9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry (Buffalo Soldiers) Established by Congress

Congress authorizes the formation of six Black regular Army regiments, including the 9th and 10th Cavalry. Known as 'Buffalo Soldiers' by Plains tribes who respected their fighting endurance, these regiments patrolled 1.25 million square miles of the frontier over 25 years. Despite facing discrimination from white officers and settlers, they recorded the lowest desertion rate in the U.S. Army.