Emphasizing the role of the Buffalo Soldiers in opening the west. We are fortunate to have him here from our neighbor to the southwest, arizona. He earned his ba in history and historical archaeology, his ma in history with a concentration on the American West and spanish borderlands with the second emphasis on film history from the university of san diego. He later earned his phd in military history from kansas state university. After a 45 year in public history, he retired to tucson in 2015. He is the author of dozens of books, including fighting for uncle sam blacks in the frontier army. That is for sale today in our get shop following the lecture. We are excited to welcome dr. John langellier. Join me in a round of applause as we welcome him to the podium. [applause] john i feel like a telemarketer. [laughter] john i will send you every month a book that i have written that no one wants if you sign up now. At any rate thank you for , allowing me to be here. This is a wonderful opportunity to come back to what we at kansas state call western kansas. Some of you call it colorado. It has been a pleasure. This is a magnificent facility. We certainly want you, if you are not members, before you leave, the doors will not be unlocked until you join. There is no such thing as a free lunch. I will attempt to make 21stcentury Technology Work for a fellow that still lives in the 19th century. My topic is the Buffalo Soldiers. The emphasis is on the buffalo soldier experience in colorado. Do you think i will make a soldier . Was an opening line from a spiritual during enslavement in the odious institution, slavery. When the song had its first is unknown, but the lyrics raised a longstanding question. Although blacks in africa, and later in what became the United States, had a place in bearing arms, their place was never secure in the American Military. In fact, soon after assuming command of the continental army, and this is appropriate, because today is the 20th of february, 2017, president s day. George washington ordered that no blacks should be permitted into the continental military. He supported this position by a council of war and a committee in which none of the representatives of supposedly more openminded colonies of rhode island, connecticut, and massachusetts concurred with the idea that blacks should not be allowed. At this point, the war begins to go on. Washington finds this is a very poor decision on numerous levels, not the least of which is that black manpower was necessary. Black forces would serve later in the war as part of the continental army, including some units from rhode island, who had one of the battles in their native colonial area would fight the hessians, the shock troops thehe british army, mercenaries that they brought over. Indeed, they were part of the line that held and pushed back this incredible onslaught of the hessians. Normally, when blacks were brought in an institutionalized, segregation was set up. Black troops would ultimately in the main as segregated units usually under the command of white officers. At the end of the war, many a black who fought for freedom, for the promise all men were created equal, would find this was purely a promise on paper. That the parchment wasnt worth what was written on it. Many of them were returned to slavery after the war after the fighting concluded between the crown and the colonies. Despite this unjust treatment, again in 1812, in many respects, the second American Revolution against the british. The unjust treatment would be put aside, and blacks again would serve against the british in that several year war. Some of that war, as you will recall from your days in school, began because seamen were being impressed into the british navy. Many of them were black. They were taken prisoner as the british came aboard and either forced into service or locked into prisons in great britain. Some states like new york would pass laws authorizing the formation of black soldiers. Many served with distinction, including perhaps the most famous of all, the battle of new orleans. It was ironically fought after the war concluded. Us from from those of the 1960s, we had a great folk song about it. How can you complain . The war is over, the status quo goes back. Blacks are disallowed to carry arms. On one hand they are looked at as incapable of doing anything, so we cannot have them in the military. On the other hand we fear them every night as we go to bed as a slaveowner in the south. Will they take up arms and murder us in our beds . This dichotomy is existing at the time. This continues well into the 1860s when Abraham Lincoln follows the same tune as his predecessor george washington. He says, blacks will not serve in the u. S. Union forces against breakaway rebellious states in the south. He disallows the use of blacks in the forces on land. Again, the u. S. Navy still has blacks serving as ablebodied seamen. The navy as a separate spirit to the turn of the end of the 19th century. Some individuals believe that this is not only counter to the reason why the war is going to be fought, but a very myopic view. We need as many men under arms as possible to fight against the rebels. People like john charles vermont the great pathfinder who often got lost as we all know, but is still one of my heroes because he was a short frenchman with a bad temper. I am one of the same. He came to the conclusion that blacks should be allowed to be emancipated at the very least. Some of his colleagues in kansas, like the governor, brought blacks into the union forces in those states of the missourikansas area. This was not well received, but ultimately it was determined for both political and higher reasons that blacks should be allowed into the American Military union forces. Ultimately, 180,000 or more blacks would serve, earning emancipation, buying their freedom in blood, not just accepting it as a stroke of the pen from chief executive Abraham Lincoln. After the war, lincolns death creates chaos. The radical republicans do one thing. Put in youruld diary. The congress of the United States made a decent decision, something important to know. On july 28, 1866, the congress established six regiments of africanamerican men under white officers to serve in 4 regiments of infantry and 2 of calvary in the main, ultimately to be sent to the transmississippi west. Some would be retained in the south. This period of the 1860s through the early 1870s is reconstruction. In order to establish some of to establish some of the concepts of the various parts of the constitution, the amendments of the constitution, to allow blacks to vote and other issues, and to ensure that blacks had the ability to be elected to office and be treated in some respects more fairly than they had the hundred years prior to the war. Some of the blacks who served as in reconstruction occupational forces, for want of a better texas. Which is known for its openmindedness for races. What [laughter] in [laughter]r is a [laughter] texas,gellier oklahoma, and kansas had often a long trail or railroadtype situation that would become the roads to the west as we return to westward expansion in the postcivil war. Regarding the new Union Pacific railroad. They are guarding the new Union Pacific railroad. They are guarding stagecoaches. Despite the fact they may ride on the top of the stagecoach to protect the whites inside the stagecoach, but as soon as they get to the destination where they are going as a protective force against whoever might be there to interdict their transportation, they are told to march back to wherever they come from. So this is still not an equal , time. Where we find is the soldiers are mainly in texas and oklahoma, then known as indian territory, and parts of kansas. That would be the case well into the first decade of the operations of the true. They are scattered in the longerterm of black soldiers in the west from the Canadian Border to the Mexican Border from california all the way to missouri. Truly, virtually every state and territory and union, at one time or another, will have black troops posted to them. Well, enter another group of individuals under a fellow by the name of george forsyth. Has been sent with arms men. They are armed with spencer repeating rifles. This is a somewhat New Invention that allows these guys to fire rapidly against any foe they may face here they are carrying 140 rounds. They are really packing heat. They are caring cold revolvers with 30 rounds of ammunition. These guys are well armed shock troops. Colorado inquest of stabilizing what would be eastern colorado and the cheyenne. Welcome on the problem is that they will arrive here thinking that they are armed to the teeth, ready to take anybody on, when they run into cheyenne who are the finest light calvary in the world. And as a place that is both remote and isolated, named beecher island, not unlike the remote and isolated airport that is dia today, which is close to. Ansas he and his men are attacked. When they come under attack, they are besieged at beechers island, so named for forsyths second in command, frederick teacher third u. S. Infantry. Frederick beecher, third u. S. Infantry. Despite their rounds or technical superiority and firearms, they are facing 600 cheyenne warrior, who are a fierce foe. They are led by a man known in english as roman nose. Despite being killed in battle, his successor rose continue to attack continue to mount attack after attack against the men on the island who are expecting this to be their last day on earth. Because onver, december 27, after a hard ride of 200 miles and you have to understand the 25 miles was a good pace. 40 miles you could make, but when you got there your horse was played out, and one part of your anatomy as a calvary soldier was played out. ,t any rate, captain carpenter one another officer, 17 scouts, a supply train because the army always had to march with all of its equipment, and enlisted men ,rom company h and company i two black regiments, came to lift the siege. Carpenters after action report sums up the sad state when he and his troops arrived. As indicated, the army doctor with them exerted himself to the utmost in his efforts to relieve the suffering of the wounded, as did every officer and soldier of the command. While waiting for further reinforcements, they were not sure that the indians had left this time. The cheyenne were determined to drive these soldiers, white or black, from their traditional lands. They would eventually find and reinforcements came, would be finally relieved. In the meantime, prior to this attack, as carpenter was waiting and as the forsyth command was waiting, another detachment from company i under George Graham had been bloodied out of place at big sandy creek. On september 15, while on a the denver road ending near east colfax and broadway, and the Northern Branch down 6th avenue to park avenue, grahams men would be on the trail, patrolling to keep these trails open. He and 36 soldiers encountered an estimated 1000 cheyenne dog soldiers. Now, the cheyennes were excellent fighters, but there dogs were like the special forces of their people. They faced these men who attacked at close quarters. A fight ensued. And one reference said that the troops themselves handled themselves handsomely, even though this was their first time in battle for most of these men, fighting like cornered wildcats. With nightfall, the fray ended. Calvary men without a horse is an infantryman. That is bad for the calvary men. The cheyennes estimates of casualties were 11 killed and 14 wounded. You have to understand with the army, the army at this point only has about 25,000 men. That is still a small force by any standards today, but in the 1860s, ity, and the is still very sizable. Every cheyenne man was a son, father, brother, and there would be a lodge that would go into mourning and maybe not have food or shelter with your loved one did not return. More than a halfcentury later after these two dramatic duels at big sandy and beecher island, their brothers in arms from the ninth infantry with the part to colorado. His regiment had been formed in the louisiana under orders in 1866 two Major General philip h. Ridan, then commanding Commanding Officer in new orleans. Sheraton was authorized to muster within his commands the men to form the regimen. He looked to men serving in volunteer regiments. Member, i mentioned 180,000 black serving in the war. Several of the blacks were not released at the end of the war. Black,ere still volunteer regiments akin to what the National Guard or reserves would be in the military or reserves of be in the American Military. So, they were allowed to be discharged early from their enlistment in the units if they wanted to join the ninth calvary. This class of men was highly because this class of men was highly desired because of several things not the least of , which they had military service and would make good soldiers, and as important, could become noncommissioned officers. Why would you worry about that . Noncommissioned officers of this time, like noncommissioned officers of the modern time, had a great deal to do besides marshall duties. That is to say the army berries itself in the biggest battle, paperwork, not fighting an enemy. Most of these men, because of the laws in the south, making it a punishment, sometimes up to a Capital Punishment to be able to read and write, could not read and write. Having prior knowledge of the military and allowed them to cut corners of not having the literacy level they might ultimately have. But at least they could come in with onthejob training and know what to do. Going back to the civil war, the army had found that they would have chaplains in the black regiments that were regimental chaplains. In the postcivil war era, the idea of regimental chaplains went away, and oppose chaplain and there would be a postchaplain who would go to which institution, texas or arizona. But the black regiments all had regimental chaplains. Not only were they to be the spiritual leader of the group, but they were in charge of education. The idea was to train these soldiers in the three rs. To bring them up in an operation bootstraps to learn to read and write, to be literate, and at a later date, as a matter of fact years one of the black chaplains , went so far as to go on recruiting duty as opposed to just being a chaplain. Bring blacks in who he thought had promise, try to train them within the timeframe they were enlisted, and then get them to go back into the civilian population to go back into their committees to service will wilds committees to serve as role models and Community Leaders for hopefully raising the black community. Sorry, too far ahead. Technology. So, what we have is backwards, john. Ever backwards. So, we have big sandy creek. Colonel hatch is the commander of the ninth calvary. He will stay at the helm for years, along with numerous other capable officers, who will go on to distinguish careers in a number of instances. In due course, these troops had been assigned to texas and would move on. And they would find themselves in new mexico. From new mexico, which by the in theey were involved Lincoln County wars in the infamous situation with billy the kid, in some cases, and would finally in 1876, company i of the ninth calvary would come to southern colorado from new mexico. And they would they would garrison fort garland. It is part of the colorado historical society. It has a fantastic museum. One of the great places to go in the spring and summer and have a picnic, and enjoy the great beauty of colorado and learn , about its history. Because much of the fort remains today in a pristine condition. These troops were sent at a strategic crossroads. In the four corners area where numerous tribal groups claimed that this area was their traditional land. So from the navajo, to the ute, the cheyenne, and others, this area that had long been a crossroads for native peoples. We find that the fort is described by none other than helen hunt jackson, one of the earliest authors to deal with indianwhite conflict in the u. S. Nd she talk and she talks about the fort in a way that would speak to an easternbased audience, and probably to more moderntaste audiences, who thought a ford was a palisade surrounded by high walls, guard towers, and john wayne guarding against two was ever coming in. This passing traveler said that it had no stare typical. That was a stockade. It looked like a spanish or mexican village around a central plaza. Were ay real defenses commodity garrison. B, small projectiles. And a little bit later on, the first version of the machine gun, the gatlin gun. That was it. Hunt likewise indicated the defenders included the black troopers of the ninth. These enlisted men, mostly were single and lived in open base parts and barracks, like the bears said still exist at fort garland. There was kind of a philosophy in the Victorian Era army. It is the army wanted you to have a wife, they wouldnt issued you one. So, most of these men are going to be bachelor soldiers going about their daily lives, cooking and serving meals, and other housekeeping chores as well as , drilling, parading, cleaning equipment, and other marshall pursuits. Fortunately, a few head had families, few but that privilege was usually enjoyed by officer such as captain john convline who had a fascinating story. If i dont do a bad job today, maybe sean will have me come back next year. The officers at this point are all plate with three exceptions. There will be three black west point graduates starting with the class of 1877. All other officers will be officers who are white. Many of whom had served in the early years as officers of black units during the civil war. And this was not considered to be a really great posting, but when the army went from one by the men to 25,000 men late 1860s, finding a job in the army was very difficult, and so many of the soldiers put aside their printed this at prejudiceside their at least the officers, to serve , in black units as commanders. Likewise, company is role went back before their arrival into colorado. It has to do with the complex saga of the utes who referred to themselves as the people. As many of us know, that is a fairly broad situation in many groups of native people. Navaj