Buffalo Soldiers/Spanish American War Veterans
The United States Colored Troop regiments 109th, 114th, 116th, 117th, 118th and 122nd transported to Texas in April 1865, shortly after General Robert E. Lee’s surrender. They deployed to deter French military operations in Mexico from spilling over into the western frontier. Some of the regiments remained in service until 1867, twenty-nine months beyond the end of the Civil War.
Justifiably African American troops became a solution for an increase in troop strength for the developing western region.
Congress authorized the formation of the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st infantry and the 9th and 10th cavalry regiments to serve during peacetime, effective 28 July 1866. The infantry regiments reduced to the 24th and 25th, served in Texas until 1880. The 24th transferred to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) and the 25th to South Dakota.
Recruiters for the 9th Cavalry headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana and Louisville, Kentucky. For the 10th Cavalry garrisoned at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, recruiters concentrated on Missouri, Arkansas and the Platte.
The regiments garrisoned at forts in remote regions of Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, New Mexico and the Indian Territory, which would become the state of Oklahoma. Their duties included policing the territory, protecting federal and railroad work crews, stage and mail routes, stringing telegraph wire, building and maintaining forts and mapping the territory. The soldiers dealt with outlaws, bandits, cattle thieves, killers and Mexican revolutionaries. They endured discrimination by white officers and settlers and repelled attacks by renegade Native Americans. These same Native Americans gave the regiments the nomenclature “Buffalo Soldiers”, a name that would identify them throughout service in the segregated military.
Seeking African Americans to serve in these regiments would continue through Reconstruction and peacetime.
At the declaration of the Spanish American War 1898, recruitment advertisements specifically listed the rate of pay per month ($15), which would increase annually, and benefits received -board, clothing, medical attention and retirement allocation after thirty years service. For those who met the requirements, it meant a steady income albeit the working conditions were hazardous and locations were inhospitable and far from home.
Lexington Daily Leader, p5, c4, 6/29/1898- Colored Recruits Wanted
Twelve men, in African Cemetery No. 2, were Buffalo Soldiers in the western frontier, Cuba and Philippines Islands during the Spanish American War.
Wyatt Huffman, a thirty-two year career veteran, has a non-military marker. Named in his honor was the Buffalo Soldier veterans’ organization Wyatt Huffman Camp #20.
Clarence B. Snowden, a nine-year veteran of the 9th and 10th Cavalry served in Utah and Wyoming prior to his death at the age of twenty-eight in 1903. His gravesite is unmarked.
John Bell Pvt 9th Cavalry, Section C, Row 1 stone damage
Service:
Born - 5/9/1883
Died - 10/14/1927, certificate #22464
Parents - Spencer (deceased) and Anna Jones Bell; stepfather William Crouch
Wife: Son: William Dennis Bell
Occupation:
Obit - Leader, p6, c5-6, 10/15/1927 - lived 777 N. Market St (now Florida Ave.)
Daniel Black Texas Pvt 25th Infantry, Section B, Row 10
Service: 10/22/1898 25th Infantry Co E Fort Wingate New Mexico
1900 Philippines, Santa Cruz, Index 2
1910
1920
Born - 5/12/1876
Died - 8/23/1924, Lexington; certificate #20231
Parents
Wife - Millie Black
Occupation:
Obit lived 214 E. 2nd Street
William S. Blanton c.1873 Co B 24th Infantry, Sp Am War, Section E, stone damaged
Service: 10/7/1898 24th Infantry Co B Fort Douglass, Utah
Pension 10/31/1927 #A33128
Born - Woodford County
Died
Parents:
Wife:
Occupation:
Obit:
Leslie Bohanon Co C 24th Infantry, Sp Am War, Section E, Row 14
Service: 10/7/1898 24th Infantry Co C Fort D.A. Russell, Wyoming
Born - 5/7/1878, Woodford County
Died - 4/12/1942, Lexington; certificate #8643
Parents - Christopher and Isabella Bohanon
Wife - Carrie Bohanon
Occupation:
Obit - Leader p2, c8, 4/13/1942 lived 416 Kinkead Street
Member of Sgt. Wyatt Huffman Camp #20, Lexington
William Carpenter Tr. M, 9th Cavalry, Sp Am War, Section B, Row 6
Service:
Born
Died - 1/27/1934, certificate #689
Parents - George and Annie Jenkins Carpenter
Wife - Mittie Carpenter (sister of James Hoskins?)
Occupation:
Obit: lived 416 Ferguson
Wyatt Huffman Sgt Major 10th Cavalry, non-military marker, Section A, Row 14
Service: age 22, 1/10/1872- 1/14/1904 25th Co. G, Ft Bliss, TX; enlisted nine times; retired as Sgt. Major
1880 TX, Fort Concho, Tom Green, age 28, unmarried Index
1887-1892 age 37, 25th Infantry Co G Ft Missoula, Montana
1900 Philippine Islands, 2nd Lt., age 47, unmarried Index
1901-1904 age 49, 25th Infantry Co M (7/25/1901-1/14/1904 Sgt. Major)
Born - 5/1853, Lancaster, Garrard County
Died - 2/20/1920, Lexington; certificate #3637
Parents:
1st Marriage - Mary Alice Lighter McCoy (1864-1918)
2nd Marriage - Janie –last name?
Occupation - 32 year veteran in 10th Cavalry; retired in 1904
1870 KY Garrard County Index 425A
1910
1920 KY Fayette Co E 3rd Street Index 7A
Lived - 322 East Third Street; also owned property in Forest Hill
Sgt. Wyatt Huffman Camp #20 organized in Lexington, when?
Obit - Leader, p9, c7, 2/22/1920
John Jackson Corp 24th Infantry, Section F, Row 6 stone damage
Service: 1907 Did he also serve in WWI
Born - 6/1883, Louisa, Virginia
Died - 5/1/1937, Lexington; certificate #13043
Parents - John Jackson, father; mother unknown
Wife - Jennie Jackson
Occupation: soldier, 30 years
Obit - Leader, p40, c 6, 5/2/1937 -Member of Shiloh Baptist Church; lived 614 Ohio
Dan Johnson Pvt Tr. F 9th Cavalry, Section B, Row 2
Service: 11/28/1892 -2/27/1896 marker order
Born
Died - 11/2/1933, Lexington; certificate #25778
Parents: unknown
Wife - Belle Johnson
Occupation:
Obit: lived 615 Todd Street
Clarence Buckner Snowden Corp’l 9th & 10thCavalry, unmarked
Service: age 18 ½, 1/15/1894, 9th Cavalry Co F Fort DuChesne Utah
6/24/1897 9th Cavalry Co I Fort DuChesne Utah
7/7/1898 9th Cavalry Picnic Island, FL, sick leave; Lexington Leader, 9/18/1898 -promoted to Corp’l
7/20/1900 10th Cavalry Co G, Fort-----, Wyoming
Born - c.1875, Fayette County
Died - 3/16/1903, certificate #6681
Parents - John and Ellen Buckner Snowden
Single
Occupation - hostler; soldier, 9 years
Obit - Leader, p5, c2, 3/17/1903 - service in 9th and 10th; lived Newtown Pike
William Webb Pvt Co K 25th Infantry, Section A, Row 13 stone damage
Service: 11/26/1900 -11/26/1902 Co F 25th Infantry Fort Niobrara Nebraska
Born - 7/1874
Died - 1/26/1912, certificate #
Parents - Carolina
Wife
Occupation:
Obit
Eugene Wilson 1st Sgt. Co F 3 NC Infantry, Sp Am War, Sec F, Row 5 damage
Service:
Born -
Died -
Parents:
Wife:
Occupation:
Obit:
Robert Sanstee Young Trp G 10th Cavalry, Sp Am War, Section B, Row 8
Service: 1898-1899
Born - 8/20/1875
Died - 1/19/1953 Indianapolis, Lucille Nursing Home; certificate #2093 (signed by Dr. Henry L. Hummons)
Parents: Father Clifton Young; mother unknown
Wife:
Occupation:
Obit: