SAN ANGELO, Texas — A celebration for Buffalo Soldier Heritage Day will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25, at the Buffalo Soldier Memorial, next to the Farmers Market Pavilion, 609 S. Oakes St.
A presentation will be given by the memorial’s founder Sherley Spears.
The program will move across the street to Fort Concho’s Barracks 1 Visitor Center for a book signing by San Antonio author Jim Matthews, who has written a new book on the buffalo soldier unit. Stop by to meet the author, enjoy refreshments, view a buffalo soldier display and shop.
The program is free to all and co-hosted by Fort Concho and Spears.
Buffalo soldiers were Black soldiers of the regular Army who served mostly west of the Mississippi after the Civil War. Units of all four buffalo soldier regiments served at Fort Concho from 1869-1885 with the most famous unit, the 10th Cavalry, having its headquarters at the fort from 1875-1882. Over Fort Concho’s 22 active years, the buffalo soldiers comprised half of the post’s enlisted men.