Steffon Jones, a Youngstown historian and Civil War reenactor, discusses Buffalo Soldiers buried at Tod Cemetery in Youngstown. Receiving proclamations from Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown and Mahoning County commissioners are, from left, Pamela and Albert Howell of Solon, and Genevieve and Thomas Taylor of Warren.

YOUNGSTOWN –Edward Wilbert Manley was a veteran from the Mahoning Valley who served his country as one of the Buffalo Soldiers.

Manley is among several Buffalo Soldiers buried at Tod Homestead Cemetery off Belmont Avenue.

Youngstown resident Steffon Jones, a local historian and Civil War re-enactor, recently led a tour of Tod Cemetery and showcased the locations of the gravesite of Buffalo Soldiers buried there. He said he was able to find local descendants of the men buried at the cemetery from the Mahoning Valley.

Jones is a co-founder of the Broadhead and Wydell Memorial Team, which had a survey team started three years ago to go through the cemetery and record data on veterans, including Buffalo Soldiers.

”I was blessed to be able to find descendants of Edward Manley. That is how this tour came about. This information is important for your families,” he said. “As a researcher and historian someone needs to take this information and find out more to carry it on. You have a proud history. You do not know where you come from until you go back and look,” he said to those on the tour.

Jones said American Plains Indians who fought against the soldiers referred to the black cavalry troops as “Buffalo Soldiers” because of their dark, curly hair, which resembled a buffalo’s coat and because of their fierce nature of fighting. The nickname soon became synonymous with all African-American regiments formed in 1866.

Jones said he learned he had relatives who were Civil War veterans. He said until people do research or go to a cemetery, they do not know their history.

”I encourage people to do research because I was able to find out a lot about my family that I did not know about,” he said.

About 20 descendants gathered at the cemetery around Manley’s marker, dated 1876-1939.

Jones presented to the families certificates of recognition honoring Manley for his military service from Youngstown Mayor Jamael Tito Brown and the Mahoning County commissioners.

Family descendants included Thomas and Genevieve Taylor of Warren and Albert and Pamela Howell of Solon. Albert Howell was born in Youngstown and is a grandson of Manley. Thomas Taylor also was born in Youngstown and is a grandson of Manley.

”Any time you learn more about your history and more about your relatives is so important,” said Thomas Taylor.

”It is a tremendous honor to have relatives who were veterans. We need to know our history and from where we came,” said Genevieve Taylor.

”We are delighted that our grandfather has been recognized and appreciate the research that was done to show us this. We need to make sure our children and our children’s children get this information as well. I am delighted this opportunity came about,” said Pamela Howell.

She said she has read on the Civil War archive how the Buffalo Soldiers came about, saying it is very fascinating.

Manley was with the 10th Calvary Company at San Juan Hill, Cuba. He joined the Buffalo Soldiers at age 21.

”He fought on San Juan Hill in 1898 alongside Teddy Roosevelt, who later became president, to try and get the Cubans to surrender.” Jones said.

Other Buffalo Soldiers featured on the tour included Henry Robert Lovell, who was a barber, in the military fighting in the Phillipine Insurrection in World War I, and came to Youngstown in the 1940s.

Jones said other Buffalo Soldiers buried at the cemetery include Samuel A. Johnson of Company E25 in Cuba; Davis Pless of 1813th Company; Robert James of 1813th Company who died after falling 25 feet at his custodian job cleaning a window at the Mahoning Bank Building in Youngstown, and Louis Sanders of 1816th Company who buried men at the Meuse Argonne Cemetery in France.

”They had the black soldiers carry the bodies off the battlefield and bury them. Many were buried at the Meuse Argonne Cemetery,” he said.

bcoupland@tribtoday.com