[Ads-l] "Buffalo Soldier" Not in OED

[Peter Reitan]

I looked into "Buffalo Soldier" a little bit while researching some events around the origins of "Juneteenth."
https://esnpc.blogspot.com/2020/05/general-weitzel-and-his-elephant.html

Many black soldiers took part in the occupation of Texas, which started on Juneteenth, and many of them remained stationed out west, beginning their association with the West.

It didn't make it into my post on that topic, but I found one earlier example.

The Kiowas in the region were said to refer to Colonel Grierson (https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/grierson-benjamin-henry), the commander of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as "Buffalo Soldier Squaw."  Presumably a dig at his manhood (he was said to have not been respected by the Kiowas), and to the fact that he commanded black soldiers.

"Col. Grierson, commanding at Fort Sill, is totally unqualified for the position. . . . A Kiowa chief, last summer, asked Col Grierson for some favor, which was refused; the Kiowa slapped his face and said, 'That's the way I serve squaw when she won't mind me!'  The Indians neither love, respect, or fear him.  The Kiowas call him 'Buffalo Soldier Squaw,' the Comanches call him 'N[word] Chief.'"

The Lawrence (Kansas) Tribune, April 27, 1871, page 1. Newspapers.com
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lawrence-tribune-lawrence-tribune-ka/28032635/


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The term "Buffalo soldier," denoting U.S. Army soldiers in African American=
 regiments, does not appear in OED.  The oldest citation I have found is th=
e following:

1879 Helena Weekly Independent 16 Oct. 2/3 (Newspapers.com)

The Laramie Times says:  The Indians call the colored troops buffalo soldie=
rs, on account of their kinky hair.

Fred Shapiro



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