The Mule Soldiers: A Novel of the American Civil War

A raid so bold no one believed it could work.
A commander so stubborn he tried it anyway, on 1,600 mules.
When Abel Streight rides into the heart of the Confederacy in 1863, he is not just fighting rebel cavalry. He is fighting his own mount.

In April 1863, with the American Civil War at full fury, a little known Union raid turns into one of the most daring and unbelievable campaigns of the war.

Colonel Abel D. Streight leads nearly 1,800 Union infantrymen on a 220 mile thrust deep into Confederate territory. Their objective is to destroy the Western and Atlantic Railroad at Rome, Georgia, a vital supply line for the Southern war effort.

Their problem is that the entire brigade is mounted on mules.

Most of Streight’s men have never ridden a horse, let alone a stubborn, sharp witted mule. What begins as a bold Civil War raid quickly becomes a chaotic and often hilarious clash of wills between green soldiers and their mule mounts. The danger grows when legendary Confederate cavalry commander General Nathan Bedford Forrest takes up the pursuit.

Across the back roads and river crossings of northern Alabama, Streight’s “mule soldiers” find themselves locked in a relentless running battle with Forrest’s hard riding Confederate cavalry. Outnumbered and far from home, they must endure ambushes, skirmishes, and night attacks, hostile towns and Confederate sympathizers, mud, rain, hunger, exhaustion, and 1,600 unruly mules.

Blending vivid historical detail with the pace and grit of a classic Western, The Mule Soldiers brings to life one of the most astonishing true raids of the Civil War. There are wildly funny moments as the men struggle to master their mules, scenes of courage and sacrifice under fire, and an unforgettable cast of characters, real and fictional, human and animal alike.

They say truth is stranger than fiction. This incredible campaign proves it.

Based on the real Streight Raid into northern Alabama from April 19 to May 3, 1863, The Mule Soldiers is a true story, fictionalized. It is a compelling work of Civil War historical fiction that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

The novel also introduces Ronan O’Sullivan, a young Irish American soldier riding with Streight’s command. His journey in this raid is only the beginning. He will go on to anchor future adventures in The O’Sullivan Chronicles, which span the Civil War and the American West.

Perfect for readers who enjoy Civil War novels based on real events, historical military fiction with cavalry, raids, and strategy, and gritty, character driven adventures in the era that bridges the Civil War and the Old West.

Also available on Amazon!