What’s In a Name? Investigating the Origins and Meaning of “Buffalo Soldiers”

Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Calvary (Source: Library of Congress)

 

 

Some of the history of the Buffalo Soldiers was previously shared on this blog.  They were originally six, eventually, four regiments of exclusively Black Calvary and Infantrymen who served in the United States Army.  They were the first Black soldiers to serve in the regular Army.  They were tasked with helping rebuild the nation after the Civil War.  They were also responsible for protecting White colonists who moved into Indian territory as part of the Manifest Destiny doctrine, which mandated American incursions into Indian territories.  As expected American Indians, who had entered into several reprehensible agreements with the US government, were upset that these agreements were once again being willfully ignored, leading to what is now known as either the Apache or Indian Wars (1869-1890). 

 

Since this time there has been study of the Buffalo Soldiers, ranging from historical or archaeological investigations.  There are, however, some myths concerning the Buffalo Soldiers, one of which is going to be addressed in this piece.  This myth concerns some of the meaning of the term “Buffalo Soldiers”.  This blog post will discuss the documented origins of this name, as well as some of the reasons for the embellishment of the meaning and origins.

 

The term “Buffalo Soldier” did not enter the scholarly literature until the 1960s when William Leckie published one of the first books on their history.  In this piece he cited a letter written by Frances Roe, wife of Lieutenant Washington Roe of the Third (Calvary) Infantry, to her family which contained information about the phrase Buffalo Soldiers.  She said that the American Indians of the area referred to the Black soldiers as such due to “their wooly heads are so much like the matted cushion that is between the horns of the buffalo.”  Leckie went on to add his own speculation about why the Plains Indians, who were actively fighting against the Black regiments, may have referred to them by such a name.  He believed that this was a term of endearment and respect since the Indians “revered” the buffalo, meaning the Indians felt similarly about the soldiers they were fighting against. 

 

This led to some unfounded and unsupported notions about the original meaning of the phrase Buffalo Soldiers.  Popular lore began to come about claiming that there was a mutual respect between the Black and the American Indian soldiers who fought against each other.  Eventually there came about additional meanings of the name “Buffalo Soldiers,” specifically in that it was a nickname that represented respect by the American Indians of the Black soldiers.  It also purportedly represented the ferocity of combat and bravery reflected in the Black soldiers while they were engaged in combat. 

 

Given the nature of the conflict between Black and American Indian soldiers it is unlikely that the American Indians would have felt any positive feelings toward their enemies.  This has been directly stated by various American Indian leaders in the mid-1990s when they spoke out against this notion of the name being a moniker of respect.  Furthermore, newspaper interviews of enlisted Black soldiers from these Buffalo Soldier units published during and shortly after the Indian Wars showed no respect or appreciation of their American Indian enemies.  They used various slurs against the American Indians they fought against, showing a specific disdain against them.  Lastly, there is no evidence that the Black soldiers liked or accepted this name as they never referred to themselves as “Buffalo Soldiers” in any official documents or personal correspondence.

 

At present there is only documentation that supports part of the meaning of the name “Buffalo Soldiers”.  The evidence demonstrates a connection between personal appearance of the Black soldiers, particularly their hair, and buffalo fur, but there is no evidence that the name was a respectful or endearing one as some people claim.  So why did this portion of the meaning come about?  It may very well have been a good intentioned idea meant to provide recognition that had been long withheld to Black soldiers who fought and were largely responsible for American Westward Expansion, as well as their contributions in various conflicts in the decades after.  Why all the fuss about the original meaning?  Because it is disrespectful to misrepresent the histories and values of one group in favor of another.  It creates and fosters a misrepresentation of that group, which further misaligns them and is disrespectful. 

 

Works Cited

Brown, Maureen, Jose E. Zapata, and Bruce K. Moses. "Camp Elizabeth, Sterling County, Texas: An Archaeological and Archival Investigation of a US Army Subpost, and Evidence Supporting Its Use by the Military and" Buffalo Soldiers"." Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State 1998.1 (1998): 2.

Hall, Kenneth Estes. "The Buffalo Soldiers." Studies in the Western 23 (2015): 45-53.

National Park Service. Buffalo Soldiers. 5 January 2023. Electronic. 5 July 2023.

Schubert, Frank. "The Myth of the Buffalo Soldiers." 19 December 2009. BlackPast. Electronic. 5 July 2023.