Buffalo Soldier Camp, 10th Cavalry Regiment

Entitled: Pvt. Holmes and Pvt. Desmukes, of the 10th Cavalry, with two children, Lillian Mearns and Luther Williams, in kitchen camp at Fern Spring, near Baker's Butte, Mogallon Mountains, Arizona. Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the US 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. 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, and 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 US Army. On September 6, 2005, Mark Matthews, who was the last living Buffalo Soldier, died at the age of 111. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Photographed by Edgar Alexander Mearns, 1887

Restrictions Only for Ireland and United Kingdom

All-black Arizona Buffalo Butte Calvary Encampment Fern Negro Negroes Segregated Tenth Tents

Features In These Collections

> Contributors > PHR