The Red and the Blue
A war story you have never heard
Historians speculate that approximately 400 to 700 women served as men during the Civil War. The Red and Blue is a collection of fictional diary entries, based on actual diaries, by a 17-year-old woman who served in America's bloodiest conflict. The story follows a runaway black slave girl who seeks safety in their home outside Leesburg Virginia.
The girl is later brutally raped and killed by rouge Confederate troops before the Battle of Ball's bluff on 20 October 1861. Henrietta, who cut her hair and dressed like a man (Henry), joined the Union army and faced some of the war’s bloodiest battles. Her gallantry earned her a battle field commission and led her to be captured by Confederate soldiers and taken to Libby Prison in Richmond Virginia.
Her identity was discovered by a Native American woman who helped her escape. They fled north through enemy held lines to Leesburg where they married as Mr. and Mrs. Henry L. Walker. They lived their lives as husband and wife while concealing their real sex. The Red and Blue serves as a testament to the resilience and sacrifices made by women during the American Civil War.
