The first Friday of every August marks Frontierado, the holiday devoted to the myth of the old west rather than the grinding reality. For some of us the celebration kicked off Thursday night, for others they wait until the actual day of Frontierado to hold their festivities. Enjoy yourselves today and tonight, and enjoy the leftovers on Saturday and Sunday.
BUFFALO SOLDIERS – Obviously the historical significance of these African American soldiers begins during the U.S. Civil War and goes far into the 20th Century, but for the purposes of this blog post I’ll be looking only at their involvement in conflicts from 1866-1896.
For newcomers to this topic, the label Buffalo Soldiers was bestowed on these African American troops by Native Americans in the Great Plains. Buffalo Soldier units included the 10th Cavalry, 9th Cavalry, the 24th and 25th Infantry Regiments plus more.
BATTLE OF THE SALINE RIVER (August 1867) – In Kansas, Cheyenne warriors led by Tall Wolf attacked and killed a party of railroad workers laying the transcontinental railway. Buffalo Soldiers from Fort Hays were sent out after the Cheyenne, and this resulted in the 8-hour long Battle of the Saline River. Under 100 soldiers from the 10th Cavalry clashed with over 400 Native Americans, inflicting greater casualties on them and making it back to Fort Hays alive.
TEXAS-INDIAN CAMPAIGNS (1867) – Various units of Buffalo Soldiers served throughout Texas in garrison duty, random clashes and military campaigns against the Comanches, Apaches and the Kiowas. They also protected mail service in Texas from attacks and carried out raids to rescue civilian captives taken by those Indian tribes. On December 26th, 1867 units of Buffalo Soldiers fought over 900 mixed Native American warriors and white outlaws near Fort Lancaster, TX. Continue reading
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