Description
Book SynopsisBrian G. Shellum tells the story of Company L, which served in Skagway, Alaska, and was one of the two companies added to the all-Black Twenty-Fourth U.S. Infantry Regiment after war was declared on Spain in April 1898.
Trade Review"Shellum's book uses the stories of individual soldiers to tell the narrative whenever possible and explains the nature of the U.S. Army in the last quarter of the nineteenth century: how promotions, reenlistments and reporting worked, the organization and bureaucracy of the Army, even changes in how soldiers were fed. This book is a fitting tribute to the Buffalo Soldiers of Alaska, especially since many of them made the decision to stay there and add to the history of Alaska."—James D. Crabtree,
Military Review"Readers who are interested in black military history or in the history of early Alaska will certainly want to add this book to their library."—Roger D. Cunningham,
Journal of America's Military Past"
Buffalo Soldiers in Alaska is a well-researched and thought-provoking study of a relatively unknown period in American history through the perspective of a marginalized group of men, whose role is slowly but surely being revealed. As a result, Shellum's work makes a valuable contribution to the growing body of research around the Buffalo Soldiers."—Alexander Reineke, H-War
"
Buffalo Soldiers in Alaska is a welcome addition to the literature on the Buffalo Soldiers. Shellum's thorough research and clear writing makes it suitable for academics and general audiences alike."—Troy A. Hallsell,
Air & Space Power Journal"Shellum has provided an invaluable and detailed examination of the Skagway that Black soldiers inhabited."—David James,
Anchorage Daily News“Brian Shellum has a knack for unlocking stories of Black soldiers in our military. With
Buffalo Soldiers in Alaska he takes us beyond the racism-tainted news blurbs of early twentieth-century newspapers and gives life to these veterans who guarded the ‘Gateway to the Klondike’ and were part of the community. This is an important new chapter in Alaska history.”—Jeff Brady, author of
Skagway: City of the New Century“The history of Alaska’s turn-of-the-century gold rushes has been told a hundred times in a hundred different ways. Brian Shellum’s
Buffalo Soldiers in Alaska shines much-needed light on a part of the story that has received little attention from scholars: the Black soldiers sent to keep order in Skagway and their interactions with white citizens and Alaska Natives and with Canadians on the other side of the border. This important book is a must-read for anyone interested in Alaska history.”—Ross Coen, editor of
Alaska History“Brian Shellum provides a wealth of facts about the lives of the Buffalo Soldiers who served in Alaska. It should be essential reading for anyone interested in the history of African Americans, Alaska, or twentieth-century military history.”—Catherine Spude, historian, author of
Saloons, Prostitutes, and Temperance in Alaska Territory“The author pays particular attention to the Black enlisted men who served in Alaska during the halcyon days of the Klondike gold rush. As such, this well-illustrated and carefully researched study sheds new light on a little-known story in U.S. Army history.”—John P. Langellier, author of
Scouting with the Buffalo Soldiers: Lieutenant Powhatan Clarke, Frederic Remington, and the 10th U.S. Cavalry in the Southwest“A thoroughly researched and well-presented account of a little-known episode in Alaskan history. No grand themes, pivotal events, or outsized personalities. The book is a welcome expansion of the story of African Americans in the nation’s military.”—Tom Phillips, independent historian, coauthor of
The Black Regulars, 1866–1898Table of ContentsList of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chronology
Prologue
1. North to Alaska
2. Dyea Barracks
3. Fort Wrangel
4. Skagway Barracks
5. Company Reunited
6. Settling In
7. Command Change
8. Challenges
9. Departure
10. Aftermath
Postscript
Appendix A: Biographies of Officers and Soldiers of Company L
Appendix B: Buffalo Soldier Regiments
Appendix C: Minstrel Show Programs
Appendix D: Tribute to Captain Hovey
Notes
Bibliography
Index
