Rifles for Watie

By Harold Keith

A young soldier faces the harsh realities of the Civil War, caught between enemy lines.

3.9/5 Goodreads · 11,119 ratings

352 pages· 86,265 words· Est. 12 hour read

$7.99Save 7%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In 1861 Kansas, sixteen-year-old Jeff Bussey eagerly joins the Union army, expecting a swift victory. But as the war drags on, he endures endless marches, hunger, and the loss of friends. When Jeff finds himself among Confederate troops, he must navigate the complexities of loyalty and survival. Encountering both allies and adversaries, including the formidable Stand Watie, Jeff's journey reveals the brutal truths of war and the humanity on both sides. Will he emerge unscathed, or will the war change him forever? Discover the untold stories of the Western campaign in this gripping Civil War tale.

From the publisher

Winner of the Newbery Medal An ALA Notable Children’s Book Winner of the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award

A captivating and richly detailed novel about one young soldier who saw the Civil War from both sides and lived to tell the tale.

Earnest, plain-spoken sixteen-year-old Jeff Bussey has finally gotten his father’s consent to join the Union volunteers. It’s 1861 in Linn County, Kansas, and Jeff is eager to fight for the North before the war is over, which he’s sure will be soon.

But weeks turn to months, the marches through fields and woods prove endless, hunger and exhaustion seem to take up permanent residence in Jeff’s bones, and he learns what it really means to fight in battle—and to lose friends. When he finds himself among enemy troops, he’ll have to put his life on the line to advance the Union cause.

Thoroughly researched and based on firsthand accounts, Rifles for Watie “should hold a place with the best Civil War fiction for young people” (The Horn Book).