The second program in a series of events to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Fort Hays in its present location will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19, in the Historic Fort Hays visitorʼs center. This program will focus on the “Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Hays.”

The garrison of Fort Hays was usually made up of both cavalry and infantry regiments, sometimes supplemented with an artillery battery. Black troops were present when companies of the black regiments (Thirty-eighth Infantry and Ninth and Tenth Cavalries) were stationed at the fort. At times the garrison was made up mostly of black soldiers, as in August of 1867 when 471 of the 544 enlisted men belonged to black regiments. Although black troops faced prejudice from both the civilian population and fellow white soldiers and were generally given inferior equipment and the least desirable duty assignments, they proved themselves to be exceptionally good soldiers.

This program will be presented by Barrie Tompkins a founder of the Nicodemus Buffalo Soldier Association. Berry has appeared in two TNT movies as a Buffalo Soldier. In 1997 he appeared in “Teddy Rooseveltʼs Rough Riders” and in 1998 he appeared in the movie entitled “The Buffalo Soldiers.”

This program is free and open to the public.