Buffalo Soldier - Close up Pillow

After the Civil War, the U.S. government struggled to find a place for its Black troops in a smaller postwar Army. In 1866, the Army decided to form the 9th and 10th Cavalry and 24th and 25th Infantry Regiments to replace the U.S. Colored Troops. Black Americans, many Civil War Veterans and former slaves, signed up to join these regiments. At one point, these Black regiments comprised almost one fifth of the Army. These four regiments distinguished themselves during Westward Expansion—where they became known as “Buffalo Soldiers”—and Spanish-American War.