The Forgotten "Stonewall of the West" for the first time rightly places Major General John Stevens Bowen into top ranking as one of the best division commanders who fought for the Confederacy. The case is made repeatedly throughout this book that Bowen, even more than General Pat Cleburne, was entitled to a lofty reputation - more indeed than any other Confederate general in the West. This book parallels the lives of Bowen and General Ulysses S. Grant. Bowen and Grant were West Pointers and St. Louis neighbors who faced each other both before the war and on some of the great battlefields during the war. Because General Bowen died of disease in July 1863 immediately after the fall of Vicksburg, his story, until now, has been almost forgotten. From Shiloh to Vicksburg, General Bowen was the type of bold commander - whether commanding a regiment, brigade, or division - who led his men at the head of the charge. In his first battle, for example, Bowen's closest brush with death came when he led his brigade's charge at Shiloh. And, like General Grant, Bowen's aggressive, hard-hitting style continued as he rose in rank, reaching a climax during the decisive Vicksburg campaign. While the legend of General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson made the Stonewall Brigade famous, Bowen played a key role in molding the First Missouri Confederate Brigade into a lethal fighting machine, which had a better combat record than the immortalized Virginians. But because the Missouri Brigade has for so long been ignored by historians, Bowen's reputation has likewise suffered in the historical memory.

For the first time, the real story of ""The Yellow Rose of Texas"" is told in full, revealing a host of new insights and perspectives on one of America's most popular stories. For generations, the Yellow Rose of Texas has been one of America's most popular western myths, growing larger over time to eventually little resemble the truth of what really happened on decisive April 21, 1836, at the battle of San Jacinto, where a new Texas Republic won its independence. The real Yellow Rose was an ordinary but also quite remarkable free black woman from the North, Emily D. West. This is the first full-length biography of her-which explores the evolution of one of the most popular myths in American, Texas and western history.

Learn the little-known history of the forgotten American Revolution Battle of Pell's Point and the heroism of John Glover. General William Howe and the mighty British-Hessian Army possessed the golden opportunity to cut-off, trap, and then destroy General George Washington's Army before he could retreat north and escape from Harlem Heights, New York, when he landed his army at Pell's Point north of New York City. Howe's bold amphibious operation north of Washington's Army threatened to end the life of the Continental Army and the revolution. However, the brilliant delaying actions of Colonel John Glover and a small force of New England Continental troops saved the day and Washington's Army by preventing Howe's advance inland to intercept Washington's route of retreat to White Plains. Employing brilliant delaying tactics when outnumbered by more than five to one, Glover inflicted heavy losses on the attackers to ensure that Washington's Army survived to fight another day. Ironically, the Battle of Pell's Point has been perhaps the most important forgotten battle of the entire American Revolution. In Saving Washington's Army, renowned historian Phillip Thomas Ticker, PhD, recounts the little-known story of the Battle of Pell's Point and the heroism of Colonel John Glover with the care and attention-to-detail for which he is known.

Discover the little-known role Alexander Hamilton played in the decisive battle of the American Revolution: Yorktown. Alexander Hamilton and the Battle of Yorktown, October 1781 is the first book in nearly two and a half centuries that has ever been devoted to the story of Alexander Hamilton's key contributions in winning the most decisive victory the of the American Revolutionary war at Yorktown. Past biographies of Hamilton, including the most respected ones, have minimized the overall importance of the young lieutenant colonel's role and battlefield performance at Yorktown, which was key to forcing the surrender of Lord Cornwallis's army. Hamilton led the assault on strategic Redoubt Number Ten, located on the left flank of the British defensive line, and captured the defensive bastion-an accomplishment that ensured the defeat and surrender of Cornwallis's army that won the American Revolution and changed the course of world history. You thought you knew the full story of the founding father of the American financial system from Lin Manual Miranda's Broadway smash hit Hamilton, but Alexander Hamilton and the Battle of Yorktown, October 1781 brings into sharp relief the vital role he played in the most important battle of the American Revolution, as told by renowned historian Phillip Thomas Ticker, PhD.

After failing to defeat the Continental Army in New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania during the first half of the Revolutionary War, British generals decided to turn south, where they believed they could win the war in a region more heavily populated by Loyalists. In late 1778, a British expeditionary force sailed south from New York City and captured Savannah, which became a British base of operations and strategic hinge. To thwart the British, an international force gathered around Savannah, including Americans, Poles, Germans, Irish, and—significantly—a volunteer force of free Blacks from present-day Haiti: the Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Domingue. The Chasseurs constituted the largest Black military unit in the American Revolution. The soldiers were free men, the sons of French fathers, mostly sugar plantation owners, and slave mothers in France’s most prosperous overseas colony. In the fall of 1779, this force joined the attack on the British at Savannah in a series of frontal results. The French and Americans were repulsed at great cost in lives, but the free Black Haitians stood their ground—and, in a moment of high courage that has never received its due, stymied a British counterattack that salvaged the day for the Americans and French. A rock at Savannah on behalf of the American Revolution, many of the Haitian survivors of the battle went on to serve the cause of liberty in the Haitian Revolution and help found the first Black republic in world history. This is their story.

For the first time, Phillip Thomas Tucker, Ph.D., has presented an entirely "New Look" at the complexities of the Buffalo Soldier experience by exploring the life of a young African American fighting man, David Fagen. Fagen volunteered to fight for his country at the beginning of the Spanish-American War, becoming a proud member of the 24th United States Infantry. He served with distinction, including during the famous charge up San Juan Hill, Cuba. However, Corporal David Fagen's life changed forever when he served in the Philippine War. For a host of complex reasons, Fagen made the moral decision to join the other side. Presented for the first time in two volumes, this is the first work that has fully explored the remarkable story of the young African American who became a villain in the eyes of white Americans, but a celebrated hero to the Filipino people and many African Americans across the United States.

Across black America during the Golden Age of Aviation, John C. Robinson was widely acclaimed as the long-awaited "black Lindbergh." Robinson's fame, which rivaled that of Joe Louis and Jesse Owens, came primarily from his wartime role as the commander of the Imperial Ethiopian Air Force after Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935. As the only African American who served during the war's entirety, the Mississippi-born Robinson garnered widespread recognition, sparking an interest in aviation for young black men and women. Known as the"Brown Condor of Ethiopia," he provided a symbolic moral example to an entire generation of African Americans. While white America remained isolationist, Robinson fought on his own initiative against the march of fascism to protect Africa's only independent black nation. Robinson's wartime role in Ethiopia made him America's foremost black aviator. Robinson made other important contributions that predated the Italo-Ethiopian War. After graduating from Tuskegee Institute, Robinson led the way in breaking racial barriers in Chicago, becoming the first black student and teacher at one of the most prestigious aeronautical schools in the United States, the Curtiss-Wright Aeronautical School. In May 1934, Robinson first planted the seed for the establishment of an aviation school at Tuskegee Institute. While Robinson's involvement with Tuskegee was only a small part of his overall contribution to opening the door for blacks in aviation, the success of the Tuskegee Airmen-the first African American military aviators in the U.S. armed forces-is one of the most recognized achievements in twentieth-century African American history.

The dramatic story of the forgotten relationship between Harriet Tubman and the North's first black regiment, the famous 54th Massachusetts Infantry, was a meaningful one. Tubman was so closely connected to the "Glory" regiment that she deserved the title as the Godmother of the 54th Massachusetts. Harriet also formed a close relationship with the regimental commander, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, who was killed in the assault on Fort Wagner. Tubman served the last meal to Colonel Shaw, before he became a martyr and an idol to the abolitionist community across the North. For the first time, this ground-breaking book tells the full story of Tubman's close connection to Colonel Shaw and his elite regiment during the struggle to destroy slavery.

Young Lieutenant Colonel William Barret Travis was one of the most legendary and iconic heroes of the Alamo. Travis commanded the Alamo with distinction and great bravery until his dying day on March 6, 1836, when the Alamo was stormed by large numbers of Mexican troops and every garrison member was killed. The true story of Travis' death has long been obscured by the enduring romance and legends of the mythical Alamo. This is the first book that has taken a closer and more detailed look at the death of the Alamo's famous commander to reveal how Travis actually died-contrary to the romantic myths-by his own hand when he suddenly found himself caught in the most desperate of combat situations at the embattled north wall.

At long last, it is time for a new and fresh look at David Crockett's death at the Alamo. In recent years, it has become fashionable in books, a celebrated Mexican memoir, and the latest Alamo film (2004) to emphasize that Crockett's death at the Alamo was less than heroic-a captured Crockett was allegedly executed on General Santa Anna's direct orders. But this was simply not the case. This timely book tells the truth about Crockett's death in the heat of battle on the early morning of March 6, 1836.

Famed freedom fighter and former leader of the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman truly came of age and reached her zenith during the Civil War years. And Tubman's peak during the Civil War years came when she set the stage and guided the bold Union raid up the Combahee River on June 2, 1863. This is the dramatic story of this courageous and remarkable woman who played a key role in one of the most audacious raids of the Civil War.

This ground-breaking book brings into focus one of the most unique and special relationships in American history-the true story of the deep bond and working relationship that existed between two of America's leading abolitionists and revolutionaries, Harriet Tubman and John Brown. Working closely together as a dynamic revolutionary team, they improved upon the audacious plan to raid the United States arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Brown's bold raid on Harpers Ferry in October 1859 helped to pave the way to the Civil War and the destruction of slavery. Harriet Tubman's vital role in the Harpers Ferry story and her alliance and friendship with John Brown have been presented in full for the first time.

Cathy Williams, a former Missouri slave, became the first black female to serve in the United States Army when she enlisted in the 38th United States Infantry at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, on November 15, 1866. In the clever disguise of a man, Private William Cathay-her official enlistment name-served in the ranks of Company A, 38th United States Infantry, for nearly two years as a Buffalo Soldier. This is the unforgettable story of Cathy Williams in her own words.

Harriet Tubman has gained iconic status as a true American heroine worthy of celebration today, not only in the United States, but also around the world. But many myths and legends have obscured this remarkable woman of courage and faith. Therefore, to truly understand the "Black Moses," it is now time to take a closer look at the real person, and this can best be achieved by exploring her religious life and experiences in Maryland, before she escaped slavery. This book is the first-ever volume dedicated to what was most important to Harriet Tubman, a freedom fighter and lover of liberty, and it motivated her to achieve herculean tasks that continue to be celebrated today, a powerful and intense religious faith.