Ocean to Ocean on Horseback

by Willard W. Glazier

The “soldier-author” was how Willard Glazier billed himself. A penniless schoolboy at the beginning of the American Civil War, Glazier enlisted in a cavalry unit of the Union Army of the Potomac and was soon captured by Confederate troops. After a daring escape, he was recaptured, only to escape a second time, before finally reaching the Union lines again. At the conclusion of the conflict Glazier wrote a book describing his wartime experiences. When every New York publisher rejected him, the young cavalryman self-published his work, hoping to make back his costs plus a hundred dollars profit. Instead, to his delight, the book took off like wildfire, selling 400,000 copies. With the $75,000 profit realized from his efforts, Glazier determined to ride “from Ocean to Ocean.” Leaving New York state in 1875 on his horse, Paul Revere, the former trooper set out to see the mighty Pacific, many miles and many unexpected adventures away. “Ocean to Ocean on Horseback” is Glazier at his best, complete with every sort of mounted adventure, and includes an account of how he was kidnapped by Arapahoe Indians. Amply illustrated with pen and ink drawings of the time, the book remains a timeless equestrian adventure classic.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel

548 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2001