Rebels in Blue: The Story of Keith and Malinda Blalock

by Peter F. Stevens

This astonishing Civil War story follows the real-life exploits of a married couple who fought side-by-side as soldiers for the North, the South, and finally for a band of marauding, pro-Union partisans. Based on primary source material from the Watuga County, North Carolina archives, Rebels in Blue provides a fast-paced, gripping narrative of uncommon love and blind revenge set against the turmoil of the Civil War.

Genres: History, Civil War, Nonfiction, Biography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1999

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and informative story of a married couple that fought for the south then the north during the civil war. Using source documents the author describes what the war was like for these two individuals.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keith and Malinda Blalock were born and raised in the shadow of Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina and the backdrop of feuding, strong willed families. Newly married as the clouds of the Civil War hovered over the nation, North Carolina divided between those who supported the Confederacy and those who felt it was a rich planter's war and supported the Union. Keith was a Unionist who tried to stay out of the fray until he was forced by the Home Guard to join the Confederate Army. Marching off to join his regiment, he was joined by Malinda who had cut her hair and donned men's clothing to join the army. After Malinda was wounded in battle and had to admit to the attending Doctor that she was a woman, she was quietly discharged. Keith devised a plan where he rolled himself in a poison ivy patch to create blisters so he could also be discharged. Back at their home, they started guiding escaped Union POW's and southern Unionists through Confederate lines to Kentucky and Union Lines. Malinda and Keith worked as a team, riding as Partisans with Major George Kirk and later as a scout for General Stoneman. Both fought equally and although wounded, continued to fight till the end of the war.

The author, Peter Stevens, did excellent research but there were several times that he didn't proofread his dates which was confusing as I had to go back several pages thinking I had missed a switch in placement of stories only to discover that his dates were off putting an event in 1862 when it should have been 1863, etc. Also, the story was presented from a overly romantic view of the Blalocks although he attempted to say what they did as Partisans was what both sides were doing.

An incredibly interesting story of husband/wife team fighting side by side in the Civil War. Women did fight in the Civil War, approximately 500 have been documented, either disguised as men or women who jumped into the fray when their husbands were wounded in the battle. That is not taking into account the ones who acted as couriers and spies.

[Jhs4 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting. Highlight s the divided loyalties on the n.c. western mountain region.

[Randy Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about the often forgotten aspect of the civil war: the guerrilla warfare that went on in the south between those who remained loyal to the union and the separatist, particularly in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, and specifically the doings of Keith and Malinda Blalock. Much of this is very fascinating (for instance, the one physical requirement of a confederate soldier, of having at least one upper tooth which lined up with at least one lower tooth, and this not for eating but for tying off the gunpowder bag). The problem of the book is the similarity of so much of the Blalock’s actions. There is an endless list of them raiding and then disappearing in the hills, dozens and dozens of them which the writer simply reports, until it gets kind of tedious and blurry. The writer needed to come up with some kind of overall arc or through-line to give the book some momentum and direction. But overall, a solid three stars.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting people, and Keith may be a distant cousin of mine. It's impossible to say for sure as his family tree is spotty. I imagine there is some sort of connection between all the Blalock's of North Carolina, which is where my Blalock's are from, for generations.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot about my area of the US during the Civil War. It's always cool to read books and know the geography thats in the story. Especially when you've lived there.