To Decide Our Destiny

To Decide Our Destiny: Volume 3

Book Series: Prelude to Glory
Author:         Ron Carter
Publisher:     Bookcraft
Publishing date: 1999
Pages:           495
Number of Chapters: 19

Volume 3 spans five months: December 1776-May 1777

Chapter 1
December 1776
A recount of the past few weeks: Washington's army is in full retreat. From New York City, all the way across New Jersey to the Pennsylvania border, the British have proven a formidable enemy. Now they've reached the Delaware River and cross it just as the British crest the hill, ready to teach them another lesson. 
During the crossing, a loose cannon kills a mule which the starving army makes full use of by skinning and devouring every single part except the hide and hoofs. Mule soup, the first real meat they've enjoyed for the first time in weeks is savored, down to the last drop in their bowls. It's ten degrees below zero and since every soldier left home last year in summertime clothing, they own nothing useful in these bitter temperatures. Men are dropping like flies. General George Washington feels the pain of each and every brave man who continue to stick it out with him in the fight for freedom. Others are giving up, leaving, even though desertion is punishable by death.
Billy Weems and his friend Eli Stroud are doing okay. Billy helps fight the British by firing cannon across the river, under order from his Sergeant and friend, Alvin Turlock. Sergeant Turlock is a memorable character, always referring to the men as "you lovelies" short, stocky, born an orphan and not much to look at (which is why he never married) he and Billy became fast friends while Eli was off on another errand for General Washington. Turlock tells Billy about his adventure getting captured by the British but managing to escape. He also heard Benjamin Franklin is over in France, trying to rally aid for their cause.

Chapter 2

Benjamin Franklin, seventy years old but still full of spunk, is in Paris, France. Politically, he's not having much success among the unsympathetic leaders but socially, he's a local celebrity! The people love Benjamin Franklin. He figures it's just a matter of time before France is pressured into helping underdog America fight their common enemy.

Chapter 3

Meet John Honeyman, risking his reputation and the lives of himself, wife and children to spy for General Washington by faking support for British occupation in New Jersey (true story). He is friendly with the British army, supplying them with beef cattle which allows him to gather information to pass on to Washington. He is alone in his barn, doing his evening chores, when Eli makes himself known. Eli brings a sealed, written message from Washington which Honeyman reads then destroys. They part.
Next morning, John leaves with two more cows for the British. He learns morale of the hired German/Hessians is low. With the Christmas holiday coming, they are homesick for their own country. Their General has grown lax in his discipline. They don't see the Americans as any kind of threat to the town of Trenton they currently occupy. Honeyman gets himself captured by the Americans, is taken to Washington who makes everyone leave the room so they can talk privately. Washington is stunned to learn the enemy has pretty much made Trenton an open target and that they will be most vulnerable on Christmas Day.

Chapter 4
Billy and Eli roast a porcupine, caught by Eli. It's greasy but edible. While eating they spot shadows in the frozen night. Deserters. Using darkness as their cover, Billy and Eli return to camp with thirteen sick, frostbitten men who claim they were just going to seek medical help, not deserting.
Meanwhile, Washington has set up new headquarters in a home nine miles north of Trenton on the Pennsylvania side of the river. His generals are all here and he shares the news his "spy" brought him. John Honeyman is being held prisoner in a shed nearby (Washington will send someone to "free" him later so he can safely escape and continue his undercover job with no one the wiser).
Billy and Eli find a superior officer and turn in the men they caught while Washington doubts he's doing the right thing by planning an attack on Trenton.

Chapter 5

Mary Flint is also alive and well. She is a prisoner of war, however, in her own mansion in New York City which the British have taken over and are using as a hospital for remaining American soldiers too wounded or sick and dying to fight back after Washington fled. Mary's father, widower Rufus Broadhead, demands entrance to see his daughter. It is granted. Mary has a bad cough, a relapse from her earlier illness and is caring for her dying mother-in-law who is also widowed like Mary. Mary's father is here to say goodbye. He's leaving the area because the British seized the Broadhead family mansion as well and, as a loyal Patriot, he has no reason to remain anyway. Mary can't come with him, she's a prisoner of war but the British doctor in charge is a kindly old man and has taken Mary under his wing; giving her the job of keeping medical records with better sleeping quarters and extra food.
One day, the doctor gently informs Mary her mother-in-law has passed on and helps bury the body. Mary is sorting papers one day when a name jumps out-the man who remembered Eli's family. She remembers Eli had asked her to get more information, if possible. Mary would do anything for Eli. She resolves to track this man down and get the name of the minister who, reportedly, took Eli's sister in and raised her.
Mary finds the dying man on a British hospital "death ship" down by the docks, no place for a respectable woman, especially at night. Robbers kill the British soldiers accompanying Mary on her task, take the horse and carriage while Mary escapes and hides in the filthy, freezing water under the docks. Nearly frostbitten and suffering hypothermia from the cold, she WALKS back to her home and collapses before reaching the front entrance. Just before she passes out, she begs the British Doctor Purcell to write an urgent note to Eli Stroud, Boston Ninth Regiment, currently with General Washington.

Chapter 6

Billy and Eli vouch for the thirteen men court marshaled for desertion and make a plea in their defense-don't be too hard on them, they would've come back. The men are not shot. Billy and Eli wonder what's going on at Washington's headquarters. 
We find out. Washington is making his final preparations for the upcoming attack. They will take Trenton or die trying. 

Chapter 7
December 24, 1776
A British general near Trenton receives word something's up over at Washington's camp. He writes a warning to Rall, the German leader at Trenton. Rall reads it and laughs in disbelief. What army? The one across the river that can only turn tail and run every time they see a bayonet? Attack us? Preposterous! I'm going to a Christmas party, bye! He drinks, plays cards, gets a second written message but doesn't read it and stumbles back to his quarters to sleep it all off. He is rudely awakened by shots and battle cries. It is 8am and Washington's army is attacking Trenton!

Chapter 8
December 25, 1776
Billy writes another letter to Brigitte, telling her the army is on the move to Trenton and if anything should happen to him, he wants her to know he thinks about her all the time. He adds this one to the other five he's never had the guts to send. Eli comments on this but no time to talk now. Time to form ranks and march. Before they leave, the inspiring words of Thomas Paine's "These are the times that try men's souls" is read aloud. Everyone is moved. They leave for Trenton and morale is higher than it's been in weeks.
A bad snowstorm moves in but Washington is determined to carry on. He rides among his army encouraging them to "press on, boys, press on." They set up cannon, (Thanks Alexander Hamilton!) take positions and, in the midst of a howling blizzard, take the Hessians completely by surprise. No time to even form ranks and fight back as everyone was caught sleeping off the previous night's festivities.
Eli squeezes off a shot at General Rall. Billy helps surround the few German soldiers attempting defense. The Germans surrender. Rall is dying from his wounds. He asks General Washington to be kind to his prisoners of war. Washington promises, treating his enemy with the dignity and respect he deserves as a fellow leader of an army.

Chapter 9
December 26, 1776
Billy and Eli see Washington ride his horse away from the church where Rall was taken. Recognizing the two men, Washington stops to speak to them. Billy and Eli inquire after their regiment colonel and Billy asks after Rall before they join the other men, reaping the spoils of battle-food, warm clothing, blankets for everyone! Washington meets with his Generals to get the numbers. Everyone is shocked to learn they suffered ZERO fatalities on the American side, while the enemy lost just over 100. They will return to the camp across the river and save Princeton for another time. Today is theirs.

Chapter 10
December 27, 1776
Caleb Dunson has been fighting at school, bitter and angry over this stupid war for stupid freedom that lost them those wagons when they were just trying to help, not to mention his father killed for no reason and a brother off fighting at sea who may never return. Stupid God, it's not worth it!
Hearing his rant, Margaret is shocked, offended, hurt. Brigitte shames Caleb for his disrespect to Mother. Caleb tells her she's one to talk and rudely accuses Brigitte of being a hypocrite for courting the enemy! Brigitte slaps him and stunned silence follows.
Dinner that night is tense. The family retires to bed but Caleb is gone by morning, run away. Margaret finds him down by the docks, signed on as a cabin boy but after the captain learns Caleb is only fifteen, and a runaway, tells Caleb he better go home with his mother. Come back next year when you're sixteen and of legal age. Caleb skips supper and holes up in his room. It is Saturday night and no one has chopped the firewood and it must be done now or their Puritan neighbors will never to speak to them again for working on the Lord's Sabbath. Brigitte and Margaret work for half an hour at it before Caleb appears and silently takes over, because he really is a good boy at heart. He doesn't attend church the next day but the ever insightful and perceptive Reverend Silas Olmsted shows up that evening to talk to Caleb who comes to the church for an "interview" with his spritual leader so Reverend Olmsted can ask him straight out, what's wrong, why are you and your mom not getting along?
Caleb spills all his frustrations about this pointless war and his disbelief in a God that would require so much suffering and sacrifice. Silas is sympathetic, shares his own personal wrestling with the doctrine of accepting God's will. He and his wife don't have any children but not for lack of trying. They have fasted, prayed, pleaded with God to send them a child and it's breaking their hearts that all efforts appear to be in vain. Yet, Silas will continue to have faith and trust in God. That's all he has to say. Caleb shakes his hand and takes his leave; uncertain they accomplished much.

Chapter 11
December 1776 New York City
British General William Howe, a married man (thanks Wiki) is enjoying a social fling with Elizabeth Loring, a married woman to a man loyal to the British who is aware of the adultery of his wife but loves money and power more. Elizabeth loves being the social butterfly (Howe's wife is back in England, oblivious to the affair) so everybody's happy until Howe learns they just lost Trenton to Washington. He dispatches General Cornwallis with 8,000 troops to march immediately to Princeton so he can stay and finish the holiday social season here in the greatest city in the world.

Chapter 12
December 1776
McKonkey's Ferry is located just upriver from Trenton. Billy and Eli are called to Washington's headquarters where he shows them a map of New Jersey. He wants them to scout all the roads to Princeton and find out where the British are and how many. They depart.
Washington moves his army but before they leave he makes a speech. Tomorrow is January 1st; their enlistments are officially up. Men are free to leave, return home to their families if they want but the war is not over yet. Their country needs them. He asks for volunteers to stay anyway and continue in the cause of liberty. The men are moved and nobody leaves.

Chapter 13
Billy and Eli are like Batman and Robin. They find a large British camp, count all the men and cannon and decide to made some trouble. Eli knocks out a British officer, steals a horse from the pen and he and Billy take their prisoner off to interrogate him. Billy rides back to Trenton, finds Washington's tent and gives his report. He's issued a fresh mount so he can return to Eli with new orders to find out how many men are occupying Princeton. Before he leaves, though, Billy chats with his friend, Sergeant Turlock who has a letter for Eli. Billy takes it and hits the road. On the way he meets an American regiment and passes on the latest news-Washington plans to attack Princeton and needs all the help he can get.
Eli has been scouting more British camps around Princeton. They mount Billy's horse and return to find that regiment who just happened to stumble upon a farmhouse where the hungry Redcoats were so busy raiding the kitchen, about to cut into the wife's freshly baked mince pies, they didn't even hear the Americans in the front yard; so greedy they forgot to post a guard. This story is not only amusing but true as Billy and Eli arrive at the scene to join the Americans who get to eat pie while their British prisoners are taken to George Washington.
Having passed their latest scouting info on to the leader, Billy and Eli go off and make camp in a stable at an abandoned farmhouse. They talk more of God and Billy can finally give Eli his letter. The reverend's name was Cyrus Fielding. The doctor who wrote the letter included the story of how Mary almost died to obtain this critical information for him. Maybe he'll get to see Mary again soon.

Chapter 14
January 1777
Back at the Flint mansion in New York, Mary is still very sick. Doctor Purcell has her in a private room up in the attic where he personally attends her. She is slowly getting better. He goes to make his rounds downstairs on all the sick and dying, disgusted at these conditions and lack of better supplies. His last order is to a dim-witted corporal to fill the empty medicinal alcohol bottles from the large barrels in the wine cellar. There's a terrible accident when the young man drops a bottle while filling it. The bottle containing the highly flammable liquid shatters right next to the lantern he foolishly left on the floor. The entire room ignites like a bomb and a mass inferno erupts.
Dr. Purcell wakes up and is so busy overseeing the evacuation he doesn't remember Mary, now trapped on the third floor as the second floor is already on fire. He takes the outside staircase and rescues Mary, unconscious from smoke inhalation but alive and breathing. He gets someone to drive them away from the scene as the entire Flint mansion collapses in flames.
A warehouse has been set up for survivors and is now the new POW hospital. Purcell insists the small office be given to Mary as a private room. He sits by her bedside, all night, awaiting her return from unconsciousness. Morning dawns and he gets coffee and hot water to wash himself before returning to her side. Purcell has come to think of Mary as his own adopted daughter. All alone in the world, she is still out with no idea she's just lost everything. The poor girl. No sooner does he think this when Doctor Otis Purcell feels a pain and can't move his left side. Realizing he's suffering a stroke and is about to die, he manages to grab a pencil and paper and scratch out his final request bequeathing all he owns to one Mary Flint.

Chapter 15
On the outskirts of Princeton is a large British camp. Still playing Batman and Robin, Billy and Eli make a good team to sabotage the British and slow them down. Eli takes out the four pickets standing guard by the magazine, blows it all up and joins Billy who has cut all the horses loose in their pen and set them free to gallop through the camp. In all this confusion, no one sees them make their escape on one of the horses. Everything went perfectly, until Billy remembers he left his gun back at the British camp.
Morning arrives and they see another British army approaching. They decide to split up and investigate. Billy will find the closest American patrol while Eli scouts. Billy finds his fellow soldiers, reports everything he and Eli did and leads the group to Eli who confirms a large advancing British army, led by General Cornwallis, is on its way to reinforce Trenton. They MUST slow him down to give Washington time to mount a defense. They succeed using the only form of "Indian fighting" that has worked so far since the war began-taking cover in the woods and shooting randomly at the passing Redcoats who are driven to near insanity with no way to form ranks and protect themselves against the deadly accuracy of American muskets.

Chapter 16
January 1777
Back in Washington's camp at Trenton, Billy and Eli are again summoned to the General's headquarters as advisers. Everyone is uneasy knowing Cornwallis is just over a hill, ready to attack and get revenge for what happened on Christmas Day.
Cornwallis is also meeting with his officers in a war council of his own. He's sent for reinforcements from Princeton. With night falling, it is determined they have Washington, "the old fox" in their grasp and they will "go over and bag him" in the morning.
Washington has plans of his own. Thanks to Billy and Eli, now that he knows which roads the British are using, Washington can take his troops, bypass Cornwallis on another road and take Princeton.
They sneak out with muffled wagons wheels and silent marching, bluffing the British into thinking they're still camped for the night. Cornwallis is furious to discover, too late, Washington's plan and moves his army in pursuit back to Princeton.
Meanwhile, as the sun rises, a small column of Americans are almost to Princeton when they meet British. Outnumbered they begin to run while their leader shouts at them to stop and fight, waving a sword which British knock away before attacking him and bayoneting him to death. Another brave American general is shot while rallying his own fleeing army to turn and fight.
Then, over the hill, rides General George Washington himself on his white mare. Behind him are Billy, Eli and others from all the regiments, howling a battle cry which revives all in retreat. Washington calls out encouragement, they can take them, come on! And leads the charge.
To the north, another American regiment is also engaging the British army and winning. On a nearby hill, Washington's cannon are firing, cutting down more Redcoats. The tide is turning, "It's a fine fox chase, boys!" shouts Washington as they pursue the British into Princeton and other areas around the town.
Billy and Eli join the chase to the Meeting Hall on the campus of the small college (that will one day be an Ivy-league university). The British barricade themselves inside the Hall but American cannon pound and blast their way inside. Billy helps load, Alexander Hamilton touches linstock to touchhole and the cannon fires. Waving his tomahawk, Eli howls the Iroquois battle cry as he races toward a small group of armed British who break ranks and run for their lives. One of Alexander Hamilton's cannonballs neatly decapitates the head of King George II in a large painting over the great fireplace.
The British surrender. It is ten o'clock in the morning and the Battle for Princeton is over with George Washington and his Colonial army the winners.

Chapter 17
The Americans pounce on the food, new clothing and supplies as prizes of war here in Princeton. The army is exhausted and Washington knows a furious Cornwallis is about to storm the town. They must avoid his wrath by moving as quickly as possible to a safe location for winter. Washington has chosen a small valley several miles north with New York City just southeast which they will try and take again come spring.

Chapter 18
February, 1777
In France, Benjamin Franklin has been biding his time. Now the news has reached him of the extraordinary victories of Trenton and Princeton, a humiliating defeat to the most powerful army in the world. This may be the push needed to get France on their side in providing aid to America in their War for Independence.

Chapter 19
May 1777
Morristown, New Jersey. The last few months have been refreshing as Billy, Eli and the rest of Washington's army eat, rest and rebuild their strength. Turlock saunters by and shares the latest news with his two friends. A British general is bringing a large force down the Hudson from Lake Champlain to the north to wipe them all out. Bet he's got Indians too, Eli adds. He knows that area well. Someone should warn Washington.
Billy and Eli are allowed inside the building where Washington has set up his current headquarters. Washington is aware of the British movement but not of British conspiring with the local Indians. He gives Eli permission to head north and try to diffuse the situation. Billy volunteers to go with him. Washington writes orders for them, granting permission for them (mainly Eli) to serve as advisers to his armies up north and giving them free reign to do what they can to stop the Indians and British. Billy writes a quick letter to his family and he and Eli leave before the day is over, hiking over the hills, marching north, not looking back, knowing what they have to do.

THE END