A Pioneering Black Drummer in American Warfare

This book tells the story of a remarkable enslaved person-turned-formerly enslaved man, Jordan Bankston Noble, a Black drummer in nineteenth-century American armies. This volume uses Noble's life to explore the evolution of nineteenth-century Louisiana race relations. Noble’s life spanned 1800 to 1890, and his participation in four American wars—the War of 1812, Seminole War, Mexican-American War, and Civil War—places him among a very distinct group of participants. This book reveals how Noble brokered his wartime participation to secure recognition and admiration during this period in American history.