Cathay Williams was born enslaved near Independence, Missouri, and was pressed into service as a cook and laundress by the Union Army during the Civil War after her enslaver's plantation was occupied. She spent years travelling with Army units, witnessing combat and military life firsthand.
In 1866, seeking steady income and independence after the war, Williams enlisted in the regular US Army under the name William Cathay, concealing her gender since women were barred from military service. She served for roughly two years in the 38th US Infantry Regiment, one of the newly formed all-Black regiments later known as the Buffalo Soldiers.
Williams endured the physical demands of military life, including extended marches and repeated hospitalisations, without her secret being discovered by fellow soldiers. She was eventually honourably discharged in 1868 after a doctor confirmed her sex during treatment for illness. She remains the only documented woman to serve as a Buffalo Soldier, and one of very few women known to have served in the United States Army in any capacity during the nineteenth century.
- Only documented woman to serve as a Buffalo Soldier
- One of very few women known to have served in the 19th-century US Army
- Served nearly two years without her true identity being discovered
- Her story later inspired novels, plays, and public monuments
- Recognised posthumously as a pioneering figure in US military history
- Claim opportunity even when barred.. Williams enlisted under a false identity rather than accept that military service was closed to her.
- Endurance can be invisible.. She carried the physical demands of Army life for two years while concealing a secret that could have ended her service instantly.
- Independence is worth pursuing.. She was explicit that her motivation was self-sufficiency, not dependency on others.
- History must be actively recovered.. Her story survived only through a rare interview and later research — proof that many stories like hers remain untold.