Overview

In 1907, General J. Franklin Bell, the Army's chief of staff, faced a significant problem: the members of the Regular Army's white cavalry detachment at West Point were deserting in droves. He replaced them with African American soldiers. These young men quickly proved to be more competent and reliable than their white predecessors, in no small part due to their low rate of desertion. Although the decision was made for reasons of efficiency and expediency, it created a historically important detachment composed of solely Black soldiers that endured for 25 years. This book covers the lives of these men who served in the Jim Crow-era Army, contributing to the discussion about Black service members in the U.S. military and race relations in the United States.

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9781476696386

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The late William K. Emerson spent 20 years in the Army including two tours in Vietnam, during which time he received multiple Purple Heart commendations as well as a Bronze Star. He researched U.S. military history for over 60 years, had multiple books published, including by Smithsonian, and published thousands of articles in journals. He lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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