The Alamo City is home to hundreds of organizations for locals who want to support their beloved community. Today, we’d like to highlight the Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers Association, a multicultural organization that’s dedicated to educating the public about the history of Black soldiers in the US Military.
Let’s dive into the association, our local chapter, and the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers in Military City USA.
Who are the Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers?
The San Pedro Springs historical marker dedication ceremony on June 12, 2021 with members of the Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers Association.
Photo by NAACP San Antonio Branch
The Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers Association was organized in San Antonio on August 13, 1999 and chartered by the State of Texas on September 29, 1999.
The group’s purpose is to research, preserve, educate, and lecture the history of the contributions of the US Army’s 9th + 10th Cavalries, the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st (24th and 25th) Infantries, and the Black Seminole Scouts during the Indian War Period (1866-1891).
Here are a few ways they get involved with the community:
- Provides speakers for schools, youth groups, churches, and civic/social organizations.
- Sponsors and/or hosts youth groups.
- Participates in trail rides, parades, cultural fairs, posting of the Colors, and other historical events.
- Resources are available at the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures, the San Antonio Public Library, and the Briscoe Western Art Museum.
Interested in getting involved or donating? Learn more.
Buffalo Solider History 101
Following the Civil War, six all-Black cavalry and infantry regiments were established when Congress passed the Army Organization Act in 1866, and they came to be called The Buffalo Soldiers. Eventually, the six were consolidated into four.
On April 5, 1867, the 9th Cavalry of Buffalo Soldiers arrived in San Antonio and the unit set up camp near the San Pedro Springs. The soldiers remained in the Alamo City for three months and left in July 1867 to spread across west and south Texas.
Did you know over 200 Buffalo Soldiers rest in peace in Military City USA? Those locations include the “Tomb of the Unknown” at the San Antonio National Cemetery and the Fort Sam Houston National Military Cemetery.
This Feburary, 17 new headstones for Black World War I soldiers executed after the 1917 Houston Riots were unveiled at Fort Sam Houston. The US Army reviewed those cases in 2023 and ruled to set aside the convictions + amend the soldier’s records to show honorable discharges. Watch the full unveiling ceremony (skip to 9:40 to watch).
Don’t miss: July is Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Month in Texas.
