|
|
Historical Highway MarkersPrivate Tate--Buffalo SoldierJT-17
Walter Tate was born nearby in 1854. He enlisted as a private on 6 May 1879 at Fort Concho (present-day San Angelo), Texas, in Company M, 10th Regiment, U.S. Cavalry. Tate and those who served with him on the western frontier defended settlements, livestock, the U.S. mail, and stage routes from bandits, cattle thieves, and Mexican revolutionaries. The Indians called Tate and other soldiers of color "Buffalo Soldiers" because of their dark curly hair, endurance, and strength, claiming that these attributes reminded them of their much-prized buffaloes. Tate was discharged on 5 May 1884. This buffalo soldier died in Westmoreland County in 1933.
Department of Historic Resources, 2000 See a problem? Report it to HighwayMarkers@dhr.virginia.gov. |
DHR could use your help! We don't have a recent image of this marker. If you have one that you'd like to submit for inclusion on this site, please send it to HighwayMarkers@dhr.virginia.gov. |
|
References/Bibliographic Citation: William H. Leckie, The Buffalo Soldiers: A Narrative of The Negro Cavalry in the West (1967, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press,1975); Claim of Soldier for Service Pension, Indian Wars, Westmoreland County, Walter Tate, 10 June 1917; Marriage License of Walter and Laura Jane Spates, Westmoreland County, 9 May 1888; Letter Robert F. Bluthardt, Director of Education at Fort Concho, San Angelo, Texas, to Samuel Tate, 11 January 1991; Fort Concho National Historic Landmark, http://www.fortconcho.com, 9 February 2000. |