Stereotypes Reversed

A Civil Problem

This week ive decided to go back in time and switch around scenarios and stereotypes. This story is inspired by women who dressed as men to fight in the Civil War. But of course, because this is a stereotype REVERSAL it will be women fighting and men dressing as women to fight. I hope you enjoy my take on this subject.😊❤ For the sake of the story im changing up names of Generals and Majors to avoid someone commenting about my "historic accuracy".

The first few paragraphs are pure intro into the scene/setting and layout of the story. Bear with me. (<btw that is the correct term to use, i googled it to make sure i wouldnt look dumb😅)
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Bullets and canon balls flew past the heads of the Confederate soldiers as they continued to to march forward by command of their General. The women in the battalions let out their deafening rebel yell as General Huse ordered them to fire at will.

The women reloaded and fired as they pleased into the scattering ranks of the Union, the constant sound of explosions and shells over head mixed with the screaming of dying women around them overwhelmed the senses and drove the soldiers to tears as they fought.

On the opposite side of the battle field Union women and their Generals reloaded their canons for the inth time, shouting orders for fuses and more ammunition as Infantry soldiers fought tooth and nail to keep the relentless waves of Confederate women back.

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"Katie!? Katie, don't just stand there-" The voice of General Conch was cut off as shrapnel from a canon ball pierced her chest, blood slowly seeping from the holes where the metal shards had lodged themselves.

The voices of many other women in the brigade sounded as they watched their General fall, her blue uniform now caked with mud and dried blood.

An infantry woman rushed to the side of her General, half dragging the wounded woman off of the battle field and towards the makeshift hospital in a near by barn. The General coughed and spurted words of retreat as she was dragged from the field, however he soldiers roars and shouts drowned her out. They wanted a victory, for themselves as much as for their fallen General.

___(at the field hospital)

Doctors and surgeons bustled around in the makeshift hospital, hacking off limbs with dirty tools, sewing up bullet wounds, patching saber wounds and comforting the dying women in their care.

The General was moved to a closed off section of the hospital for the higher ranked. A blood stained curtain was hastily pulled shut to close off the section as the doctor ordered for Conch to be laid down on her operating table.

"Doc, please, order everyone out.. for their sake as well as mine. I ask for only you to be present now..." General Conch looked up at the woman, her eyes pleading as she coughed, struggling to keep her breathing normal.

With a short nod the doctor ordered the nurses and soldier out, claiming she needed room to breathe and think.

Almost annoyed the doctor turned to Conch, who now sat up, coughing small amounts of blood as she struggled with her shirt.

"Lay down, child! You damn near gave my nurses heart attacks." The woman clicked her tongue as she prepared her tools and washed her hands of the dried blood they'd already collected from other soldiers.

"Damned Generals, thinkin' they can go n' do as they please. Orderin' my nurses 'round." She grunted and murmured as she turned around, her face pailing as she examined the perfectly flat chest of the General, her stomach set with the faintest outline of abdominal muscles. Further down Conch's front a V led the woman's eyes down towards her crotch.

"Oh, Christ above pray for me..." The doctor shook her head, setting to work and ignoring her discovery, pulling shrapnel from the General as quickly and delicately as possible.

___

Outside of the Field Hospital the Commander of the Union army sat high on her horse, watching as her soldiers cleared the battlefield of their fallen and wounded.

With the commotion of the dying and faint gunfire from the rebs she didn't hear the nurse calling for her until he had made his way beside the General's horse.

"General Falc, Ma'am, we have a situation you might wanna take a look at."

The woman nodded to the nurse, dismounting from her horse she took her hat off, holding it above her heart as she made her way into and through the hospital. She bowed her head respectfully to the soldiers that fought for her, giving them words of encouragement.

As she neared the back of the hospital a curtain was pulled aside, allowing her to step into a section where a small crowd of nurses poked, prodded, and questioned a young man in a Generals uniform.

Falc cleared her throat, catching the attention of the man and the nurses.

"Who are you and why are you dressed as one of my Generals?" Falc's eyes never left the man's as she heard the nurses fumble over their words as the men tried to explain the situation.

Raising her hand, Falc cut them all off. "I believe I had directed the question to him and only him.

Conch rubbed the back of his head, his voice shaking slightly as he looked up at his commander.

"General Falc, I-I wanted to fight for my country.. for my beliefs and for my momma.. she couldn't have fought, she was much too old ma'am. So I dressed myself as a woman, my frame is petite and skinny, like my sisters were. And no one took any notice of me, I blend in ma'am."

The young man stared down at his boots, listening to the chatter of the women around him.

General Falc cleared her throat. "What's your name, boy?"

"Conch ma'a-."

"Your full name."

Conch nodded, daring to look up at his commander.

"My name is James, Ma'am. James Conch, General James Conch." He bowed his head respectfully as he stated his title and full name.

Watching as the commander nodded, her arms crossed over her chest, James began to fiddle with his uniform.

A long drawn out sigh from Falc drew everyone's attention, their eyes set on the General as she spoke.

"Well, General James Conch. It looks like we have ourselves a civil problem."