Private Tate, Buffalo Soldier
Walter Tate was born nearby in 1854. He
enlisted as a private on 6 May 1879 at Fort
Concho (present-day San Angelo), Texas, in
Company M, 10th Regiment, U. S. Cavalry.
Tate and those who served with him on the
western frontier defended settlements, livestock,
the U. S. mail, and stage routes from bandits,
cattle thieves, and Mexican revolutionaries.
The Indians called Tate and other soldiers of
color “Buffalo Soldiers” because of their dark
curly hair, endurance, and strength, claiming
that these attributes reminded them of their
much-prized buffaloes. Tate was discharged
on 5 May 1884. This buffalo soldier died in
Westmoreland County in 1933.
Marker is on Zacata Road (County Route 645) 2 miles north of Kings Highway (Virginia Route 3), on the left when traveling north.
Courtesy hmdb.org
