and Salem Counties alone. What a time that had been, the march from Trenton up to New York. They had been feted at every village and town along the way. Cheered, even kissed by more than a few girls. No uniforms like the men of the regular line, but he had felt cocky enough in a fine dark gray linsey-woolsey hunting frock and broad brimmed hat, fowling piece on his shoulder. Though his parents had stood firmly against him and James going off to the war, they had at least made sure their boys were dressed for it, and each had a haversack packed with smoked ham, dried fruit, and even coffee beans.
Those had been wonderful, exciting days, even though, as they reached the broad Hudson and gazed in wonder at New York, the city across the river with well nigh on to thirty thousand living there, the British fleet already was at anchor in the outer harbor.
They had laughed then at the sight of the ships, pointing out to each other the fortifications that lined both banks of the inner harbor that would surely smash the fleet to pieces if it ever dared to venture in.
The laughter had soon died away and was stilled forever at Brooklyn. He had had his own moment of terror when a British column scaled the heights of the Palisades and maneuvered to take Fort Lee. He, along with the rest of his comrades, had fled before the enemy was even in sight and thus had started what some derisively called the Jersey Foot Races. The British light cavalry and Hessians had herded the demoralized army completely out of the state.
James. He did not like to think of his brother.
The rum had gone to his head. After the long cold day outside, the warmth within the barn suddenly felt hot, his knees going weak, and for a moment he feared he would faint.
Sighing, he leaned against Peter, who helped him a few feet to the corner of a stall. The floor was covered with a splattering of cow manure,but he didn’t care. There was enough space to sit down. Sergeant Howard came over and squatted down beside them.
“So you boys are the guides?”
“We grew up in Trenton,” Peter announced. “General Ewing asked for volunteers who lived there, so Jonathan and me stepped forward. We were told to come up here. It was a bit of a hike, and damned cold.”
“You could’ve dodged off once out of sight,” Howard said. “Good for you, sticking with it.”
“We’re not giving up,” Jonathan announced, trying to sound manly even as he trembled.
“Your families live there? In Trenton?”
“My family owns a farm, a mile or so east, but I’ve hunted the fields all around there, along with Jonathan here. His family, they’re regular merchants. Own a store and everything.”
“What kind of store?”
“Dry goods and leather from a tannery we own,” Jonathan said softly.
“So your family’s there now?”
Jonathan nodded.
“You see ’em when we retreated through the town?”
He looked at the sergeant and shook his head.
“Haven’t seen my family since I joined up.”
There was more than a wistful tone in his voice. Looking closely, Jonathan could see that the sergeant was an older man, in his thirties at least, maybe forties.
“Wife and four children in Philadelphia,” he sighed. “At least, last I heard.”
He gazed off.
“Last I heard,” he said again. “I don’t know if they’re still there or took off. Word is half the city emptied out when Congress fled. The ones that stayed, most of them are Tories just waiting for us to be finished off.”
“Same in Trenton,” Peter replied bitterly.
Jonathan shifted uncomfortably.
Peter gave him a sidelong glance. He fumbled a bit and lowered his head. “At least that’s what I heard.”
Howard gazed at them.
“Guess it will be hard on you two, guiding us in to the attack. I mean, friends, neighbors, kin in the way.”
“It’s what we volunteered for,” Jonathan said. The bitterness in his voice was evident. “We have to beat the British to be free, and we are going to.”
He
Those had been wonderful, exciting days, even though, as they reached the broad Hudson and gazed in wonder at New York, the city across the river with well nigh on to thirty thousand living there, the British fleet already was at anchor in the outer harbor.
They had laughed then at the sight of the ships, pointing out to each other the fortifications that lined both banks of the inner harbor that would surely smash the fleet to pieces if it ever dared to venture in.
The laughter had soon died away and was stilled forever at Brooklyn. He had had his own moment of terror when a British column scaled the heights of the Palisades and maneuvered to take Fort Lee. He, along with the rest of his comrades, had fled before the enemy was even in sight and thus had started what some derisively called the Jersey Foot Races. The British light cavalry and Hessians had herded the demoralized army completely out of the state.
James. He did not like to think of his brother.
The rum had gone to his head. After the long cold day outside, the warmth within the barn suddenly felt hot, his knees going weak, and for a moment he feared he would faint.
Sighing, he leaned against Peter, who helped him a few feet to the corner of a stall. The floor was covered with a splattering of cow manure,but he didn’t care. There was enough space to sit down. Sergeant Howard came over and squatted down beside them.
“So you boys are the guides?”
“We grew up in Trenton,” Peter announced. “General Ewing asked for volunteers who lived there, so Jonathan and me stepped forward. We were told to come up here. It was a bit of a hike, and damned cold.”
“You could’ve dodged off once out of sight,” Howard said. “Good for you, sticking with it.”
“We’re not giving up,” Jonathan announced, trying to sound manly even as he trembled.
“Your families live there? In Trenton?”
“My family owns a farm, a mile or so east, but I’ve hunted the fields all around there, along with Jonathan here. His family, they’re regular merchants. Own a store and everything.”
“What kind of store?”
“Dry goods and leather from a tannery we own,” Jonathan said softly.
“So your family’s there now?”
Jonathan nodded.
“You see ’em when we retreated through the town?”
He looked at the sergeant and shook his head.
“Haven’t seen my family since I joined up.”
There was more than a wistful tone in his voice. Looking closely, Jonathan could see that the sergeant was an older man, in his thirties at least, maybe forties.
“Wife and four children in Philadelphia,” he sighed. “At least, last I heard.”
He gazed off.
“Last I heard,” he said again. “I don’t know if they’re still there or took off. Word is half the city emptied out when Congress fled. The ones that stayed, most of them are Tories just waiting for us to be finished off.”
“Same in Trenton,” Peter replied bitterly.
Jonathan shifted uncomfortably.
Peter gave him a sidelong glance. He fumbled a bit and lowered his head. “At least that’s what I heard.”
Howard gazed at them.
“Guess it will be hard on you two, guiding us in to the attack. I mean, friends, neighbors, kin in the way.”
“It’s what we volunteered for,” Jonathan said. The bitterness in his voice was evident. “We have to beat the British to be free, and we are going to.”
He
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