Mini Mag Mar 1 2021

“Joining the Army gave them a purpose,” Thompkins said. “This was at the end of slavery, so where else would they go and what else were they going to do? For many black men, it was a better option than sharecropping.” Once they became soldiers, the men quickly realized the honor and glory would have to come after other things. “The Nicodemus Buffalo Soldiers Association was formed to honor them,” Thompkins said. “Then members began participating in historical re-enactments across the country. “So many of the things the Buffalo Soldiers accomplished went unnoticed,” said Tompkins, commander of the Nicodemus Buffalo Soldiers Association. “They were the first park rangers for Yosemite National Park. Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Billy the Kid, and Poncho Villa are people Buffalo Soldiers actually encountered or caught and never got the recognition. “Buffalo Soldiers had the lowest desertion rate, the highest enlistment rate, and their alcohol rate was zero because no town would serve them,” Tompkins said. “White soldiers burned their barracks, but every white officer who commanded the Buffalo Soldiers didn’t want to command anybody else.” The Nicodemus Buffalo Soldier Association strives to keep their performances as historically accurate as possible. According to Tompkins, the group wants to educate spectators on the soldiers who weren’t written about in history books. “You get a chance to actually see and meet Buffalo Soldiers in authentic uniforms on horseback,” Tompkins said. “Of course, we are not from the 1800s, but we want to do everything historically accurate as close as we possibly can, to give you that feeling.”