Rifles for Watie

Jeff Bussey is probably the only soldier to fight the Civil War from both sides—and understand each.

Jeff Bussey is sixteen when the Civil War begins. He can't wait to leave his Kansas farm and defend the Union cause against the dread Stand Watie, Indian leader of the rebels.

As an infantry soldier, Jeff must march for miles, exhausted and near starvation. He must watch friends die in battle and know that every step he takes may be his last. Then he is sent to spy behind enemy lines. If he's caught, he'll be shot. But the worst danger of all is his discovery that the rebels—even Watie—are men he can like and admire. On top of that, Jeff falls in love with a rebel girl. The only thing that divides them is their cause. Jeff must choose: Escape the enemy or join it.