Riders in the Storm, John D. Warner, Jr.
Riders in the Storm, John D. Warner, Jr.
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Riders in the Storm
The Triumphs and Tragedies of a Black Cavalry Regiment in the Civil War

Author: John D. Warner, Jr.

Narrator: Amir Abdullah

Unabridged: 18 hr 5 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 07/26/2022


Synopsis

The service of African-American soldiers during the Civil War is one of that conflict's most stirring, if still not completely understood, aspects.

Where the infantry regiments recruited largely free Blacks from the North, the 5th focused on escaped slaves who it was believed would be better horsemen. Not only would the former slaves be fighting for themselves, but they would be fighting to liberate loved ones still enslaved.

As part of the mostly Black XXV Corps, the cavalrymen found themselves at the vanguard of the Union army as it captured Richmond. On April 3, 1865, the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment was among the first units to enter the burning Confederate capital, at once a hellscape of destruction and a heaven for liberated slaves. Denied the rapid demobilization granted white regiments, the 5th ended the war in Texas on the Mexican border.

Riders in the Storm covers the story of the African-American cavalrymen of the 5th Massachusetts. Author John Warner has literal fingertip command of the primary sources, and after spending two decades researching letters, diaries, reports, newspapers, and more, he tells a story of resilience in the face of adversity.

About John D. Warner, Jr.

John D. Warner, Jr., has been Archivist of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the past twenty-five years. A foreign-service graduate of Georgetown University, Warner also holds a doctorate in history from Boston College. He served thirty years in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. He lives in Norwood, Massachusetts.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Thomas

A very well documented read, referencing directly or indirectly thousands of contemporary letters, notes, military records, and articles. A whopping 185,000 Black men fought for the Union in the Civil War. Those very few who were in the Cavalry were particularly noteworthy, distinguishing themselves......more

Riders in the storm : The Triumphs and Tragedies of a Black Cavalry Regiment in the Civil War by John D. Warner Jr. . . After having the pleasure of listening to Dr. Warner @jdwightwarner speak on his new book about the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry at the Sons of Union Veterans Abraham Lincoln brunch las......more