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It was during the summer of 1787 that delegates representing most of the thirteen
states of the United States wrote the first official constitution this nation has
known. The new document - now the oldest written constitution in the world - underlines
the idea that governmental power must be limited if the liberty of the citizen is
to be guaranteed. It clearly provides that the basic rights of men and women be
protected.
A system of checks and balances based on a two-house legislature, a separate executive
branch, an autonomous judiciary, and also provisions for amendment are the greatest
strengths
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of the document. It is the last provision - the ability to amend - that has had
the most far-reaching effect on safeguarding the rights of life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness. It is this last provision that has greatly affected the lives
of descendants of nearly three million slaves brought to America in the 1600s.
During the Civil War, President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation freed only
those slaves in areas "in rebellion against the United States." Since
the Union did not control the southern states that seceded, the Proclamation did
not immediately free any slaves. It did, however, capture public attention and made
all aware that the abolition of slavery was an aim of the war.
The 13th Amendment to the Constitution, passed in 1865, was responsible for abolishing
slavery in all parts of the United States. In 1866, the 14th Amendment made citizens
of all American-born blacks. Four years later, the 15th Amendment gave blacks the
right to vote. Passed as a direct consequence of the military victory of the North
over the South, it took over one hundred years before the provisions of these amendments
became realities for all. Yet the seeds were planted, and former slaves emerged
with a new pride in their country and a new sense of personal responsibility.
It was this new sense of patriotism, linked with optimism for social and economic
betterment, that led many blacks to enlist in the post-Civil War Army. Black troops
had served in every war including the American Revolution. However, it was not until
July of 1866 that blacks were
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permitted to enlist in the Regular Army. The new legislation provided for
the creation of two cavalry and four infantry regiments which "shall be composed
of colored men." In 1869, the four infantry units were consolidated into two.
(NOTE: The units formed as a result of the 1866 legislation were the 9th and 10th
Cavalry Regiments; the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st Infantry Regiments. In the spring
of 1869 the 38th and 41st Infantry Regiments were consolidated into the newly designated
24th Infantry Regiment, and the 39th and 40th Infantry Regiments were consolidated
to form the 25th Infantry Regiment.)
Nicknamed Buffalo Soldiers supposedly by the Indians because of the similarity
between their hair and the coat of the buffalo, many soldiers of the black regiments
were recruited from the United States Colored Troops which served in the Civil War.
Other enlistees came from the New Orleans area, the fringes of the southern states
and from large northern cities. They were former slaves as well as freemen.
Units of the black regiments were stationed all over the West. In the battles and
countless skirmishes that marked the Indian Wars, the black soldiers played a significant
role. Commanded by white officers, who at times resented their duty with the black
regiments, the Buffalo Soldiers endured and overcame tremendous social and environmental
obstacles. They were sometimes received inferior supplies and equipment.
Yet, the men of the black regiments, often finding themselves in the forefront of
action, never shirked their responsibilities. For more than twenty-five years they
not only engaged in battles with Indians, but they built forts and escorted wagon
trains, mail stages and railroad crews. They mapped and charted areas and located
sources of water. Black soldiers were responsible for opening millions of square
miles of western lands to peaceful settlement and development.
The Buffalo Soldiers received little recognition for their years of service on the
frontier. Between 1865 and 1899, the Medal of Honor was awarded to 417 men who served
in the Indian Wars. However, only 18 of the medals were presented to black enlisted
men.
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The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution were responsible
for the extension and protection of the civil rights of black Americans. These amendments
also encouraged blacks to enlist in the military. The Regular Army of the 1870s
and 1880s did not afford total equality or democracy for the black man. However,
it did offer social and economic opportunities that had not existed before. The
record of meritorious service and notable accomplishments amassed by the Buffalo
Soldier regiments remain a symbol of hope and pride for all Americans. The achievements
serve as a reminder of the contributions they made to American life and culture.
The thirty-ninth Congress on July 28, 1866 passed an Act to adjust the military
peacetime establishment of the United States military.
Senator Henry Wilson, Massachusetts Republican, sought the inclusion of six African-American
regiments in the post Civil War army.
Senator Benjamin F. Wade of Ohio proposed that two of the cavalry regiments should
be composed of black enlisted personnel.
After strong opposition, mostly from Democrats, the legislation was passed which
provided for the first black contingent in the regular army consisting of six regiments
- the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st Infantry Regiments.
The 9th Cavalry Regiment was organized on September 21, 1866 at Greenville, Louisiana
under the command of Colonel Edward Hatch, and was assigned to the Division of the
Gulf under the command of General Phillip Sheridan.
The 10th Cavalry Regiment was organized on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas under the command of Colonel Benjamin H. Grierson, and assigned to the Military
Division of Missouri under the command of General William T. Sherman.
The 38th Infantry Regiment, Colonel William, Commander, and the 41st Infantry Regiment
, Colonel Ranald S. MacKenzie, Commander, were organized in 1866 and combined to
form the 24th Infantry Regiment in 1869.
The 39th Infantry Regiment and the 40th Infantry Regiments were organized in 1866
and combined to form the 25th Infantry Regiment in 1869.
NOTE: These units made up of black enlisted personnel and white officers were not
the first of such units to serve on the Western Frontier. During late 1865 or early
1866 companies from the 57th United States Colored Infantry Regiment (Arkansas)
and the 125th United States Colored Infantry Regiment (Kentucky) were assigned to
posts in New Mexico to provide protection for white settlers in the area, and escort
those going further west. Some of the companies served as mounted infantry.
- DUTIES
• Controlled hostile forces
• Escorted wagon trains and stagecoaches
• Built forts and roads • Installed telegraph lines
• Guarded
- Water holes
- Railroad construction workers
- Horses and cattle
• Protected and escorted
- Settlers
- Travelers
- Immigrants
- Workers
- Farmers
- Miners
- Cattlemen
- Mapped areas of uncharted country
Presence of the Buffalo Soldiers and other military units on the Western Frontier
discouraged lawlessness among hostile forces and conflicts between unruly white
settlers.
- ADVERSARIES
• Certain hostile Indian warriors
• Horse thieves and cattle rustlers
• Scheming and murderous politicians
• Greedy land and cattle barons
• Crooked government contractors
• Heartless Indian Agents
• Land-hungry homesteaders
• Mexican revolutionaries
• Train and stagecoach robbers
• Law and Criminal Justice System (Especially in Texas)
• Certain hostile and prejudice commanders
• The Press and sometimes hostile public
The four regiments served on the Western Frontier from 1866 to 1897-98, first in
the central and southern plains and later in the northern plains.
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During the Spanish-American war the four regiments served in Cuba and fought along
side Teddy Roosevelt's "Rough Riders" and other units.
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After the Spanish-American War, elements of the 9th Cavalry and other units were
assigned to the Philippines.
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The 10th Cavalry Regiment served under John J. "Black Jack" Pershing during
the Mexican Expedition.
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