“I don’t trust him,” said Alex.
“We’ll keep an eye on him. That’s all we can do now. Let’s get you settled into a place to camp,” said Ellison as the two men walked further into the encampment, leading their horses away from the tent and then mounting up to ride.
* * * *
Robert and Hugh
“Weel, Robber, what do ye think of our bonny new camp?” asked Hugh in his mild Scottish brogue, which had abated some since they arrived in America.
Robert shrugged, giving Hugh a noncommittal answer and a quick glance. He noticed that Hugh was losing his Scottish accent. He suspected that Hugh’s association with British, Irish, and other nationalities, had softened his brogue over the years in America. The two brothers were bundled up in blankets, trying to keep warm inside a tent with its flaps tied down securely on a cold, windy December day. They had rags tied around their ears to help them keep warm from the howling wind outside the tent.
The cold, windy bivouac area was designated for the Second Massachusetts Militia or the “Second Mass” as all the troops called it. It was a part of the Continental Army under General George Washington, now camped across the Delaware River from Trenton, New Jersey. The weather was blustery, but there was no sign of any precipitation yet. Robert had fully recovered from the head wound that he had received from a British musket ball at Breeds Hill. There was still a part in his hair where the musket ball had creased his scalp, but his hair had grown out and now covered the scar. When he was riding or if it was windy, his hair blew back, and you could still see the scar, making him look like a grizzled, old war veteran.
A fire that they had lit outside the tent did not provide enough warmth for them to keep it going. So they had let it go out and huddled inside the tent to stay out of the weather and to try to stay as warm as they could. Robert soon dropped off to sleep, and Hugh began talking with Big Mike Finn from Philadelphia, who had recently joined their unit. Mike would have joined a Pennsylvania unit instead of a Massachusetts unit, but he accidently stood in the wrong enlistment line. He was too bull-headed to admit his mistake and correct it. So, he stayed with the Second Mass. Robert and Hugh took a liking to Big Mike as soon as they met him, and he got along well with the two brothers. The three friends made a good fighting team.
Just outside their tent, two mounted riders with their collars turned up against the cold wind slowly rode past. The two brothers inside had no way of knowing that one of the horsemen outside their tent was their younger brother Alex and the other was Ellison McCoy, the two men in search of a place for Alex to settle for the night.
Alex and Ellison rode through the Massachusetts camp and soon arrived at the camp of the Maryland militia, about a quarter mile past the Second Mass camp. After some deliberation, they decided that Alex could stay in the tent with Ellison until he could find a place for himself. The two men dismounted, walked their horses to Ellison’s tent, and were pulling off their saddles when they were interrupted.
“Weel, if it isn’t the young March Hare from Scotland,” said the voice coming from behind them.
“I recognize that voice,” said Alex as he looked up and turned around to face his old friend, the Longhunter, Alexander Glendenning. The two men shook hands heartily and then embraced each other while patting each other on the back.
“It is good to see you again, Alexander. How’s the shoulder holding up? I know it was giving you a bit of trouble the last time we met. And how’d you know my nickname anyway?” asked Alex.
“The shoulder’s fine, as good as new. Word gets around about Alex Mackenzie and his exploits,” said the Longhunter as he rubbed his hand across his shoulder.
“The last I heard, ye were heading up the Maryland Rangers after Ellison here had retired,” continued the Longhunter nodding toward Ellison McCoy.
“That’s true, but the war has taken Ellison out of retirement and me out of the Rangers,” said Alex, gesturing at Ellison briefly.
“It has taken me, too. I have just arrived here and joined up this week. I’m still wondering if I did the right thing.”
“I’m forming a new light cavalry unit for General Washington, and I’d like to have your help,” said Alex.
“I’d be glad to do anything I can fer ye, Alex.”
“Good, I want you to help me lead the unit and help me recruit some other good riders and fighters to go along with us.”
“I know of a few in the camp. Most of them are former Maryland Rangers. Ye know most of them that have served with ye at Fort Cumberland.”
“Excellent! This is not going to be as hard as I thought. It’s really great to see you again, Alexander. We’re going to help General Washington win this war,” said Alex.
* * * *
Samuel
Samuel closed out his muster roll for the day, along with his other paper work, as was required by the office of the adjutant of the Continental Army. He put the papers in a desk drawer and locked his desk. Standing up, he pulled on his overcoat and walked out of the headquarters tent. Instead of going directly back to the tent where he lived, he walked through the cold camp to a section near the outskirts, where the camp followers were located. He walked right to the tent he was looking for and without any announcement, he pulled back the tent flap and walked in.
“Get yer clothes off quick; I’m in a hurry,” said Samuel to the young woman sitting on the camp cot inside the tent, staring at him. Without saying a word, the young woman quickly disrobed and lay back on the cot. Samuel unlaced his pants as he walked over to the cot. He slid them down to his knees and crawled on top of the young woman.
It didn’t take but a few minutes, and when he was finished, he crawled off her, stood up and pulled up his pants to lace them back up.
“Get yer clothes back on. I got a job for you tonight,” said Samuel as he finished lacing up his pants.
“I want you to go over to Trenton right now and tell the Hessian commander Colonel Rahl that the Prophet says Washington does not plan to attack right away. Tell him that the Prophet doesn’t know exactly when Washington plans on attacking, but it looks like it won’t happen soon.”
“It’s cold out there tonight, Sir. Can’t this wait until tomorrow?” asked the girl.
“No, it can’t wait. Get moving now and don’t forget to tell Colonel Rahl that the message is from the Prophet,” said Samuel with a scowl.
The young woman, whose name was Molly, dressed hurriedly and threw on her cloak and then braced herself for the cold wind outside the tent.
“If you ever want to see yer sister Maggie again, you’ll be quick about it,” continued Samuel as he kicked her in the backside just as she was walking past him out of the tent.
Samuel left the tent at the same time Molly did and walked back to his tent, occasionally glancing at her as she left the camp at a hurried pace.
Molly trotted out of the camp and then walked very fast on the trail to the Delaware River. She crossed it on the Trenton Ferry after paying her halfpenny toll. Then she wound her way on the path into Trenton and finally found the Hessian headquarters where Colonel Rahl was located. Colonel Rahl’s aides intercepted her as she attempted to walk into Colonel Rahl’s office.
“I bear a message from the Prophet,” said Molly to one of the aides.
Upon hearing that the message was from the Prophet, the aide immediately ushered her into Colonel Rahl’s office. The colonel looked up from writing a letter as she and his aide walked in. Colonel Rahl did not speak English and refused to learn it, so he spoke to his aide in German, asking him to stay in the office and to translate his conversation with the girl.
“What is it that you wish to say to the colonel?” asked the aide.
“The Prophet says that General Washington will not attack anytime soon and that he doesn’t know when the general is planning on attacking,” said the young woman.
“Anything else?” asked the aide after he had translated the message to Colonel Rahl.
“No
, that was all he said to deliver,” replied the girl.
“Very well, you may go now,” said the aide.
Molly spoke German, but she preferred to speak English in her new country. She did not tell them that she spoke German. But she knew that the aide had translated her English into German correctly.
She immediately left the headquarters and made her way back across the ferry and into her tent in the Continental Army camp. Molly sat down on her cot and cried softly with her head in her hands. She felt sad about being forced to deliver the messages for Major Ruskin, but she had no choice. She wasn’t a traitor; she believed in the patriot’s cause, but she didn’t want her sister Maggie to suffer. She and her sister had been caught trying to steal some food from one of Samuel Ruskin’s warehouses in Philadelphia. Rather than turn them over to the authorities, Samuel had kept them as personal servants, but truly as prisoners, in his household to do his bidding and whatever else he saw fit for them to do. For now, Molly was being forced to stay in the camp followers’ tents, ready at any time carry messages for Ruskin and satisfy his base desires. Her sister, meanwhile, was back in Philadelphia, held captive in Ruskin’s warehouse under threat of bodily harm if Molly did not perform satisfactorily.
“What do you make of that information and how much do you trust this person who calls himself the Prophet?” Colonel Rahl asked his aide.
“It appears that the Americans want to take time off from the war and celebrate the Christmas holidays. I have no idea about the Prophet, but I think we should be prepared in case he is wrong,” replied the aide.
“I disagree. The Americans are poor soldiers and they are lazy. They will not attack in this kind of weather anyway. Let’s celebrate the holiday also. Call in the patrols, and we’ll plan a big Yuletide celebration for the men,” said the colonel.
“Very well, Sir; I will see to it,” replied the aide.
As the aide turned to walk out of the colonel’s office, he grimaced to himself but was unwilling to argue with his commanding officer.
* * * *
* * * *
Alex
“Good morning gentlemen. The reason I called you into this war council so early this morning is to announce that we are going to attack the Hessian troops in Trenton tomorrow morning. My plan is that the army will depart the camp this afternoon in order to cross the Delaware River and attack the Hessians in Trenton at first light tomorrow morning. Please make preparations for each soldier to carry three days rations, sixty rounds of ammunition, powder, and other necessary supplies. We will muster on the west bank of the Delaware River nine miles north of the camp at dusk. We will cross the river by barge as soon as it is fully dark,” said General Washington when all his officers were finally seated around the large folding conference table in his field office.
The general paused for his message to sink in as he made eye contact with each officer around the table. It was December 25, 1776, and the weather was cold and threatening, but no precipitation had yet fallen from the cloudy sky.
“Sir, I must protest. Today is Christmas Day, and the men have been planning on celebrating Christmas tonight. That doesn’t give me time to prepare the rations, ammunition, and all other items that are necessary to move this army. As adjutant, I require more time to organize and prepare,” said Major Samuel Ruskin.
“Major Ruskin, you will have to do the best you can because we leave at three o’clock this afternoon, and we attack tomorrow morning. Let’s hope that the Hessian troops occupying Trenton have a very loud and boisterous Christmas celebration tonight and that they drink plenty of Christmas spirits. Maybe if we are lucky, they will still be feeling the effects of their celebration tomorrow morning when we attack. Make ready to muster on the west bank of the Delaware River at dusk. I will give specific orders for each unit’s deployment later in the day. That is all for now. Let’s get to it,” stated General Washington, dismissing his men and walking toward his field desk, where he started preparing troop disposition and battle orders.
As the officers on General Washington’s staff and command stood up to leave the conference, General Washington turned to seek out Alex and Ellison McCoy.
“Lieutenant Mackenzie and Captain McCoy, please wait a moment. I would like to speak with you before you leave,” said General Washington as his officers were filing out of his office.
Alex and Ellison stood by their chairs while the conference room cleared. As soon as the last man left, General Washington stepped over to the tent flap and glanced into the outer office to make sure that no one was within earshot of the conference room in the large office. Major Samuel Ruskin had taken his accustomed position behind his desk in the outer office. General Washington motioned for Alex and Ellison to take a seat in two side chairs next to his desk on the far side of his office. The general wanted to speak to the two men without being overheard outside his office. General Washington seated himself in his desk chair and scooted it over to be nearer to where Alex and Ellison were seated. He leaned close to the two men to speak in a hushed voice that was almost a whisper.
“I suspect that we have a spy in our midst. I have no idea who it is, and I don’t suspect anyone in particular, but the enemy seems to know our every move, sometimes even before our own soldiers do. Our New York and New Jersey campaigns were one disaster after another. There appears to be no good reason for it except that the enemy had advance knowledge of our plans and movements. That is one of the reasons why I have ordered this surprise attack and given everyone very little time for preparation. I don’t want the British to get wind of the attack before we spring it this time. The reason that I am telling you two and only you two about this is that I trust you. The reason why I trust you is because I began to suspect the traitor long before you two joined the army. After this attack is over, I want the two of you to ferret out this spy by any means that you can and dispose of him,” said General Washington as he stared at Alex and Ellison.
“Changing the subject back to the attack tomorrow morning, Lieutenant Mackenzie, I want you to take your men this morning and depart the camp as soon as possible. First ride south for at least a mile along the Delaware River road. Cross the river well south of the Trenton Ferry where no one will see you cross. Then take up a concealed position at the Assunpink Creek Bridge on the Bordentown Road south of Trenton. I want you to cut off the enemy’s retreat to the south along the Bordentown Road. Set your riflemen where they will do the most good. General James Ewing will follow you after it is dark with seven hundred militiamen. They will cross the river using the Trenton Ferry and approach your position at the bridge from the north. He will relieve you and your men as soon as he arrives at the bridge,” continued General Washington.
“The password for this attack is ‘Victory or Death’. From the time you arrive at the bridge, let no man, woman, or animal pass over the bridge without the correct password. Good luck and God grant us a victory,” concluded General Washington as he stood up and held out his hand to shake with Alex and Ellison.
“Sir, we will carry out your orders,” said Alex as he and Ellison stood up, shook hands with General Washington, and walked out of his tent.
* * * *
Samuel
As soon as Samuel left the council of war meeting with General Washington, he immediately went to work at his desk, taking care of the most pressing issues associated with preparing for the attack. It was late in the afternoon when the army was just beginning to leave camp that he was able to free himself briefly from his duties and walk to the camp followers’ tents.
As soon as he opened the flap of the young woman’s tent, Molly immediately stood up and started to disrobe.
“I don’t have time for that right now and neither do you,” said Samuel to the young woman, who immediately stopped disrobing and looked relieved.
“Put on your cloak and take another message to Colonel Rahl from the Prophet immediately. Go tell him that the Prophet says Washington is mounting a surprise attack on his posit
ion in Trenton at first light tomorrow morning. The colonel should be prepared for the attack from the north of Trenton. I want you to leave right now and travel south out of the camp. Cross the Delaware south of the Trenton Ferry because the ferry will be guarded, and you can’t use it to cross. After you cross the river, go east until you find the Bordentown Road. Travel north on the road as it will lead you into Trenton. That way you won’t be observed by any of Washington’s troops, who will be deployed north of Trenton or guarding the ferry. Leave now while it’s still light,” said Samuel.
“Yes, sir,” said Molly.
Molly threw on her cloak and hurried out of the tent to carry out her orders. When she walked out of the tent, Samuel followed her out, turned in the opposite direction, and hurried back into the army camp to complete the remainder of his duties.
Molly walked south along the west bank River Road out of the camp until she was almost a mile south of the Trenton Ferry. Then she turned toward the river and searched the western bank for a way across. She soon found a canoe that a settler had tied up to a tree, so she untied it to paddle across the Delaware River. She saw a number of fresh horse tracks along the western bank, where it looked like a number of riders had ridden their horses into the water and swum them across the river. When she reached the eastern bank, she pulled the canoe up as far as she could on the bank. She then walked east until she found the Bordentown Road and followed it north toward Trenton.
By the time she approached Trenton, it was fully dark and the cold weather had taken a turn for the worse. There was a cold rain falling that looked like it would turn to sleet as soon as the falling temperature got low enough. Molly shrugged at her fate and pulled her cloak tighter around her neck as she walked north on the Bordentown Road toward Trenton. As soon as she got near the Assunpink Creek Bridge, a voice called out in the dark.
“Halt! Who goes there?” said the bodiless voice.
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