Buffalo Soldiers: Aftermath, the Twentieth-Century

By Sofie Barrett

Following the Spanish-American War ending in 1899, the Buffalo Soldiers continued to serve in the US military well into the twentieth century. These units served in the Philippine-American war, the Mexican expedition (1916), World War I and II. In addition to military service, the Buffalo Soldiers served as the first caretakers for the national parks from 1891 to 1913. The US Army served as the official administrator of Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. Their duties ranged from fighting fires, stopping poaching of wildlife, ending illegal grazing of livestock, and constructing roads, trials, and other infrastructure.¹

From the turn of the century to World War I, the Ninth Cavalry served in the Philippine Islands from 1900 to 1902 and 1907 to 1909. During World War I, the unit remained on the Mexican border, except when they briefly returned to the Philippines. The Tenth Cavalry Regiment served in in a number of places including: China, Nebraska and Wyoming from 1902-1907, the Philippines from 1907 to 1909, Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, from 1909 to 1913, and the Mexican border from 1916 to 1922. The Ninth and Tenth’s service sometimes overlapped as they often worked alongside one another.²

In October 1940, the Army assigned the Ninth and Tenth to join the Second Cavalry Division. Yet, the War Department did not use these men as cavalry and instead devised a plan to use the personnel to form service units. Despite the protest of black leaders, the War Department deactivated the units on May 10, 1944 with personnel funneled to other support and labor units. This happened as a result of the changing technologies and end of horse cavalry units in the modern era. The black soldiers’ assignment as support soldiers also reflected racial discrimination.³

The Twenty-fourth Infantry served in the Philippines between 1899 to 1902 and returned twice from 1906 to 1908 and 1917-1918. This unit became the first black infantry regiment to serve on the East Coast of the US when it was assigned to Madison Barracks in New York between 1908 and 1911. During World War II, the regiment served in the Pacific and spent the majority of the war working as stevedores, manual laborers at the docks responsible for loading and unloading ships, trucks, and other supplies. These units did see some combat in New Guinea and on Saipan during the war.⁴

Despite their service, the Buffalo Soldiers continued to face the pervasive racism in American society. On August 23, 1917, the Twenty-fourth Infantry regiment became embroiled in what was termed the Houston Mutiny of 1917. While stationed at Camp Logan, Texas, men of the Third Battalion faced increased racial tension and harassment from white Houston authorities and civilians. The rumor of a black corporal murdered by Houston police sparked the incident and roughly 150 black soldiers marched two hours to Houston. Local white residents armed themselves and violence ensued. The aftermath of the riot resulted in the death of four black soldiers and fifteen local residents with dozens wounded. The event resulted in the largest court martial in US history at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. The court tried sixty-three soldiers with thirteen receiving the punishment of execution by hanging on December 11. In the year following, two more court martials occurred with an additional sixteen soldiers executed by hanging. Responding to pressure from black leaders, President Woodrow Wilson commuted the death sentences of ten of the men. Nearly sixty soldiers served life in prison for their actions in the riot. As a result, the Twenty-fourth Infantry served in the Philippines during World War I.⁵

The Twenty-fifth Infantry served in the Philippines between 1899 to 1902 and 1907 to 1909; unlike the other units they did not return a third time. During World War I, the regiment served as garrison troops in Hawaii. The War Department demobilized the regiment in March 1919 and it did not reactivate until roughly twenty years later at Fort Huachuca, Arizona in March 1942. They served in the Pacific Theater during World War II serving in security, occupation, and labor duty, seeing combat only at Bougainville Island before returning to the US in January 1945. The regiment inactivated once again at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1947 for the last time.⁶

The regiment also faced discrimination in Texas. In July 1906, three companies of the Twenty-fifth infantry served at Fort Brown near Brownsville, Texas. Almost immediately after the arrival of black troops, black soldiers complained of police harassment and civilian discrimination. On August 13, a group of unknown men fired more than a hundred bullets unto private homes and business near Fort Brown. Citizens in the area accused black soldiers of these crimes and white officials opened an investigation. Officials believed a handful of soldiers knew of the event, but they proved uncooperative in the investigation. On November 6, 167 men in Companies B, C, and D received dishonorable discharges on the grounds of a “conspiracy of silence” of protecting the guilty among them. Military officials closed Fort Brown in October to avoid further trouble. Between 1907 and 1910, the official reopened the investigation and the Army allowed fourteen men to reenlist, though officials did not drop the charges. In the 1970s, the Department of Defense changed the discharges to honorable discharges.⁷

The history of the Buffalo Soldiers spanned roughly eighty years and in that time, these brave men served with pride and honor for the United States. With the disbandment of the Twenty-fourth Cavalry in October 1951, the last chapter of the storied Buffalo Soldiers regiments closed. Today, different units in the US Army still claim lineage from these legendary men.⁸

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