Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1898-04-29
Famous Black Cavalry
Passes Through the States--
Greeted az Heroes.
CroWdsCheer the Indian Fight
ers as they Journey to the
Front.
Army Experts Praise the Sol
diers as Dashing Types Of
Nations Defenders.

The Ninth cavalry,U. S. A. the
famous black regiment of Indian figh-
tiers, passed though the state last week
enrouted from Fort Robinson Nebras-
ka to Florida.
The tenth cavalry is cclored, they have
also have been ordered south as fast as
trains can convey them, the twenty
fifth Infantry has been sent to Florida
the first call, the only other colored
troops of Negra soldiers, is the twenty
fourth Infatry are waiting orders to
move south, this will make force of
1000 we'll drilled colored troops ready
to go to Cuba on short notice.
Black Fellows Are Fighters.
IF these black fellows get at the
Spaniards we will have revenge for the
Maine" said an admiring spectator
who wore a Grand Army button. "The
Dons will know what Sherman meant
" i
black boys have been fighting Indians
ever since the civil war When they
showed up on the frontier the Indians
called them bufaloes,' in derision, be-
cause their hair was curly. Before
they got through with the Indians the
most desperate band of redskins that
ever went on the warpath would break
and run at the sight Of them. And l
want to say right here that any troops
who can beat the American Indian at
his own game are fighters from the
ground up. The American Indian is
the toughest proposition in the fight
ing line that lives. And these black
fighters can outmaneuver, outride out
shoot, and outdevil even the red devil
of the plains. They charge with reins
between their teeth and revolver in
each hand. They ride like cowboys.
They shoot as fast as mcahine guns
with each hand. With the saber they
are tiends incarnate. When they drive
in the spursand charge home, God help
anything in front of them"
The veteran spoke no more than the
truth. The Ninth cavalry, U. s. A.
command the respect and admiration
of the whole army, and are in many
respects the most remarka BILE troops in
the service of Uncle Sam. Every troop
or is coal black, the tradition of the
regiment being against any mixture
of white blood. Every one of these
black fellows is giant in size. They
are born fighters. They have fought
all the way from the Mexican borders
to the Canadian line. Climate has no
terrors for them.
Coal-BIack Giant.
II remember very we'll when the
Negro troops were mustered in," said
an army officer yesterday. ''The recru-
iting office was opened at New Orleans
in the fall of 1866. We secured some
thing like 1000 Negroes. They came
from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Ken
tucky-great big fellows, as black as
block of ebony and as fine specimens
u physical manhood as ever donned
uniform. From this number were
formed two cavalry regiments, the
Ninth and the Tenth, and two infantry
regiments, the Twenty-Fourth and the
Twenty-Fifth, that went through Chi
cago few days ago. People were
doubtful of the experiment. The
Ninth was at once sent to open up COM
munication in Texas. From the begin
ing of the war the trail had been closed
by the Indians and outlaws between
Fort Sam Houston and Ell Paso. be-
tween these posts Thousands Of the fierc-
est fighting Indians in the coutry roam
ed. The trail was dotted with small
posts, mere barracks, which had been
deserted for six years, Six month af-
ter the Ninth's enlistment it fought its
first battle, That was in the spring of
1867, as Fort Lancaster, 3 small post
out on the Texas plains. The thous-
ands of Indians who surrounded the
fort made sport of the black troops.
The day they met them IN battle their
opinion changed. The Negoes fought
like demons. They obeyed their white
officers perfectly, and were more ready
to fight than to eat. The result was a
revelation to those who had ridiculed
the Negro soldier.
Outright the Indians.
From that day it has been one long
fight with the Ninth. Its deeds Of dar~
ing would fill volumes, and, though its
ranks have almost wholly changed
since the first enlistment, the command
has always managed to get the best
fighters. The Ninth remained on the
Mexican border until 1876, seeing all
the horrors of Indian wars. Then it
was moved into Mexico, with head
quarters at Santa Fe. Here it contlnu-
ed to see hot service until 1881 when it
went futher north, with Headquarters
&C Fort Riley, Kan. Colonel Edward
Hatch was the original commander of
r. ~