Buffalo Soldiers: Slave to Soldier

One of the greatest and most successful human experiments in American history had its seminal roots in Missouri. Starting in 1866, Jefferson Barracks, Missouri was the receiving station for the men (and woman) of color following the Civil War. There the most unlikely of soldiers joined the United States Army in the United States Colored Troops (USCT) by the name of Cathay Williams, aka Pvt. William Cathay, the only known female to serve in what became known as the Buffalo Soldiers. Pvt. Isaac Johnson, the great grandfather of one of the presenters enlisted on May 6, 1866, and joined his company at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. An original Buffalo Soldier, he traveled across Missouri by rail to the Western Frontier to serve with honor in the 38th and 24th Infantry, and later reenlisted into the famed 9th Cavalry. His story is the basis of “Slave to Soldier.” All presentations are in period uniform/dress. Covering the evolution of USCT from the first ever engagement of black troops and Confederate forces during the Civil War happened in Bates County, Missouri at the Battle of Island Mound. Coming full circle, we discuss the development of o-shoots of the Buffalo Soldiers through WWII and Korea.