“Buffalo Soldier” is a nickname given to members of BLACK cavalry units of the U.S. Army who served in the western U.S. after the Civil War. The troops were formed to help rebuild the country and to fight on the Western frontier. American Plains Indians who fought against these soldiers referred to the troops as “Buffalo Soldiers” because of their dark, curly hair, which resembled a buffalo’s coat and because of their fierce nature of fighting. From 1870 to 1890, 14 Buffalo Soldiers were awarded medals of honor, the army’s highest award for bravery.