1885, the 10th Cavalry moved west into Arizona and dispersed throughout the area to cover as much territory as possible. In 1913, the 10th Cavalry was sent to Fort Huachuca and remained there for almost 20 years. They joined General John J. Pershing in the 1916 expedition into Mexico. Pancho Villa was their target. The troops' main focus was protecting the United States-Mexican Border.

Tampa Bay's official introduction to the Buffalo Soldiers was in 1898 during the build up to the Spanish-American War.

The sinking of the USS Maine, which had been stationed in Havana harbor as a statement of support for the Cuban revolution against Spain, was a major catalyst for the conflict. In February of 1898, the ship exploded, killing 260 sailors. While there are conflicting views regarding the explosion, the incident increased tensions between the United States and Spain. When Spain ended diplomatic talks, the United States responded with a declaration of war on April 20, 1898.

Elements of the Buffalo Soldiers were immediately pressed into service in Cuba and the Philippines.

Congressman Joe Wheeler volunteered to organize and command the Cavalry Division of the 5th Corps on the morning of February 16, 1898, less than twelve hours after the USS Maine exploded.

President McKinley accepted his offer of service and on April 26, 1898, General Wheeler was sent to Chickamauga, Georgia to begin organizing the cavalry division. Within a couple of days of his arrival, the cavalry units were ordered to report to Tampa in preparation for departure to Cuba. The 9th and 10th Cavalry were among them.

Upon arriving in the South, the Buffalo Soldiers were greeted with hatred by white soldiers and civilians alike.  Local militias refused to accommodate the black units sent from predominately northern and mid-western states.  Local police aggressively enforced Jim Crow laws in public places, often harassing black troops.

The 9th and 10th Cavalry of the Buffalo Soldiers arrived in the bay area on May 2, 1898.  The 9th Cavalry was stationed in Port Tampa and Picnic Island.  The 24th and 25th Infantry were stationed in Tampa heights and Ybor City.  The 10th Cavalry camped in Lakeland but by June 7, 1898 moved to West Tampa.

The units were then shipped to Cuba to fight in the Spanish-American War.

The Spanish-American War was the only time that all four regiments of the Buffalo Soldiers - the 9th, 10th, 24th and 25th - fought together.  All four fought with dignity and honor after arriving in Cuba.

On June 24, 1898, the 9th and 10th Cavalries fought alongside the First Volunteer Cavalry, better known as Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, in a key battle in the village of Las Guasimas.  The Rough Riders stormed the village but were pinned down by Spanish gunfire.  The 10th Cavalry fought its way through the heavy brush, rescued the Rough riders and helped force the Spanish soldiers away.

After the battle at Las Guasimas, the 24th and 25th Infantry Regiments joined the Rough Riders and the 10th Cavalry.  Together they fought significant battles at San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill.  Casualties were high. The 10th Cavalry lost 20 percent of its men.  Often, the Buffalo Soldiers' role in winning the conflict is overlooked and rarely documented.

Fought between May and August 1898, the Spanish-American War was a triumph in the history of the United States. The four-month confrontation marked the transformation of the United States from a developing nation into a global power. At its conclusion, the U.S. had acquired the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico.  The war was also the first successful test of the new armored navy.

The Spanish-American War demonstrated, once again, the significance of the Buffalo Soldiers. Segregation and discrimination would prevail.

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, many of the non-commissioned officers received commissions and several hundred troopers joined new units preparing to fight in Europe.  Over 350,000 black soldiers, still in segregated units, fought impressively on the front lines in Europe.

In peacetime America, 1920 to 1941, the Buffalo Soldiers became efficient horse and marksmanship units, winning many competitions while fulfilling their duties as service troops for the cavalry school at Fort Riley, Kansas.

When the United States entered World War II in 1942, the 9th and 10th Cavalry, along with others, became the subject to changing military philosophy and the mechanization of the cavalry.  These wartime changes, for all practical purposes, meant the end of the mounted cavalry in postwar America.

After World War II, black soldiers returned home with a renewed sense of hope.  They believed that because the American people recognized that Hitler's persecution of the Jews was wrong, they would also recognize that treating blacks as second-class citizens was unfair.

On July 28, 1948, President Truman took an important step toward fulfilling African Americans' desire for equality by signing the Executive Order 9981.  The order permanently ended racial segregation in the military.  The process of full integration took several years to complete, but by the time of the Korean War (1950-1953), the 24th Regiment was the last remaining unit of the Buffalo Soldiers.  The 24th Regiment was used sparingly in Korea and was officially deactivated on October 1, 1951.

On July 25, 1992, General Colin Powell, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, dedicated the Buffalo Soldiers Monument at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and birthplace of the 10th Calvary Regiment.

Local chapters of the Buffalo Soldiers proudly stand throughout the United States as they pay homage to and ensure the legacy of African-American military contributions in the post Civil War era.

The Woods & Wanton Chapter, Inc. of Tampa Bay, Florida, of the 9th and 10th Cavalry Association is the only registered chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers in the State of Florida.  It was named after Congressional Medal of Honor recipients Sgt. Brent Woods and Corporal George Wanton.  The non-profit chapter is committed to fostering patriotism, courage and self-reliance in youth through local schools and youth organizations that promote sound mind, body and spirit.

If we listen hard enough, we can still hear the mighty herds of bison thundering across the Great Plains, and if we look closely enough, we can see the steely pride and indomitable courage of the Buffalo Soldiers in the faces of their proud descendants.

Featured in Cigar City _ Issue 20 - 2009