Thomas Shaw

Thomas Shaw: The Buffalo Soldier Who Held His Ground at Carrizo Canyon

When overwhelming enemy numbers threatened to surround his fellow soldiers, Sergeant Thomas Shaw refused to give ground. His courage at Carrizo Canyon, New Mexico, helped protect Company K of the 9th U.S. Cavalry and earned him the Medal of Honor, America's highest military decoration. His remarkable journey began in slavery and led to a distinguished career as one of the Buffalo Soldiers.

Born in Covington, Kentucky, in 1846, Thomas Shaw was born into slavery. During the American Civil War, he escaped his enslaver and entered a Union Army recruiting station. He continued his military career after the war and became part of the African American regular Army regiments known as the Buffalo Soldiers.

Historical accounts report an association with the 67th U.S. Colored Troops, although his individual compiled service record should be obtained before that specific regiment is treated as conclusively established. By 1870 and 1871, Shaw was serving as a private at Fort Davis, Texas. A surviving National Archives enlistment oath dated September 26, 1871, documents his re-enlistment in the Army.

Shaw subsequently served in Company K of the 9th U.S. Cavalry, eventually attaining the rank of Sergeant and later First Sergeant. The regiment spent much of its career patrolling the American frontier, protecting settlements and conducting operations against hostile forces.

On August 12, 1881, Company K encountered an Apache force near Carrizo Canyon in New Mexico. The cavalrymen were significantly outnumbered, and Shaw found himself defending an extremely exposed position. Rather than retreating, he held his ground and forced the enemy back, preventing the opposing force from surrounding his command.

For this extraordinary act of bravery, Shaw received the Medal of Honor on December 7, 1890. His official citation reads: "Forced the enemy back after stubbornly holding his ground in an extremely exposed position and prevented the enemy's superior numbers from surrounding his command."

After a lengthy military career, Shaw eventually left the Army at Fort Myer, Virginia. He died on June 23, 1895, in Washington, D.C., and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 27, Grave 952-B.

Sergeant Thomas Shaw's legacy extends beyond a single battlefield action. His journey from slavery to military service, his contribution to the Buffalo Soldiers and his extraordinary courage at Carrizo Canyon represent an important chapter in the history of African American soldiers in the United States Army.