Though black soldiers constituted only ten percent of the U.S. Army after the Civil War, they often made up half of the available forces at specific posts west of the Mississippi. Between the years of 1866 and 1900, nearly four thousand black men served in the military in New Mexico Territory alone. The term "buffalo soldiers" originated with the Indians, who saw that the black soldiers' hair resembled the fur of the buffalo and that their fighting spirit made them a worthy opponent. The soldiers accepted the name as an honor, and the Tenth Cavalry incorporated a likeness of a buffalo on its regiment's crest. Having earned the respect of the Indians, the buffalo soldiers were nevertheless hard-pressed to earn the respect of many of the white civilians they fought to protect and some of the white officers under whom they served. Historian Monroe Lee Billington draws from military records, newspaper articles, personal correspondence, and other source materials to create the first comprehensive account of the role of black soldiers in New Mexico Territory. This unique book explores in depth the success of the buffalo soldiers in waging war and keeping the peace in the frontier Southwest. Through examination of the day-to-day lives as guardsmen, builder, warriors, and participants in an emerging society, Billington shows that despite often extreme prejudice, inferior equipment, and hostile Indians, the buffalo soldiers had a story of triumph against heavy odds. Billington's riveting portrayal of the harrowing lives these men led and their many successes in the face of nearly overwhelming obstacles will appeal to all readers interested in western and African-American history.

Chamberlin Collection. Includes maps of: New Mexico Forts, 1866-1900; New Mexico's Indian Wars, 1866-1869; New Mexico's Indian Wars, 1875-1878; Lincoln County, New Mexico, 1878; Lincoln, New Mexico, 1878; Southern New Mexico and the Victorio War. Black Soldiers' Stories.