A pioneering history of the Buffalo Soldiers' officers and men on the Western frontier

"Masterful . . . a finely tuned narrative that addresses the issue head-on. . . . A study long overdue."-Western Historical Quarterly

"If one wants a glimpse of a little-known facet of Western history, read this book."-Journal of the West

The inclusion of the Ninth Cavalry and three other African American regiments in the post-Civil War army was one of the nation's most problematic social experiments. The first fifteen years following its organization in 1866 were stained by mutinies, slanderous verbal assaults, and sadistic abuses by its officers. Eventually, a number of considerate and dedicated officers and noncommissioned officers created an elite and well-disciplined fighting unit that won the respect of all but the most racist whites.

Charles L. Kenner's detailed biographies of officers and enlisted men describe the passions, aspirations, and conflicts that both bound blacks and whites together and pulled them apart. Special attention is given to the ordeals of three black officers assigned to the Ninth Cavalry: Lieutenants John Alexander and Charles Young and Chaplain Henry Plummer. The subjects of the biographies, blacks and whites alike, represent every facet of human nature. The best learned that progress could be achieved only through trust and cooperation.

Charles L. Kenner (1933-2011) was Professor of History at Arkansas State University. His numerous publications on the American Southwest include a study of the Pecos cattle trail and a social history of the 9th Cavalry, known as Buffalo Soldiers.

"Masterful . . . a finely tuned narrative that addresses the issue head-on. . . . A study long overdue."-Western Historical Quarterly

"If one wants a glimpse of a little-known facet of Western history, read this book."-Journal of the West