11/28/2025
Cathay Williams didn’t just break a rule — she shattered an entire system built to keep women out. Born in 1844, she was enslaved, forced to serve the Union Army as a cook and laundress during the Civil War. But once the war ended, she made a choice nobody saw coming.
She enlisted in the U.S. Army as “William Cathay”, disguising herself as a man so she could serve as a Buffalo Soldier — one of the toughest, most respected military units of the 1800s.
Think about the courage that took.
No protections.
No allies.
No blueprint.
Just grit, instinct, and a determination to carve out a life on her own terms.
She marched. She fought. She endured harsh conditions on the frontier. All while keeping her identity hidden for nearly two years — longer than many male soldiers made it. Her secret was only discovered after she fell ill and had to be examined by a doctor.
Even then, she didn’t stop trying to live independently. She worked as a seamstress, tried to secure disability benefits (which the government denied), and kept pushing through a world that gave her nothing but obstacles.
Cathay Williams lived quietly, but her legacy is loud.
The first and only known female Buffalo Soldier.
A woman who rewrote the rules just by showing up.
A pioneer whose bravery is still echoing today.
She fought in disguise —
and still managed to make history out in the open.
