Moses Williams (October 10, 1845 – August 23, 1899) was a

Buffalo Soldier Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in th ...

in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

—for his actions in the

Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...

of the

western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

Biography

Childhood The details of Williams childhood are sparse. He was born in

Carrollton, Louisiana Carrollton is a historic neighborhood of Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, which includes the Carrollton Historic District, recognized by the Historic District Landmark Commission. It is the part of Uptown New Orleans farthest upriver while st ...

, which is described as a “residential bedroom suburb of New Orleans. The only record of his childhood was his army reenlistment form from 1871 which says, “Father and Mother died while I was an infant”.... “One brother died of consumption; one sister died of fever” On July 28, 1866, as part of The Army Reorganization Act of 1866 - Buffalo Soldiers the 39th Congress added two Cavalry regiments specifically for Black soldiers, who were identified as

United States Colored Troops The United States Colored Troops (USCT) were regiments in the United States Army composed primarily of African-American (colored) soldiers, although members of other minority groups also served within the units. They were first recruited during ...

. Historical documents show that they were also called “colored regulars” to identify them as more than auxiliary troops Historian Anthony L. Powell explains from first-hand account that joining the Army was a significant opportunity for young African American men; it offered economic security, purpose and an education. He points out that the post-civil war economy left large numbers of African Americans unemployed and homeless.

The Military Service of Moses Williams

Enlisted 1866 In October 1866 Williams joined the newly formed 9th Cavalry regiment in New Orleans, Louisiana. Having no education before joining the army, he signed his enlistment form with an “X”. Soon after he attended training camp in Greenville, Louisiana. Buffalo Soldiers fought during the day and went to school most evenings, learning reading, writing and math.

San Antonio 1867-1875

In March 1867, under the leadership of Colonel Edward Hatch, Williams was part of the twelve companies sent to San Antonio, Texas Buffalo Soldiers West Texas. There he was provided more training. In August 1867, he was promoted to First Sergeant of Company F. In West Texas Company F of the 9th cavalry regiment was dispatched to protect stagecoach stations and mail delivery from raids by Comanches and Kiowas. When he reenlisted in 1871 he was moved to Company K of the Ninth Cavalry to serve as a First Sergeant.

Battle of Cuchillo Negro Creek 1881

August 16, 1881, Williams was serving in Company I of the 9th Cavalry Regiment. On that day he participated in the Battle of Cuchillo Negro Creek in the

Black Range Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

Mountains near Cuchillo Negro Creek of New Mexico.

Fort Stevens, Oregon 1895 - 1898

Williams became one of the first African-American Ordnance Sergeants in 1886, and starting in 1895, served at Fort Stevens, Oregon, where he was charged with the care of large coastal gun emplacements.

Retired May 12, 1898

According to military records Williams retired in May 1898 due to health issues. He lived in Vancouver Washington at the Vancouver Barracks next year at the age of 53. Williams only had nine books, a pipe, a cigar holder, some stamps, a pen, pen points, his bed, some chairs, some neckties, and $23 to his name. He was buried in Vancouver Barracks Post Cemetery

Vancouver, Washington Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, located in Clark County. Incorporated in 1857, Vancouver has a population of 190,915 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Was ...

. He was buried in Fort Vancouver Military Cemetery, Vancouver, Washington.

Medal of Honor citation

First Sergeant Williams' official Medal of Honor citation reads:

Rallied a detachment, skillfully conducted a running flight of 3 or 4 hours, and by his coolness, bravery, and unflinching devotion to duty in standing by his commanding officer in an exposed position under a heavy fire from a large party of Indians saved the lives of at least 3 of his comrades.

Theories on the origination of the name Buffalo Soldiers

Fierce fighting style: spirit of the buffalo Appearance: Coats worn by Buffalo Soldiers called “Buffalo Robe” see photo from Smithsonian below. Coats worn by the 9th U.S. Cavalry Army know are the Buffalo soldiers. The coats were made from American bison from 1869, and on. It became a large part of their uniform due to the fact that there were few winter supplies. Many soldiers independently acquired buffalo robes to stay warm. “Buffalo Soldiers.”

References

: * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Moses Buffalo Soldiers 1845 births 1899 deaths American people of the Indian Wars United States Army Medal of Honor recipients United States Army soldiers People from New Orleans American Indian Wars recipients of the Medal of Honor African-American history of Washington (state) African-American history of Oregon