Buffalo Soldiers Rise Again at Pena Adobe – The Vacaville Reporter

Private Willliam Terrell of the Buffalo Soldiers reenactment group speaks with visitors during a 2022 open house sponsored by the Pena Adobe Historical Society, which is sponsoring another group tour Saturday at Pena Adobe Historical Park in Vacaville. (Courtesy photo/Pena Adobe Historical Society)

Solano County area residents can learn more about the rich history of the Buffalo Soldiers, officially Company G of the 10th Cavalry, an all-black 19th-century army unit, when members of a reenactment group saddle up and ride out of the Old West for another visit Saturday to Peña Adobe Park in Vacaville.

They will be joined by mounted volunteers from the Solano County Sheriff’s Posse and their horses at the Peña Adobe Historical Society’s open house, a free event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the tree-shaded park.

The Buffalo Soldiers are a living history group that was formed in the Sacramento area nearly 30 years ago. The group recreates the black cavalry units that served in the Old West from 1867 to 1896.

The goal of the G Company members is to tell the story of the Buffalo Soldiers while visiting schools, community organizations, churches and public events, Cricket Kanouff, president of the historical society, said in a news release.

For the open house, artifacts from Buffalo Soldiers history will be on display and members of the group, dressed in period uniforms, will be on hand to chat with park visitors.

The black soldiers got their nickname “Buffalo” from the Native Americans who worked alongside them. The units were formed in 1866, when a law authorized the army to form cavalry and infantry regiments composed of black men, under the command, at the time, of white officers. Their primary mission was to control the Indians on the western frontier. The soldiers took part in nearly 200 engagements and, according to some descendants of Indians, in massacres.

The Buffalo Soldiers were renowned for their courage and discipline, and had one of the lowest desertion and court-martial rates in the Army. Many were awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery above and beyond the call of duty.

One of the officers in the 10th Cavalry Regiment was John J. Pershing, whose nickname was Black Jack, in reference to his support for black troops. Pershing, a West Point graduate who later became a general of the Army, is best known for leading the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front during World War I.

The Sheriff’s Posse has been a part of the Solano County Sheriff’s Office for over 70 years. Volunteers use their horses and equipment to assist in search and rescue efforts, emergency services and as goodwill ambassadors.

Music will be provided by the Vacaville Jammers. Led by Leslie and Terry Clopper, the ensemble, based at the McBride Center in Vacaville, is a group of musicians who play acoustic instruments (guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle and harmonica) and sing together.

Built by Vacaville pioneer Juan Felipe Peña in 1842, the Pena Adobe, the oldest structure in Solano County and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, will be open for tours.

The park is also home to the Mowers-Goheen Museum, a single-room museum displaying artifacts from the area’s early history, including a woolly mammoth bone. The museum will be open to visitors.

Once there, explore the trails and visit the Indian Council grounds, the recently restored Willis Linn Jepson Memorial Garden, or take a guided nature walk.

Peña Adobe Park, located at 4699 Pena Adobe Road, is off Interstate 80 and to the left of the Lagoon Valley Park entrance.

Dress for the weather (the forecast calls for triple-digit temperatures), bring a lunch, cold water and a curiosity to learn a little history.

For more information, call (707) 447-0518 or visit www.penaadobe.org.