   | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 07/01/2019 *Starred Review* When the Civil War began, American Indians attempted to sign up as soldiers. The Union army rejected most until 1863, when it began recruiting them as well as African Americans. This tightly focused book follows the Anishinaabek men (Ojibwes, Odawas, and Potawatomis) who formed Company K of the First Michigan Sharpshooters. Later known for their marksmanship, courage, and effective use of camouflage, at first they endured seemingly interminable drills and assignments guarding weapons and prisoners of war. Eager to fight, Company K first saw action on May 5, 1864, at the Battle of the Wilderness, followed by the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, the Battle of the Crater, the siege of Petersburg, and the war’s end. The author of the Sibert Award–winning Secrets of a Civil War Submarine (2005), Walker provides an absorbing history of Company K, from riveting battlefield narratives and vivid accounts of horrors endured at Andersonville Prison to tales of poverty due to pension benefits denied. Early on, the many backstories of individual members of Company K may seem overwhelming to readers, but this knowledge makes events in later chapters more meaningful. Students researching the role of Native Americans in the Civil War will find this a thoroughly researched, meticulously documented, and richly informative resource. - Copyright 2019 Booklist. Loading...
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