Faraway Blue Book

Sgt. Moses Williams of the Ninth Cavalry Regiment is an ex-slave, a Civil War veteran, and now a Buffalo Soldier, a horseback fighter in the white man's campaign to eradicate the Indian and occupy his ancient tribal lands. The Ninth Cavalry has one assignment: hunting and killing Apaches in the Black Range--the "faraway blue" mountains of southeastern New Mexico Territory. Moses' particular nemesis is Nana, the old Warm Springs Apache chief, a tactical genius who leads his tiny band of followers in strike after strike on mining camps and settlements, then vanishes like a wraith into the trackless hills separating new and old Mexico. Moses has caught glimpses of Nana, and Nana, although dim-eyed with age, has seen the stripes on the arm of the man who is dogging his trail. Both know they are destined to meet before the war ends. It is a maddening cat-and-mouse pursuit, and Moses Williams is able to keep his sanity only because his love for Sheela Jones, the beautiful young mulatto woman he wishes to marry--when the army will permit it. Her love for Moses leads her to take a desperate chance when he marches out for his final meeting with Nana. Faraway Blue is based on the real-life exploits of Moses Williams, a Medal of Honor-winning Buffalo Soldier, and on the last days of the great Nana, perhaps the finest tactician and fighting man produced by the Apache. Read More