The Buffalo Soldiers -- Iron Riders
National African American History Month, also know as Black History Month, is an annual celebration of achievements by Black Americans and a time to recognize the positive impact they've had on the history of the United States and the Defense Department.
During the 1890’s the fascination with the bicycle had really taken hold in the United States, and that fact did not go unnoticed by certain members of the U.S. Army. In 1896, Maj. General Nelson Miles approved the formation of a Bicycle Corps that would thoroughly test the effectiveness of the bicycle for military purposes.
During 1896 and 1897, Buffalo Soldier volunteers from the 25th Infantry Regiment, led by 1st Lieutenant James Moss, tested the bicycle under all conditions of weather, terrain, and durability. In the Summer of 1897, the bicycle experiment culminated with a 1,900-mile, 41-day expedition from Fort Missoula, Montana to St. Louis, Missouri. They went farther, faster, quieter, and more economically than any other military unit could have done on foot or on horseback. It was considered the greatest cycling experiment ever undertaken by men in the military, and that experiment was performed by the Buffalo Soldiers.
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