Buffalo Soldier’s grave discovered at Pueblo cemetery after years of research
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- Historians at Roselawn Cemetery recently identified the unmarked grave of Hardy Faulkner, a Buffalo Soldier and member of the 9th U.S. Cavalry who died in 1900. This discovery is part of an ongoing effort to identify and honor soldiers buried without military markers.
The identification highlights the robust history of African Americans in Pueblo and contributes to the understanding of Colorado's Black history.
Roselawn Cemetery, which, according to officials, serves as the final resting place for approximately 66,000 people, contains a significant number of unmarked graves. Many of these belong to soldiers who served as far back as the Civil War.
The term 'Buffalo Soldier' refers to Army regiments exclusively comprised of African American soldiers in the mid-1800s. This identification is the first positive identification of a Buffalo Soldier at Roselawn Cemetery, says officials.
Despite an obituary from February 1900 only mentioning Hardy Faulkner's death and Civil War service, and his name being misspelled by record keepers 126 years ago, his identity was confirmed earlier this year after years of dedicated work.
Ray Brown, director of facilities at Roselawn Cemetery, expressed the long-held hope for such a discovery.
Brown confirmed Faulkner is not the only Buffalo Soldier buried in Pueblo but is the only one positively identified at Roselawn Cemetery. "We were always hopeful. We were always looking for that person," Brown said. "He's not the only Buffalo Soldier buried in Pueblo, but he's the only one we've positively identified here in Roselawn Cemetery."
Lucille Corsentino, a member of the Roselawn Cemetery Foundation, shared the sentiment regarding the discovery. "I just felt that someday we were going to find a Buffalo Soldier," Corsentino said. "It's been kind of a heartwarming story for Ray and I to finally find Hardy Faulkner."
Brown's work on identifying these graves has provided broader insights into the community's past. "You learn about the community. You learn about the people," Brown stated. "It's just been eye-opening to me. All the doors that have opened. We start to identify and proclaim Colorado's black history."
Beyond Faulkner, Roselawn Cemetery has 62 more African American Civil War soldiers buried in unmarked graves.
Brown hopes to honor these individuals as well. "What we'd like to do is create a storyboard or to do a memorial to honor those folks that were buried here in the cemetery without a military or any marker on their graves," Brown said.
Ray Brown and Lucille Corsentino plan to unveil a memorial honoring these soldiers later this year on December 19.
If you would like to support that effort, click here.
Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.
