The Saline Reporter
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Library to host Buffalo Soldiers re-enactment
By Sheila Pursglove, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: January 25, 2007
Members of the Washtenaw County Buffalo Soldiers will kick off the sixth annual Black History Month lecture series at the Saline District Library with a free presentation about black frontiersmen and -women, 1:30 p.m. Sunday in the Brecon Room at the library, 555 N. Maple Road.
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Dressed in full regalia, the re-enactment group will give a presentation about the all-black regiments of soldiers who served in the American West after the Civil War, and were given the name Buffalo Soldiers by Cheyenne warriors.
Jim Mays, the group's treasurer and parade marshal, said the group began in 1992 as a riding club with the desire to learn more about horsemanship and black history. One of the original members, Thomas Glinn, then suggested affiliating with the Buffalo Soldiers.
By the late 1990s, the group had about 25 members, nine of whom owned horses and rode in parades.
"We used to go to a number of parades here in the area and on occasion would be called upon for presentations," Mays said. "This meant we had to really learn the history so we could answer questions, so we began to develop our own library and grilled each other on black historical data.
"It soon developed into something that truly intrigued me and I started to read more and more about the Indian War period, as well as about black history. I now have some 28 titles in my library devoted to black history."
The group currently spends its time and energy on presentations and talks and rarely takes part in parades, Mays said.
"This is due to the problems of horse ownership we, as a club, have and the problems inherent with having horses at an event where there are bands, loud horns, dogs and so many people who don't understand the dangers involved."
The Washtenaw County Buffalo Soldiers currently have seven active members and a number of friends who provide assistance at different events.
With Black History Month celebrated in February, this is a popular time of year for speaking engagements. In addition to the Saline District Library, group members will give a presentation Jan. 31 at Cleary College, and have 11 engagements from schools, churches and civic organizations lined up for February.
Mays, a Detroit native who was raised on a farm in Milan, was the only black student in his 1954 graduating class. After earning a degree in business administration from Eastern Michigan University, he spent 30 years with Ford Motor Co. as a New Model Change Control specialist, and retired in 1995.
"I now spend my time learning more about who I am and the forces that made me the way I am," he said.
"To this end, I have visited Alabama on more than seven trips to check out my roots. This is how I discovered that Isiah Mays, a decorated Buffalo Soldier, is a great uncle of mine, that the ball player Willie Mays is a second cousin, and so much more."
Mays will give a PowerPoint presentation, showing some of the historic figures who gave their lives to secure the west for pioneers.
"I'll talk about the experiment the U.S. Army had with the newly freed slaves and how they, in fact, helped to take the freedom away from the Native Americans," he said.
"We'll talk about the job of the Buffalo Soldier, about their re-enlistments and some of the first black officers and their fates."
The lecture is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served and there is plenty of free parking. For more information, call the library at 429-5450.
Sheila Pursglove is a freelance writer. She can be reached at bingley51@yahoo. com.
Event set 1:30 p.m. Sunday as part of annual lecture series
Buffalo Soldiers were former slaves and other black men who enlisted in the Army just after the Civil War to fight Indians, build roads and protect settlers heading West. Units were formed after an Act of Congress allowed them to join the armed forces in 1866.
From 1866 to the early 1890s, black regiments participated in most of the military campaigns in the Southwest and Great Plains during the so-called Indian Wars.
Thirteen enlisted men and six officers earned the Medal of Honor in that time. The nickname Buffalo Soldiers began with the Cheyenne warriors in 1867. The actual Cheyenne translation was Wild Buffalo. The nickname was given out of respect and the fierce fighting ability of the 10th cavalry. Over time, Buffalo Soldiers became a generic term for all black soldiers.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Buffalo Soldiers were assigned to the harshest and most desolate posts. Specific duties included subduing Mexican revolutionaries, outlaws, rustlers and hostile Native Americans. Additional administrative duties included exploring and mapping the Southwest, and establishing frontier outposts for future towns.
The Buffalo Soldiers fought in the Indians Wars of the American West, Spanish American War of 1898, World War I and World War II. The last units were disbanded in 1951.
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