During the nation’s westward expansion after the Civil War, the U.S. Army fought a series of Indian Wars against the Native American Nations with whom white settlers had come into conflict.
Instrumental to Army success in the post-bellum Indian Wars were the Indian Scouts, an enlisted cadre of Native American scouts often drawn from Nations with longstanding antagonisms toward the Nations at war with the United States.
First formed in 1866, the Indian Scouts were a force of up to 1,000 men (although this slowly declined as the years passed) whose members were be compensated the same as a white cavalryman.
The Indian Scouts supplied desperately needed knowledge of the terrain and enemy belligerents to an Army short on expertise and struggling to accomplish its mission. Indian Scouts were essential to Army’s efforts across the greater frontier and played crucial roles in iconic conflicts like the Great Sioux War and the Apache Wars.
The settlement of the frontier by the close of the 19th century spelled the end for the Indian Scouts and their unique place in Army history; the service slowly declined until coming to a practical end by the beginning of World War One.
During their time in Army service, Indian Scouts earned 16 Medals of Honor; a small part of their legacy has been carried into the present day by U.S. Army Special Forces, whose crossed arrows insignia was originally designated for use by the Indian Scouts in 1890.
– US Army Center of Military History
That logo is mega cool, very interesting stuff.
Thought that looked familiar, it’s now defunct 45th ID out of Oklahoma
I think it is still used by an Oklahoma National Guard Infantry unit; they were using that logo as recently as 2018.
Native Americans in the US military histories are criminally underrated and unsung of. They are incredible trackers and scouts.