Defending his flag : $b or, A boy in blue and a boy in grey
| Language | en |
|---|---|
| First published | 2026-02-03 |
| Rights | Public domain in the USA. |
| Gutenberg ID | #77848 |
Description
"Defending His Flag" by Edward Stratemeyer is a historical adventure novel written in the early 20th century. Aimed at young readers, it follows two close friends who land on opposite sides of the American Civil War—Louis Rockford, a Pennsylvanian who joins the Union infantry, and Andy Arlington, a Virginian who rides with Confederate cavalry—offering a balanced view of early campaigns such as Bull Run and the Peninsula. The focus is on loyalty, duty, and friendship tested by a nation’s fracture. The opening of the story introduces Louis visiting Andy near the Maryland–Virginia border as tensions flare over slavery and states’ rights. After South Carolina secedes, a hostile crowd in Lee Run targets Louis, but Andy and his veteran father protect him; on his journey home Louis is captured by local roughs, escapes with the help of a friendly Black passerby, and reaches Pennsylvania resolved. When Fort Sumter falls and a national call goes out, Louis enlists with a hometown volunteer company that marches through wary Maryland to Washington, skirmishing only with mobs and meeting Confederate cavalry without incident. In contrast, back in Virginia, Andy—encouraged by local fervor and with his mother’s reluctant consent—joins a new cavalry troop heading toward Manassas, where his unit settles in as hints of local unrest surface. (This is an automatically generated summary.)