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Buffalo Soldiers forever remembered in Huntsville

By Jeanie Powell - bio | email
Posted by Dana Franks - email

HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - On Wednesday, a Huntsville school received a special monument to commemorate part of the history that once encompassed their grounds.

The Buffalo Soldier will be forever commemorated in Huntsville and those responsible for finally making it happen want the community and nation to embrace it. They hope it becomes a main tourist attraction.

Every day has been a history lesson for students at the Academy for Academics and Arts. A statue of a Buffalo Soldier has stood in the hallway of AAA for the past several years.

The city of Huntsville many years ago, contributed $50,000 to build it. And for a long time, members of an ad-hoc committee have wanted a monument to go along with it.

That dream became reality Wednesday as the statue was brought outside and placed atop a 35,000 pound piece of granite.

Students stood in awe, and committee members for the Buffalo Soldier Memorial were nearly in tears.

Principal Wilbert Brown said, "We want the world to see it.  We talk about it in our schools and our history books, so now here is a living example of what went on there during the 10th Calvary."

Some might not know this, but thousands of tents used to sit on what's now the school's lawn. The Buffalo Soldiers camped there, hence the name Cavalry Hill School, still imprinted on the front of the building, which is now formally the Academy for Academics and Arts.

Buffalo Soldiers often battled racial injustices. Committee member Juan Maldonado said some know little about an important figure in our history.

Maldonado, chaplain of the Buffalo Soldier Ad-hoc Committee, explained, "They were mostly slaves and the unit was formed to fight in the war, even though they weren't provided with all the equipment, but they did it anyway. One of the most unknown factors is that they delivered more mail than the Pony Express did."

They had a hand in western expansion. Their duty was to protect settlers. After the Spanish-American War, many of them came to Huntsville.

"We want to want to recognize what they done for us," Maldonado said.

"The reason we were most interested was their connection to Huntsville and our school site," said teacher and committee member Sheree Humphries

Humphries explained another reason the monument is so unique.

"East of the Mississippi, to our knowledge, it is the only way of recognizing the contributions of the Buffalo Soldier to American history," she said.

Humphries said she wants students to know their history and take pride in it.

Derrick Byars is in 8th grade at AAA. He's played a role in making this happen in Huntsville since the 2nd grade. His young mind feels the soldiers' stories are an inspiration. 

"It's taught me that no matter who you are, what you are you can go and do very great things if you would like," Byars said.

To donate a brick that will surround the base of the monument and complete the memorial, you can call the school.

Here's some history of the Buffalo Soldier, provided by the Buffalo Soldier Ad-hoc Committee:

Over 180,000 African-Americans served in the Union Army during the Civil War.  Of these, more than 33,000 died.  After the war, the future of African-Americans in the U.S. Army was in doubt.  In July 1866, however, Congress passed legislation establishing two cavalry and two infantry regiments whose enlisted composition was to be made up of African-Americans. 

The majority of the new recruits had served in all black units during the war.  The mounted regiments were the 9th and 10th Cavalries.  They were nicknamed "Buffalo Soldiers" by their adversaries, the Cheyenne and Comanche Indians, and carried the tag proudly. 

Until the early 1890's, they constituted 20 percent of all cavalry forces on the American frontier. When war with Spain broke out on April 25, 1898, all four African-American regiments were recalled from the West. 

Arriving in Cuba on June 22, the Buffalo Soldiers participated in the battles of Las Guasimas, El Caney and San Juan Hill, winning six Medals of Honor and numerous citations for gallantry in action.

After the war, three of the regiments remained on occupation duty, while the 10th United States Cavalry was ordered first to New York, then to Camp Albert G. Forse in Huntsville.  From October 18, 1898 until January 28, 1899, the 10th Cavalry was encamped at the future AAA location, hence the name Cavalry Hills. 

The 10th then moved to Fort Story, TX, and resumed its mission on the frontier. The Buffalo Soldiers Monument is dedicated in honor of all African-American service members, from all American wars, who have served with courage, dedication, and honor.

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