Cathay Williams

Cathay Williams was born into slavery in Independence, Missouri, around 1844. Her early life was shaped by hardship and uncertainty, but the Civil War would open a path that would ultimately place her in the ranks of the United States Army.

During the war, Union forces occupied the area where she lived. Like many formerly enslaved people, Cathay Williams was taken along with Union troops as a cook and laundress. These civilian workers were known as “contrabands,” and they supported Union soldiers by performing the essential tasks that kept the army moving.

Traveling with Union columns across the South, Williams witnessed the realities of war firsthand. She saw soldiers marching, fighting, and struggling to survive in difficult conditions. Those experiences would shape a bold decision that few could have imagined.

After the Civil War ended, the United States Army began forming new regiments of African American soldiers. These men would become known as the Buffalo Soldiers, serving on the western frontier as part of the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry.

In 1866, determined to build a better life and drawn to the opportunity of military service, Cathay Williams made an extraordinary choice. Disguising herself as a man, she enlisted in the United States Army under the name William Cathay.

Her deception succeeded.

Williams joined the 38th U.S. Infantry Regiment, one of the African American regiments created during the Army’s post-war expansion. Like the other Buffalo Soldiers, these troops were assigned to the demanding duty of protecting settlers, escorting wagon trains, and maintaining order across the vast western frontier.

Life in the Army was harsh. Soldiers marched long distances, built forts, repaired roads, and faced the constant challenges of weather, disease, and isolation. Williams endured the same hardships as the men around her, carefully maintaining her disguise while performing the duties expected of a frontier soldier.
For nearly two years she served without her secret being discovered.

Eventually, illness forced her to seek medical treatment, and during that examination her true identity was revealed. Once the Army realized that “William Cathay” was in fact a woman, she was discharged from service in 1868.

Though her time in uniform was brief, Cathay Williams had accomplished something extraordinary. She had served as a soldier in the United States Army at a time when women were officially barred from military service.

After leaving the Army, Williams lived quietly in the West, working as a cook and washerwoman to support herself. In 1891 she applied for a military pension based on her service, but the request was denied.

Her story faded into history for many years.

Today, Cathay Williams is remembered as the only documented woman to serve as a Buffalo Soldier. Her courage and determination represent the spirit of countless women who stepped forward to serve their nation, even when the rules said they could not.

Her life reminds us that the story of military service is larger than regulations or expectations. It is a story of people willing to step forward, overcome obstacles, and answer the call to serve.