Crucible of Empire — John Edwards

It's 1898, and America is on an unstoppable course towards war with Spain. In preparation for sending troops to Cuba, war planners in Washington need information concerning Spanish forces on the island, and what kind of help the U.S. can expect from the Cuban rebels. Someone is needed to go to the island. Someone who not only speaks the language, but can walk the streets of Havana and the Cuban countryside without drawing undue attention to themself.

Elijah Wolf is a Seneca Indian, in whose veins also flows the blood of a samurai warrior. Chief Scout of the U.S. 6th Cavalry, Wolf is among the last of true Seneca warriors. He carries within him the fighting spirit of the samurai, passed down through his family from Senjin, the Japanese warrior, who fled his native Japan to begin a new life in a new world.

Fluent in Spanish, and chosen personally by Theodore Roosevelt, Wolf goes to Cuba, where he is forced to rely on his heritage to survive. There, he will call upon the Manitous to guide him, and use the teachings of Musashi and Sun Tzu to help the ill-organized and poorly equipped American Expeditionary Force achieve victory.