Buffalo Soldiers

To kick off his Black Sabre Chronicles, a series about African American military men, Willard tells the tale of Augustus Sharps, who in 1866 is saved from certain death in a buffalo stampede and from further slavery (even though it's after emancipation) by two black cavalrymen. The Buffalo Soldiers were black freemen and former slaves who joined the U.S. Army's 9th and 10th Cavalry in 1866, fighting hostile Indians, Mexican bandits, bitter racism and extreme weather along the western frontier. Among the Buffalo Soldiers (so named by Plains Indians as a sign of respect), Augustus finds comradeship and purpose. For 30 years, he serves his regiment with distinction, winning the admiration and respect of his fellow soldiers and their white officers. Augustus and his devoted wife, Selona, share a life of hardship and sacrifice, raising two sons amid the perils of the frontier. From the freezing plains of Kansas to the harsh Texas deserts and the arid mountains of New Mexico and Arizona, the Buffalo Soldiers battle Indians as well as the taunts and prejudice of the white settlers they protect. Success on the battlefield, however, does not protect Augustus from the racist hatred of a murderous Texas Ranger or the ruthless threats of the Ku Klux Klan. Willard delivers a compelling and action-packed story filled with historical personages and a proud sense of national redemption. (June)