U.S.-History-Sourcebook---Basic

(Marvins-Underground-K-12) #1

6.1. Buffalo Soldiers http://www.ck12.org


6.1 Buffalo Soldiers


The Buffalo Soldiers were members of the U.S. Army’s 10thCavalryregiment of African-American soldiers orga-
nized in 1866. The term eventually came to apply to four regiments of cavalry and two of infantry. The Buffalo
Soldiers participated in the Spanish-American War in Cuba, including the famous charge up San Juan Hill led by
future president Teddy Roosevelt. Below you will find two accounts of the Buffalo Soldiers in the Spanish-American
war, one by Roosevelt and one published in the magazineThe Atlantic Monthly. As you read, try to determine
whether the Buffalo Soldiers were respected by their white compatriots.


The Rough Riders - Teddy Roosevelt


Source: Excerpt from Theodore Roosevelt,TheRoughRiders, 1905. The book is an account of the Rough Riders’
battles.


None of the white regulars or Rough Riders showed the slightest sign of weakening; but under the strain the colored
infantrymen (who had none of their officers) began to get a little uneasy and to drift to the rear, either helping
wounded men, or saying that they wished to find their own regiments. This I could not allow, as it was depleting
my line, so I jumped up, and walking a few yards to the rear, drew my revolver, halted the retreating soldiers, and
called out to them... saying: “Now, I shall be very sorry to hurt you, and you don’t know whether or not I will keep
my word, but my men can tell you that I always do;” whereupon my cow-punchers, hunters, and miners solemnly
nodded their heads and commented in chorus, exactly as if in a comic opera, “He always does; he always does!”


This was the end of the trouble, for the “smoked Yankees”–as the Spaniards called the colored soldiers–flashed their
white teeth at one another, as they broke into broad grins, and I had no more trouble with them, they seeming to
accept me as one of their own officers. The colored cavalry-men had already so accepted me; in return, the Rough
Riders, although for the most part Southwesterners, who have a strong color prejudice, grew to accept them with
hearty good-will as comrades, and were entirely willing, in their own phrase, “to drink out of the same canteen.” All
the regular officers did so well, it is hard to draw any distinction; but particular praise should be given to the officers
of the Ninth and Tenth for their work, and under their leadership the colored troops did as well as any soldiers could
possibly do.


Questions:


1.Sourcing:Why would Teddy Roosevelt write an account of the Battle of San Juan Hill? What do you think
his main purpose was?
2.Close Reading:Does Roosevelt present African American troops as equal to white troops? Explain your
answer.


  1. Based on all that you have read, what were white attitudes towards the African American soldiers who fought
    in the Battle of San Juan Hill?

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