Publisher's Synopsis
"Freedom following the Civil War destruction of the plantation where Isaac "Ike" Casey was born and raised plunges the young man into a rapidly evolving world of violence and uncertainty. Directionless, he wanders the South in isolation, hunger, and clothing so badly worn he occasionally approaches nakedness. A chance encounter with a short-handed ship's captain provides Ike with a non-paying job aboard a cargo vessel. At journey's end, he finds himself deep in Texas. There, he is approached by a recruiting officer of the Ninth Regiment of Cavalry of the United States Army. Joining on the promise of three square meals a day, decent clothing, and $13 per month in pay, Ike begins an odyssey that will take him from a lifetime of passive servitude to one of strength and confidence as a member of the fabled Buffalo Soldiers. Through Private--then Corporal--Casey, we witness life in Company D of the Buffalo Cavalry--and the hardship and priva