"Daddy's Little Boy"

[sailorboy (imported)]

Hi Slammr,

Thank you for replying to my request for assistance. Like you, I found that there were quite a few females, known and unknown, who passed for males in both armies during the War for Southern Independence.

Loreta Velazques hid her breasts with a wire shield and braces, joined the Arkansas Greys, and was known as "Harry Buford." Jennie Hodgers disguised herself as Albert Cashier and served in the Illinois Vol. Infantry from 1862 to the end of the war. Her gender was discovered when she received a broken leg (at age 66) in an auto accident and went to a doctor in a pre-Veterans Affairs organization. He found her out, kept her secret, and she successfully drew her veteran's pay.

I couuldn't find any sources on eunuchs in either army during the war. Since Joel's voice would be a boy soprano, I'm thinking he might enlist as a drummer boy in the Union Army, which would disguise the fact that he was a eunuch. What do you think of this idea?

Thanks again for your assistance,

Sailorboy