Private Cathay's Secret

Private Cathay's Secret depicts the determination and perseverance of a young slave girl, Cathay Williams. Thrust from her home on a Missouri plantation, she becomes a cook for the Union Army. Little does she realize this servitude throughout much of the Civil War will prepare her for her greatest challenge: impersonating a male soldier in the U.S. Army at the end of the war. Alongside her male companions, Williams endures hardships and performs her duties with them equally. This is during a time when women are not allowed to serve in the military. No one discovers her gender until she reveals it at the time of her discharge.