James Smith U.S. Army discharge papers

Collection

Identifier: W-0145

Scope and Contents

The collection contains two forms discharging James Smith, an African American born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, from the United States Army Tenth Cavalry Regiment, in 1872. One form, dated April 4, 1872, is the "final statement" showing how much money is due to him for his term of service, while the second form is his signed receipt, dated May 6, 1872, showing that he received his pay.

Dates

1872-04 - 1872-05

Creator

Williams, A. S., III (Collector, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

None

Biographical / Historical

James Smith was an African American, born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, about 1851. He enlisted in the United States Army's Tenth Cavalry Regiment.

The Tenth Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army. Formed as a segregated African American unit, the Tenth Cavalry was one of the original "Buffalo Soldier" regiments. It served in combat during the American Indian Wars in the western United States, the Spanish-American War, and in the Philippine-American War. The regiment was trained as a combat unit but later relegated to non-combat duty and served in that capacity in World War II until its deactivation in 1944.

The Tenth Cavalry was reactivated as an integrated combat unit in 1958.