What is "buffalo soldier"

buffalo soldier \buffalo soldier\ A black soldier of the United States army who served in the American west in the late 1800's, often as an indian fighter, and usually as part of an all-black troop; -- the name was given by the indians due to their their kinky hair, and the name was believed also to be a compliment on their courage.

n. (context US military historical English) An African-American soldier in the US Army, serving in one of a number of segregated units under white officers, in the period after the US Civil War up to the final racial integration of the US military, at the end of the Korean War.

Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the " Negro Cavalry" by the Native American tribes they fought in the Indian Wars. The term eventually became synonymous with all of the African American regiments formed in 1866:

• 9th Cavalry Regiment
• 10th Cavalry Regiment
• 24th Infantry Regiment
• 25th Infantry Regiment

Although several African American regiments were raised during the Civil War as part of the Union Army (including the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and the many United States Colored Troops Regiments), the "Buffalo Soldiers" were established by Congress as the first peacetime all-black regiments in the regular U.S. Army. On September 6, 2005, Mark Matthews, who was the oldest living Buffalo Soldier, died at the age of 111. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

"Buffalo Soldier" is a reggae song written by Bob Marley and Noel "King Sporty" Williams. It did not appear on record until the 1983 posthumous release of Confrontation, when it became one of Marley's best-known songs. The title and lyrics refer to the black U.S. cavalry regiments, known as " Buffalo Soldiers", that fought in the Indian Wars after 1866. Marley likened their fight to a fight for survival, and recasts it as a symbol of black resistance.Black Heretics, Black Prophets: Radical Political Intellectuals

- Bogues, Anthony, Page 198, via Google Books. Accessed 2008-06-28.

The song's bridge, with the lyrics woe! yoe! yo!, is similar to the chorus of the Banana Splits' " The Tra-La-La Song", the 1968 theme from their TV show, written by Mark Barkan and Ritchie Adams. There has never been any litigation connected to the similarity.

The song has been recorded by many other artists, including Cultura Profética (on their album Tribute to the Legend: Bob Marley), and Vanilla Ice (on his 2008 album Vanilla Ice Is Back!).

The origin of the term "Buffalo Soldier" is theorized as given to black troops by Native Americans, who compared the soldiers with the buffalo's strength and tenacity, and possibly how they thought African Americans' hair felt and looked (like a bison). Others claim it was in reference to how the soldiers tirelessly marched. In any case, the Buffalo Soldier's duties were settling railroad disputes, building telegraph lines, repairing and building forts, helping settlers find a place to live and protecting the settlers from Native Americans attacks.

A Buffalo Soldier was a member of one of four original regiments activated in 1866 by the United States Army. Today it refers to the character and nickname of the United States Army soldiers in the 9th and 10th Cavalry units.

• Buffalo Soldiers, the original nickname of the 9th Cavalry Regiment (United States) - active unit.
• Buffalo Soldiers, the original nickname of the 10th Cavalry Regiment (United States) - active unit.
• Buffalo Soldiers, the original nickname of the 24th Infantry Regiment (United States) - inactive unit.
• Buffalo Soldiers, the original nickname of the 25th Infantry Regiment (United States) - inactive unit.
• Buffalo Soldiers, the nickname of the 92nd Infantry Division (United States) - inactive unit
• Buffalo Soldiers, the nickname of the 2nd Cavalry Division (United States) - inactive unit.

Buffalo Soldier or Buffalo Soldiers may also refer to:

• Buffalo Soldier, the article on its history, men and units
• Buffalo Soldier Hill, a summit in New Mexico, US
• "Buffalo Soldier" (song), a Bob Marley song
• Buffalo Soldier (film), 1970 blaxploitation Western film
• Buffalo Soldiers (1997 film), 1997 TNT television film starring Danny Glover
• Buffalo Soldiers (2001 film), 2001 film
• Buffalo Soldier, 2014 novel by Tanya Landman, winner of the 2015 Carnegie Medal (literary award)
• MV Buffalo Soldier (T-AK-9301), a United States Navy Military Sealift Command Maritime Prepositioning ship
• Buffalo Soldiers MC, a motorcycle club.