I love tangents like this arising from legit forum questions. But Michner had it partly correct, the so called Buffalo Soldiers were formed in 1866 into the 9th and 10th Cavelry and the 24th and 25th Infantry units. Prior to their formation black soldiers were only recruited during war time and were not much appreciated during peace time. The units were sent to the western frontier to serve int he constant Indain wars that were coming. The story goes that they got their name 'Buffalo Soldiers' from the AmerIndians due to a)their hair which was thought to resemble the coat of the buffalo or b)the courage and stubborn cussedness of their fighting style, take your pick. They served with distinction in Cuba in 1898 and in the Phillipines in 1899 and became the first black soldiers to escort an American President in 1903 (T.R.). (I'm full of semi-relevant trivia like this.)

The first time I ever heard the song Buffalo Gals was when I was a kid watching the Capra classic "It's a Wonderful Life" George and Mary sing it to each other while their courting.