True To His Colors

"True To His Colors" by Harry Castlemon is a historical novel set during the tumultuous period leading up to the American Civil War, likely written in the late 19th century. The story introduces two cousins, Rodney and Marcy Gray, as they navigate their differing political allegiances amidst a military academy's struggles over the Confederate and Union flags. The tensions reflect the broader societal divisions of the time, capturing the emotions and conflicts igniting among Southern youth facing the prospect of war. The opening of the novel depicts an intense confrontation at the Barrington Military Institute over the flag that symbolizes their national loyalties. On March 9, 1861, Rodney, a staunch supporter of secession, attempts to rally his peers to haul down the academy's Union flag in favor of a new Confederate banner. Marcy, however, staunchly defends their traditional flag, representing a faction of students loyal to the Union. The scene sets the stage for ideological battles among the boys, foreshadowing personal and political conflicts that will arise as they confront the realities of a nation on the brink of war. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Charles Austin Fosdick, better known by his nom de plume Harry Castlemon, was a prolific writer of juvenile stories and novels, intended mainly for boys. He was born in Randolph, New York, and received a high school diploma from Central High School in Buffalo, New York. He served in the Union Navy from 1862 to 1865, during the American Civil War, acting as the receiver and superintendent of coal for the Mississippi River Squadron. Fosdick had begun to write as a teenager, and drew on his experiences serving in the Navy in such early novels as Frank on a Gunboat (1864) and Frank on the Lower Mississippi (1867). He soon became the most-read author for boys in the post-Civil War era, the golden age of children's literature.