In the years after the Civil war, newly freed men stepped into uniforms and became part of the U.S. Army’s first Black regiments. Known later as the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry and the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Infantry, these soldiers built forts, guarded settlers, patrolled reservations and carried the weight of frontier duty across the Great Plains and beyond.
In this episode, we follow their story from Fort Robinson in Nebraska, from the experimental Iron Riders Bicycle Corps in Montana to the remarkable service of Cathay Williams, the first documented black woman to enlist in the Army. Along the way, we’ll hear about the medals they earned, the prejudice they faced and the legacy they left behind.
The name “Buffalo Soldiers” would come later, but their courage and discipline forged a reputation that still echoes today.
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