Recently, I came across a movie called The Confederate (2018). Based on the novel, Perfect Disguise (2005) by Linda Hawke, the film depicts events in Georgia and centers around a female soldier named Willa Randall. See a link at the bottom for the full length video on YouTube.
With her mother and brother dead, young Willa is tasked with undertaking household duties at the meager cabin she and her father share. When we first meet Willa, she has donned her brother's clothes in order to perform her tasks for the day. This draws the ire of her father who chastises her for dressing in habiliments unsuited for her gender. Willa retorts that she prefers the comfort of male attire while she is working. Woman soldier, Jennie Hodgers of the 95th Illinois Infantry, also stated that she preferred to wear wore trousers while laboring. The diminutive Irishwoman, who performed a number of jobs including herding sheep, offered a common sense explanation for her decision to don the breeches,
"In herding sheep, it was better to have the male attire.”
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| Jennie Hodgers, "Albert Cashier" 95th Illinois Infantry |
Other than the social impropriety of Victorian women wearing male clothing, a viewer learns that Willa's father has another reason behind his directive to his daughter for her to exhibit more feminine traits. He is set to marry her off to an older neighbor named Major Dodds, who claims to have a leadership role in a local militia group. Not only is Dodds older and far from attractive, he is abusive and attempts to rape Willa. With no seeming way out of this oppressive situation, the young girl disguises herself as "Will" and runs away to join a cavalry unit. This scenario is very similar to that Emma Edmonds experienced. Her crass and abusive father, Isaac, also attempted to arrange a marriage between his daughter and an older man. Having witnessed the terrible and confining situation her mother was in, Edmonds quickly learned she did not want to follow the same path and experience the same wretchedness. She said,
“Very early in life I was forced to the conclusion, from close observation and bitter experience, that matrimony was not a safe investment for me.”
Her solution was to leave home in male disguise in order to take advantage of more abundant and self-sustaining opportunities denied to her in her true feminine identity. And thus, as "Franklin Thompson," she sold Bibles for a living before enlisting in the 2nd Michigan Infantry.
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| Sarah Emma Edmonds "Franklin Thompsson" |
Once a member of the cavalry unit, Willa earns the respect of her male comrades as she shares in their adventures and hardships. Along the way, she learns how to shoot and wield a saber. Another lesson she soon grasps is that you can't always run away from your problems, as Major Dodds reappears.
This is a low budget movie, so keep that in mind as you are watching it and expect all that comes along with that connotation. You have been warned. As for the female soldier, the actress doesn't make a convincing "boy."
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| "Will" |
With all of that being said, the story line was intriguing. I enjoyed the music and the cinematography at times was surprisingly good. The fact that the writers wove true historical elements of the experiences of some actual women soldiers was a bonus.
Considering that this was a low budget film, I was surprised to see this guy:
Do you recognize the actor who portrays General Sherman? One of his previous roles was another Civil War soldier.
What about now?
It's Parker Stephenson who portrayed Billy Hazard in North and South: Book II! Boy do I feel old!!!
Click below to watch The Confederate in its entirety on YouTube.
Until next formation......rest.
Ooh, Parker Stevenson...he was a heartthrob before NandS..Hardy Boys!
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