Rich on the Road

I've been trying for years to work out the logistics of a story on Texas Buffalo Soldiers -- the freed slaves who enlisted in the U.S. Army after the Civil War and helped win the West.  Most of their events are on weekends when I'm unable to get time or a photographer.  But, Wednesday it all came together at Lake Arrowhead State Park near Wichita Falls, where the park staff puts on an annual living history event.  Photographer Rick Smith and I shot the fixin's for a Lone Star Adventure that will air two Sundays from now in the 9pm news.

  Rosieleetta Reed Portraying Buffalo Soldier

In the process of shooting the story we got a chance to meet a remarkable woman named Rosieleetta Reed.  She's been a student of Buffalo Soldiers since she was a school girl.  Lee (as she's known to friends and family) is an operating room nurse from Venus, Texas  who volunteers with Texas Buffalo Soldiers and portrays the only known female Buffalo Soldier - Cathy Williams.  Williams was a freed slave who'd worked as a cook for the Union Army and after the war ended posed as a man, changed her name to William Cathey and served for two years along side the men.  Lee has done a lot of research on Cathy Williams (she has copies of her military records and a drawing made by a newspaper man in the 1880s) and loves to share the fascinating story with others.

 Luis Padilla and Selton Williams

The Texas Buffalo Soldiers program is run by a handfull of state employees with Texas Parks & Wildlife but it's the 200+ volunteers who really bring the history to life and they are always looking for more people to get involved..  Here's a link if you are interested: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/community_outreac
h_programs/buffalo_soldiers/

I wanted to share one other picture with you that Rick took with his still camera -- a couple of black-tailed prairie dogs we encountered in the park.  Lake Arrowhead is just south of Wichita Falls.  We're told it's an excellent fishing lake.  And, it has one of the furthest east prairie dog towns in the US.

Lynn Salmon runs the place and we found him to be a great host.  He tells us the crappie are biting and a 66 pound blue catfish was recently hauled out -- a new lake record.  Fishermen may want to put this Lake Arrowhead on the list.

Rich