author
Warner A. Ross
b. 1879
A World War I officer and later Indiana lawyer, he left behind a vivid firsthand account of leading Black soldiers in combat. His writing preserves both the discipline and courage of the 2nd Battalion, 365th Infantry, and the injustice of how their service was too often overlooked.
1 Audiobook
My Colored Battalion
by Warner A. Ross
About the author
Born in 1879, Warner Anthony Ross is known for My Colored Battalion, published in Chicago around 1920. Library records identify him as the author, and the book itself presents him as Major Warner A. Ross of the 365th Infantry, writing from his experience commanding the 2nd Battalion during World War I.
Ross wrote with a clear purpose: to record the performance of the African American soldiers under his command and to argue that their bravery, training, and loyalty deserved full recognition. That gives his work a special place in military history, because it is both a combat memoir and a contemporary witness to the racial inequalities Black troops faced while serving their country.
Available evidence also shows that he later lived in Lafayette, Indiana, where he was remembered as an attorney and a well-known World War I veteran. For listeners today, Ross remains important not for a long list of books, but for one direct, human record of leadership, service, and remembrance.