Black valor: buffalo soldiers and the Medal of Honor, 1870-1898

They were U.S. army officers. Just a few years earlier, some had been slaves. Several thousand African Americans served as soldiers in the Indian Wars and in the Cuban campaign of the Spanish-American War in the latter part of the nineteenth century. They were known as buffalo soldiers, believed to have been named by Indians who had seen a similarity between the coarse hair and dark skin of the soldiers and the coats of the buffalo. Twenty-three of these men won the nation's highest award for personal bravery, the Medal of Honor. Their remarkable stories-derived from extensive historical research-are told in this collected biography. Black Valor will enrich and inspire readers.