CINCINNATI — Reginald Murray is busy during Black History Month.
Murray, a National Park Ranger stationed at the William Howard Taft National Historic Site, does historical reenactments featuring the historic Buffalo Soldiers.
“Buffalo Soldiers were all Black units that were formed in the meat of the Civil War,” Murray said.
Fighting for the Union, they were initially known as the United States Colored Troops. Murray explained that joining the Army was the first time many troops were given three meals a day or the ability to own pets.
But Murray said they were also the most underpaid soldiers.
“All of the soldiers wanted to fight for their country, they wanted to show that they could stand up and they could fight for their freedom and fight for the freedom of others,” Murray said.
They didn’t get the name "Buffalo Soldier" until they moved west and encountered Native American soldiers, however.
“The Buffalo Soldiers helped settle the West. No matter how you look at it, they helped settle the West,” Murray said.
And that’s where Murray also got his education about Buffalo Soldiers.
“[The Lakota Sioux] gave them the name Buffalo Soldier out of respect because the hair on the soldiers head was nappy and curly like the hair between the horns of a buffalo and they were given the name Iyececa Tatanka,” Murray said.
Murray said for the re-enactments he performs in, he takes on several different identities, but often portrays Edgar Aston.
Aston was born in New Richmond and served in the Civil War.
“Runaway slaves, free men, would take on the names of their masters or take on the name of other soldiers because a lot of times soldiers would be court-martialed and put out of the Army, but then they would change their name to re-enlist in the Army,” Murray said.
Murray said he likes talking to groups of kids to inspire them to do great things.
“They were the forgotten hero and so to give them that sense of you can do a lot of things, you can achieve whatever you want, they had the gumption to enlist in the Military and take it and they were doing it for a purpose, they did it to save their families, to support their country,” he said.
Murray is hosting a special reenactment on Friday, February 9 at the Heritage Village Museum in Sharon Woods.
He is also hosting a program at the William Howard Taft National Historic Site on February 25 at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Watch Live:
