West Point Buffalo Soldiers Monument

This statue adjacent to the West Point Bowling Alley was dedicated in 2021 and depicts the Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry. The statue features the likeness of the last known Buffalo Soldier to serve West Point, Staff Sgt. Sanders H. Matthews Sr. The bronze statue shows Matthews on his horse holding a flag with the words "USMA Detachment." An all-Black regiment, these soldiers were recruited to train the soldiers of West Point when the current white regiment was unable to train them due to their high turnover rate, low experience, and low morale. In recent years, historians have authored a variety of books about the 9th and 10th Cavalry that have joined the works of leading African American historians of the 20th century.

The name Buffalo Soldiers reportedly come from the remarks of Native Americans who compared their skin and hair texture to that of the bison on the great plains. These soldiers were delayed to the American West to support settlers of mostly European descent as they established farms and small towns on the plains and southwest, a mission that often placed the troops in opposition to Native American tribes. The Buffalo Soldiers were also tasked with manual labor building roads as they also completed police missions against horse and cattle thieves. They also protected mail routes and built forts despite low resources and frequent discrimination.

African American troops also served with distinction in Cuba during the Spanish-American War and accompanied General John J. Pershing in his hunt for Pancho Villa. They also replaced a Caucasian regiment at West Point in 1907 when officers recognized that they had more skills and experience.

The man depicted in this statue is Sgt. Sanders H. Matthews, Sr, alongside his horse. Matthews was a Vietnam War veteran, a police officer, and an IBM worker known for his advocacy of veterans' rights. Matthews also worked as a teacher, coach, and principal in Ohio, even earning the Principal of the Year award in Ohio. After his retirement from his long life, he became a bus driver for West Point and was one of the most requested by their athletic department and band. He was honored for all of his accomplishments by President Bill Clinton in 1992, and lives on today through his children and grandchildren; his granddaughter, Aundrea Matthews, was present at the unveiling ceremony for this statue which was designed by sculptor Eddie Dixon with details confirmed by West Point historians such as their 1907 uniforms, the 1895 McClellan style saddle, and a flag anchor on the stirrup.

BOTWC Staff. “Buffalo Soldier Staff Sgt. Sanders H. Matthews Sr.. Has the First Outdoor Statue of a Black Man at West Point.” Becauseofthemwecan.com, 2 Sept. 2021, https://www.becauseofthemwecan.com/blogs/botwc-firsts/buffalo-soldier-staff-sgt-sanders-h-matthews-sr-first-outdoor-statue-Black-man-west-point. 

Garcia, Jorge. “West Point Dedicates Monument to Buffalo Soldiers.” Westpoint.edu, 16 Sept. 2021, https://www.westpoint.edu/news/community-news/west-point-dedicates-monument-buffalo-soldiers. 

News 12 Staff. “West Point Unveils New Monument Dedicated to Buffalo Soldiers.” newjersey.news12.com, 10 Sept. 2021, https://newjersey.news12.com/west-point-unveils-new-monument-dedicated-to-buffalo-soldiers.

Nix, Elizabeth. “Who Were the Buffalo Soldiers?” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 14 Sept. 2015, https://www.history.com/news/who-were-the-buffalo-soldiers. 

“Sgt. Sanders H. Matthews, Sr., Founder.” Buffalosoldiersofwestpoint.org, https://www.buffalosoldiersofwestpoint.org/sandersmatthews.