From Slavery to Service on the Frontier

In the years after the Civil war, newly freed men stepped into uniforms and became part of the U.S. Army’s first Black regiments. Known later as the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry and the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Infantry, these soldiers built forts, guarded settlers, patrolled reservations and carried the weight of frontier duty across the Great Plains and beyond. 

In this episode, we follow their story from Fort Robinson in Nebraska, from the experimental Iron Riders Bicycle Corps in Montana to the remarkable service of Cathay Williams, the first documented black woman to enlist in the Army. Along the way, we’ll hear about the medals they earned, the prejudice they faced and the legacy they left behind. 

The name “Buffalo Soldiers” would come later, but their courage and discipline forged a reputation that still echoes today. 

Want to see more? See photos, maps and more glimpses of prairie life on Instagram: @rootedintheplains 

Want to learn more? 

•  “Buffalo Soldiers Photographs.” Nebraska State Historical Society, July 3, 2024. https://history.nebraska.gov/buffalo-soldiers-photographs/. 
• Brian G Shellum, “Charles Young and the Buffalo Soldiers after the Indian Wars,” Nebraska History 95 (2014): 28-35 
• Crone, Dawn M. “BUFFALO SOLDIERS:  PROTECTING THE AMERICAN WEST .” Brownsburg, IN: EDSITEment!, November 2023. 
• Dolifka, Richard, Sheryl Smith-Rodgers, Sally Hunter, and David Boevers. “We Can, We Will! The Story of the Buffalo Soldiers: The First African Americans to Serve in the Regular Army.” Austin, TX: Texas Parks and Wildlife, 2020. 
• Djossa, Christina   Ayele. “The First (Documented) Black Woman to Serve in the U.S. Army - Atlas Obscura.” The First (Documented) Black Woman to Serve in the U.S. Army, February 28, 2018. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/cathay-williams-buffalo-soldier.