Buffalo Soldiers is a nickname given to units of the United States Army formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Through an act of Congress, legislation was adopted to create six African American Army units. The first units to be organized were the 9th and 10th Horse Cavalry, followed by the 38th, 29th, 40th, and 41st Infantry Regiment. The four infantry units were reorganized in 1968 as the 24th and 25th Infantry.
This is the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club Maryland Chapter’s 20th anniversary. The Buffalo Soliders help to educate and support the community, provide academic scholarships to African American senior high school students, and help to support the homeless in their areas.
They rode from the Jericho Church of Praise in Landover, MD, to the African American Civil War Memorial on Vermont Ave., N.W.
This is my second story about them. I have learned more history writing about them.
The website of Buffalo Soldiers of The American West suggests three possible reasons for the name Buffalo Soldier. “One is that it is said that the curly hair of the soldiers reminded [people] of the buffalo. The second is that they were given the name because their fierce, brave nature reminded [people] of the way the buffalo fought. Third, it may have been because they wore thick coats made from buffalo hide during winter. Whatever the reason, the term was used respectfully and with honor.”
