Cathay Williams Defied the Only Known Female Buffalo Soldier

Who is Cathay Williams?

Born in Independence, Missouri, around 1844 (some accounts say 1842) to a slave mother and a free father, her name was Cathay Williams before she was known as William Cathay. She was the first African American female solider to enlist with the Army. She is the only documented Black woman to serve in the Army in the 19th century. She is the only known Black female soldier a part of the Buffalo Soldiers.

Her primary label? Contraband.

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https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/The-Only-Known-Female-Buffalo-Soldier-Cathay-Williams