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T he P ortland O bserver • S eptember 15, 1993
Buffalo Soldiers Bide Again
In a similar spirit o f Oregon Trail
renaissance, a Portland cultural group
rounded up resources to sponsor a unit
o f African-American horseback riders
dressed in the m id -18(X)s uniforms o f
black cavalry troopers, known as “ buf
falo soldiers.”
"The buffalo soldicrsplaycdpromi-
nent and important roles in the history
o f this country and the Oregon Trail,”
says M ark Little o f Hyalite In c , a local
nonprofit group that promotes cultural
nteniiomngs o f them in books and
film s ”
The Portland Buffalo Soldiers troop
participated in the Oregon Trail pro
gram in remembrance o f the old-9th
and 10th cavalry regiments, and the
24th and 25th Infantry Regiments,
black units that patrolled the U S.
Western frontier after the C ivil War,
and in remembrance o f the non-m ili-
tary black pioneers who participated in
the Western expansion along the O r
egon Trail.
diverstiy.
Osker Spicer (Oregonian staff)
During and after the C ivil Wars,
black cavalry and infantry units were says, “ also note that the black cavalry
assigned to posts at the gate o f the troops, that we commemorated spent
Oregon T rail in Independence, Mo., almost as much time protecting Ameri-
and at various locations along the route
Buffalo soldiers also served at Fort
Vancouver. Little said: a number o f
them are buried there, including Moses
Williams, who received the Congres
sional Medal o f Honor.
The buffalo soldiers-a moniker o f
honor given by Americans Indians al
luding to the black troopers’curly hair
and enduri ng strength-served with dis-
tinction. They successfully handled
some o f the frontier A rm y’s toughest
assignments. Little emphasized, "de
spite being discriminated against by
the m ilitary establishment. They were
given some o f the poorest food, poorest
equipment and poorest treatment by
the poorest officers.”
Still they gained an impeccable
record o f successfully aiding wagon
and pack trains, miners, settlers and
maintaining law and order. Far more
than the noted Texas Rangers, the buf
falo soldiers were a major police force
on the Western frontier. However, Little
lamented, “ there arc only scattered
can Indian territory from white land grabbers as they
did fight in tribal battles. The black troops helped
patrol wagon trains leaving on both Oregon and Santa
Fe Trails from such posts as Ft. Dodge and Ft. Riley
Kansas, and later various forts along the Oregon Trail
after these units were transferred to the Nortliem
Plains and N.W. Regions during the 1880’s.”
The black troops served as frontier police o f sorts
battling white cattle rustlers, highway men, gangs, etc.
It’s a misnomer that all they did was fight their Red
brothers and sisters. In fact, Blacks and Reds were
extensively intermixed-many o f the tribal groups that
fought the cavalry included black Indian members.
Also many o f the cavalry troops were o f mixed black-
Indian ancestry
History can paint a very complex picture. Despite
the sacrifices made by black pioneers o f black troopers
on the fro n tie r,
mainstream U.S.
liistory books have
denied them a
rightful place.
Our participa
tion in the celebra
tion was to some
degree a way o f
rectifying the de
nials.
Thousands
cheered (in O r
egon C ity: 1993)
and started to real
ize that all races
and
cu ltures
helped build this
countiy. It was a
very emotional ex
perience for all o f
us--we could feel
the spirits o f our
ancestors w ith us
as we sat tall in
those saddles rep-
r e s e n tin g
th e m ...fin a lly , recapping some
acknowledgement for their great con
tributions and sacrifices.
A t a reception at the Texas One
Restaurant in N.E. Portland on that
Sunday evening, September, 1993,
we all agreed that there have been no
more prouder moments in our lives! !
And some o f our group represented
our country on battlefields going back
to World War II and Korea. It was
quite an honor to stand up for our
great ancestors, men, women, and
children who came west in search o f
peace, security and freedom.
(The Portland Observer staff
thanks John M. Craig and Oskar
Spicer fo r the special effort and
contributions o f materials and pho
tos that made it possible fo r us to
share with you, our readers, this
special event— th e celebration o f the
Oregon Trail.)
L o w E v e r y d a y P r ic e s !
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