9th Cavalry Regiment (United States)

9th Cavalry Regiment
9th Cavalry Regiment coat of arms
Active	1866–1950 1957–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Cavalry
Size	Regiment
Nickname(s)	"Buffalo Soldiers"
Motto(s)	"We Can, We Will"
Engagements	Indian Wars San Elizario Salt War Spanish–American War Philippine–American War Vietnam War Invasion of Panama Iraq War
Commanders
Notable commanders	Edward Anderson Edward Hatch Adna Chaffee George S. Patton
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

The 9th Cavalry Regiment includes several active duty reconnaissance troops, squadrons and battalions of the United States Army.

Historically, it was one of a few segregated African American regiments. The unit served in combat during the Indian and Spanish American Wars. During American Expansionism and Manifest Destiny, the unit provided security to the early western settlers and the early American borders against Indian bands, Mexican encroachment, and criminal elements.

Presently, its role is to contribute long and short range reconnaissance and sniper assets to the combat brigade and division level and to locate, gather intelligence, engage and kill the enemies of the United States.

The regiment was constituted 21 July 1866 in the Regular Army as Company d, 9th Cavalry. On 3 August 1866, Major General Philip H. Sheridan, commanding the Military Division of the Gulf, was "authorized to raise, among others, one regiment of colored (African-American) cavalry to be designated the 9th Regiment of U.S. Cavalry".

The regiment was organized on 21 September 1866 in New Orleans, Louisiana, and mustered between September 1866 and 31 March 1867. Its first commanding officer was Colonel Edward Hatch. The men enlisted for five years and received $13 per month, plus room, board and clothing. Later, they were dubbed "Buffalo Soldiers". The regiment's motto was, and remains, "We Can, We Will".

The mustering, organized by Maj. Francis Moore, 65th U. S. Colored Infantry, formed the nucleus of the enlisted strength, and was obtained from New Orleans and its vicinity. In the autumn of 1866 recruiting began in Kentucky, and all the men of the 9th were obtained from that state and Louisiana. The horses were obtained at St. Louis, Missouri. About the middle of September all recruits were assembled in New Orleans, where empty cotton presses were used as barracks. An epidemic of cholera caused the camp to be moved to Carrollton, a suburb of New Orleans. By the end of March 1867, the 9th Cavalry was at nearly full strength with a total of 885 enlisted men, or an average of over 70 to a troop, and was ordered to San Antonio, Texas, where it arrived early in April for three months of training. However, Troops L and M went directly to their duty station at Brownsville, Texas.