Page 8
February 14, 2001
®t|e ^íartíanh Obseruer
Buffalo Soldiers of the Old West
Native Americans consider the
buffalo a sacred animal. All who
took part in the hunting o f them
would drink the anim al’s spirit -
its blood. This was to complete
the circle o f life. When Native
Americans died, their ashes and
dust would nourish the Earth.
The Earth would nourish the veg­
etation that the animal ate. The
Buffalo would feed and clothe the
Native Americans, completing the
circle o f life.
From 1870 to the late 1800’s,
Buffalo Soldiers had achieved one
o f the most outstanding records
in military history: they patrolled
and kept the peace under the con­
ditions o f racism from the citi­
zens they protected, covering ter­
Black cavalry in the field.
B y M ark L ittle for T he
P ortland O bserver
I grew up watching movies o f
white Cavalry charging and riding
to the rescue o f pioneers and
covered wagon trains begin at­
tacked by Native Americans. Little
did I know at the time that those
images should have included the
Black Buffalo men on horseback
who served this country with
distinction. Most o f their four
regiments o f the 9th, 10th, 24th and
25th were stationed in the most
THE LEGENDARY
demanding regions o f unchartered
territory o f the American South­
west. It was their Indian adver­
saries who gave them the nick­
name o f Buffalo Soldiers. Their
black and curly hair resembled
that o f the buffalo. They honored
the Black cavalrymen for their
bravery, and the troopers accepted
the name as a mark o f honor.
M c M E N A M IN S
«
Buffalo Soldier Sargeant in uniform with his wife in J888. Buffalo
Soldiers re-enlisted several times because there weren't many job
opportunities fo r blacks.
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ritories from the Mississippi to
the Pacific Northwest and from
the Rio Grande to the Canadian
border. Buffalo Soldiers received
some o f the worst assignments
the Army had to offer. Some o f
their duties included stringing tele­
graph lines and building or repair­
ing outposts. They also helped to
capture Great W ar Chiefs and
crim inals like Nana, Victorio,
Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Lone Wolf,
Pancho Villa and Billy the Kid.
Their story is one o f significant
achievements under adverse con­
ditions. They could not overcome
prejudice and discrimination. This
element in our social structure
denied them the recognition for a
job well done. Even through all o f
this, their battle cry, “We can, We
will” and “Ready and Forward,”
could not be extinguished.
The history o f the Buffalo Sol­
diers has special meaning and
connection to Oregon history. One
o f the most famous Buffalo Sol­
diers, Moses Williams, a winner
o f the Congressional Medal o f
Honor, served in Oregon in the
1880’s and is buried in Vancouver,
Washington.