Buffalo Soldiers at San Juan Heights
The Hill Was Not Taken by Roosevelt Alone
On July 1, 1898, during the Spanish-American War in Cuba, the assault on the San Juan Heights—including Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill—became one of the most remembered battles in American history. But memory and truth are not always the same.
The legend that grew afterward placed Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders at the center of the story. They were there, and they did fight bravely. But they were not alone, and they were not the whole story.
Before Roosevelt became the face of the battle, Buffalo Soldiers were already proving their courage under fire. The troops who helped spearhead and clear the way during the assaults on the San Juan Heights were Black Buffalo Soldiers, particularly men of the 10th U.S. Cavalry and 24th U.S. Infantry, with the 9th Cavalry also heavily engaged. The National Museum of the United States Army specifically states that the 10th Cavalry and 24th Infantry led off the final charge toward San Juan and Kettle Hills, while Roosevelt’s Rough Riders attacked Kettle Hill in support of elements of the 10th Cavalry.
The Black regular Army units connected to the Cuba campaign were the:
• 9th U.S. Cavalry
• 10th U.S. Cavalry
• 24th U.S. Infantry
• 25th U.S. Infantry
These regiments were seasoned soldiers—disciplined, battle-tested, and already carrying the burden of serving a country that often denied them full equality even while asking for their blood.
At San Juan Heights, Black troops of the 10th U.S. Cavalry, 24th U.S. Infantry, and elements of the 9th U.S. Cavalry played a major role in the advance under heavy Spanish fire. They moved uphill through gunfire, confusion, and smoke, pressing the attack when hesitation could have meant defeat. Their courage helped crack the Spanish defense and open the way forward.
Alongside them fought the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, better known as the Rough Riders, under Theodore Roosevelt. The Rough Riders became famous, but they advanced as part of a larger force that included Black regulars, whose contributions were too often pushed into the background.
That is the deeper truth of San Juan Hill:
Buffalo Soldiers helped carry the battle.
Roosevelt and the Rough Riders received much of the glory.
This does not require us to deny the bravery of the Rough Riders. It requires us to restore the bravery of the Buffalo Soldiers to its rightful place in the story.
The men of the 9th Cavalry, 10th Cavalry, 24th Infantry, and 25th Infantry represented more than military force. They represented duty under discrimination, valor without proper recognition, and excellence in the face of a nation that too often celebrated Black sacrifice while ignoring Black achievement.
So when we speak of San Juan Hill, we must speak the full truth:
It was not just a story of Roosevelt.
It was not just a story of the Rough Riders.
It was also a story of Buffalo Soldiers—Black men who fought uphill through fire and helped make victory possible.
DTOA Closing Line
Before the headlines, there were the Buffalo Soldiers.
Before the legend, Black troops were opening the way.
Our History. Our Story. Our Lens.
Descendants of the Taken Ones Alkebulan