Buffalo Soldiers Day

On July 28, 1866, recognizing the contributions of the more than 180,000 black Americans who fought to preserve the Union during the Civil War, the United States Congress established six regular Army regiments of black enlisted soldiers. Of those six units, the 9th and 10th Cavalry regiments eventually became two of the most highly decorated units in American military history. During a battle in 1867 near Fort Hays, Kansas, Cheyenne warriors remarked that the black American soldiers fought as fiercely and with as much strength as buffaloes. Hence, members of the 9th and 10th Cavalries proudly adopted the name "Buffalo Soldiers" as a badge of honor.