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The Buffalo Soldier
Most of us are familiar with the heartbreak suffered by the Cherokee on the Trail of Tears. A similar event occurred in Montana in 1896 due to the Cree Deportation Act. The Buffalo Soldier is the novel of this tragedy.
Clarence Duval becomes the guardian of Mary Healy, a young Irish-Chippewa girl, after the death of her parents. He wants to help Mary get from Montana to St. Louis to reunite with her family. Then disaster strikes and they become separated. In a case of mistaken identity Clarence is forced to join the Buffalo Soldiers, an African-American cavalry unit. Hopeless and alone, Mary takes shelter with the Cree people of Montana.
Sadly, the US government has just approved the Cree Deportation Act to round up the Cree and force march them to Canada. The Buffalo Soldiers, including Clarence, must carry out the deportation. Clarence must find a way to escape the Buffalo Soldiers yet still save Mary from deportation and being separated from her family forever. Don’t miss the story of a hidden American tragedy the world was supposed to forget.
Clarence Duval becomes the guardian of Mary Healy, a young Irish-Chippewa girl, after the death of her parents. He wants to help Mary get from Montana to St. Louis to reunite with her family. Then disaster strikes and they become separated. In a case of mistaken identity Clarence is forced to join the Buffalo Soldiers, an African-American cavalry unit. Hopeless and alone, Mary takes shelter with the Cree people of Montana.
Sadly, the US government has just approved the Cree Deportation Act to round up the Cree and force march them to Canada. The Buffalo Soldiers, including Clarence, must carry out the deportation. Clarence must find a way to escape the Buffalo Soldiers yet still save Mary from deportation and being separated from her family forever. Don’t miss the story of a hidden American tragedy the world was supposed to forget.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
296 pages, Paperback
Published March 11, 2019
About the author
Rob Bauer
20 books39 followersI’m Rob Bauer, author of historical fiction and nonfiction books and owner of Rob Bauer Books. I hold a PhD in American History and was a Distinguished Doctoral Fellow at the University of Arkansas.
I love writing historical fiction. To me, it’s a continuation of what I used to do as a college professor—educate people about interesting historical events—except now I get to do so through fun stories. With historical fiction I hope I can reach a larger audience, too. My first novel is free to everyone on my website! You can find it at - http://robbauerbooks.com/a-free-ebook...
I also write nonfiction about baseball history because I’ve always loved the game, its history, and its lore. I sometimes joke that baseball may be the one thing in life I truly understand. Although I love the statistical side of the game, if you don’t, never fear because my histories go light on the statistics and heavy on what baseball was like in the past. They’re stories about baseball, but stories with a point.
The history blog on my website offers posts on a variety of interesting historical figures and events. I’d love to have you follow along at - http://robbauerbooks.com/blog/
When I’m not working on my next story or writing project, I enjoy spending time at the beach. And, oh yeah, I still read a history book or two. When I’m not watching baseball.
I love writing historical fiction. To me, it’s a continuation of what I used to do as a college professor—educate people about interesting historical events—except now I get to do so through fun stories. With historical fiction I hope I can reach a larger audience, too. My first novel is free to everyone on my website! You can find it at - http://robbauerbooks.com/a-free-ebook...
I also write nonfiction about baseball history because I’ve always loved the game, its history, and its lore. I sometimes joke that baseball may be the one thing in life I truly understand. Although I love the statistical side of the game, if you don’t, never fear because my histories go light on the statistics and heavy on what baseball was like in the past. They’re stories about baseball, but stories with a point.
The history blog on my website offers posts on a variety of interesting historical figures and events. I’d love to have you follow along at - http://robbauerbooks.com/blog/
When I’m not working on my next story or writing project, I enjoy spending time at the beach. And, oh yeah, I still read a history book or two. When I’m not watching baseball.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 5, 2019
Dr. Rob Bauer's fictional account of the Cree and Métis deportation is emotionally moving, eye opening, and educational. The amount of historical and geographic detail, while impressive, never detracts from the narrative, which combines the story of a young African American man mistakenly forced to become a Buffalo Soldier and the fate of Indigenous peoples in Montana. This is a story that needs to be told.
October 6, 2020
For those of you unaware of it, The Buffalo Soldier is a self-published book. On the whole, I don't usually pick up such novels. In this case, I was unaware of this piece of information. I wish I had known ahead of time. I can't say for sure whether that would have kept me from reading the book. It certainly would have made me aware of the fact that certain issues might arise during my reading.
For instance, one of the minor characters in this story seesawed between holding the rank of lieutenant and sergeant. Sometimes he was Lieutenant Grimes. Sometimes he was Sergeant Grimes. One is an officer; the other is not. Which did author Rob Bauer intend Grimes (the character in question) to be? (A professional editor would have caught this glaring discrepancy.)
The other glaring issue facing this story was how one-sided it was. Now, that wouldn't necessarily bother me but in this case, the author's skewing of the story was so 'in your face' that it began to grate on me. (It may you, too.) It was obvious Bauer had an agenda, and before I was halfway through the book, I decided to see if there was an "author's note" at the conclusion. Sure enough there was, and Bauer, a historian, admitted he had two aims: one to impart a history lesson, and the other to make it perfectly clear the injustices that were heaped upon Montana's Cree Nation and Metis during their roundup and deportation to Canada in the mid-1890s. I do not mean to sidestep the abominable way in which the Cree and Metis were treated by the U.S. government (so indicative of the despicable treatment of Native Peoples from the moment Whites stepped foot in the Western Hemisphere) but The Buffalo Soldier is so one-sided that it left a sour taste.
On a positive note, upon (finally) finishing the novel, I was spurred to do some research of my own. Living far east of Montana, I was unaware of this piece of history. Also, since Bauer indicated early on that there would be historical figures making appearances at various points throughout the book, I thought it would be interesting -- and prudent -- to get my own history lesson, to see if they were depicted accurately. Of special note was a young Lieutenant Pershing, who was the officer in charge of the 10th U.S. Cavalry unit of Buffalo Soldiers based at Fort Assinniboine. I wondered whether this was the Pershing of WWI fame. Indeed it was! I can't say that being connected with an infamous event like the deportation of Indigenous People is something to be proud of, but it was interesting to get an inkling into the young Army officer's career.
As a glimpse into one short period of U.S. history, The Buffalo Soldier was relatively worthwhile to read -- but sadly didn't go into quite enough depth as to the soldiers' thoughts and feelings about treating others as poorly as they themselves were treated, and it certainly didn't deal with the Native Americans' feelings about what was happening. Rather, the story centers on three characters' intent to make it from Montana to St. Louis, and how the deportation disrupts their plans.
If nothing else, I will be much more selective about self-published books -- certainly being on the lookout for those that are (self-published).
Happy Reading! :-)
For instance, one of the minor characters in this story seesawed between holding the rank of lieutenant and sergeant. Sometimes he was Lieutenant Grimes. Sometimes he was Sergeant Grimes. One is an officer; the other is not. Which did author Rob Bauer intend Grimes (the character in question) to be? (A professional editor would have caught this glaring discrepancy.)
The other glaring issue facing this story was how one-sided it was. Now, that wouldn't necessarily bother me but in this case, the author's skewing of the story was so 'in your face' that it began to grate on me. (It may you, too.) It was obvious Bauer had an agenda, and before I was halfway through the book, I decided to see if there was an "author's note" at the conclusion. Sure enough there was, and Bauer, a historian, admitted he had two aims: one to impart a history lesson, and the other to make it perfectly clear the injustices that were heaped upon Montana's Cree Nation and Metis during their roundup and deportation to Canada in the mid-1890s. I do not mean to sidestep the abominable way in which the Cree and Metis were treated by the U.S. government (so indicative of the despicable treatment of Native Peoples from the moment Whites stepped foot in the Western Hemisphere) but The Buffalo Soldier is so one-sided that it left a sour taste.
On a positive note, upon (finally) finishing the novel, I was spurred to do some research of my own. Living far east of Montana, I was unaware of this piece of history. Also, since Bauer indicated early on that there would be historical figures making appearances at various points throughout the book, I thought it would be interesting -- and prudent -- to get my own history lesson, to see if they were depicted accurately. Of special note was a young Lieutenant Pershing, who was the officer in charge of the 10th U.S. Cavalry unit of Buffalo Soldiers based at Fort Assinniboine. I wondered whether this was the Pershing of WWI fame. Indeed it was! I can't say that being connected with an infamous event like the deportation of Indigenous People is something to be proud of, but it was interesting to get an inkling into the young Army officer's career.
As a glimpse into one short period of U.S. history, The Buffalo Soldier was relatively worthwhile to read -- but sadly didn't go into quite enough depth as to the soldiers' thoughts and feelings about treating others as poorly as they themselves were treated, and it certainly didn't deal with the Native Americans' feelings about what was happening. Rather, the story centers on three characters' intent to make it from Montana to St. Louis, and how the deportation disrupts their plans.
If nothing else, I will be much more selective about self-published books -- certainly being on the lookout for those that are (self-published).
Happy Reading! :-)
August 2, 2021
A moving account of the prejudices, politics, and sorrows connected to the deportation of the Native American Tribes from their homes and homeland. I personally love historical readings. They are informative and moving; yet at the same time they highlight our amazing ability to be blind, obtuse, and slow to learn from our mistakes. Our history should not be rewritten, it should be examined and we, as a nation, as a human species, should learn from it.
September 10, 2019
Historical fiction isn't a genre I ever read but I'm so glad I read this book.
It's a very powerful story and I had so many emotions from beginning to end. The way the Metis people were treated is utterly heartbreaking.
An eye opener of a story which I highly recommend you read.
It's a very powerful story and I had so many emotions from beginning to end. The way the Metis people were treated is utterly heartbreaking.
An eye opener of a story which I highly recommend you read.
January 25, 2021
I didn’t care for the writer’s style; a little too simplistic. However, I learned about a “trail of tears” that took place in Montana in 1896 through the Cree Deportation Act. Another story that tells the horrible treatment of our American natives.
June 23, 2021
An outstanding novel about the historical prejudices against blacks and native Americans indians by whites in the late 1800s. Mary and Clarence, the main characters, experience pain and mistreatment while trying to escape Union soldiers in Montana. I would definitely recommend it!
August 25, 2020
enjoyed all the books in this series so far. this one was a bit depressing since it seemed like nothing good ever happened.
May 12, 2022
An outstanding historical fiction book. The author takes true historical events that were part of a sad story in American history. He combines these with characters who will pull you in both as people and as the situation they are thrust in. The reader can't help but sympathize with the plight that is thrust upon these people. How could we as a people do this to our own - how can hate be so great.
The characters are very real, very well described. The terrain and it's definition is very accurate. This could really have happened.
The characters are very real, very well described. The terrain and it's definition is very accurate. This could really have happened.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews