CHAPTER SIXTEEN
For the better part of an hour, they sat in the darkness of a small glade with nothing but starlight above them. Captain Washington’s men surrounded them in a loose perimeter. No one spoke. Mason glanced around every once in a while, but their guards barely moved except to change positions from guard to warming stations. They huddled around small fires while Mason and the cadets stamped their feet and tried to stay warm. Stratton suggested push-ups and sit-ups before Mason told them to build a damned fire, except that Washington’s men stopped them from gathering wood. Mason believed the intent was simple. He sat on his rucksack next to Higgs.
“They want us to sit here and get cold. They think we’re not telling them the truth and they’re watching us to make a false move.”
Higgs was barely visible in the darkness. “I’ve never seen a sky this dark.”
Mason looked up and stared. In the city lights of Philadelphia, he’d maybe see a tenth as many stars in this sky on a good night. “My family went to the Grand Canyon a few years ago. We bought this Winnebago.” He chuckled. “My dad wants to just drive around when he retires, so they bought the RV and we headed out there. We camped in Williams, out to the west of Flagstaff. The sky there was like this, and it was a new moon, too. I’d never seen a sky without city lights before. I couldn’t see ten feet in front of my face. Never seen anything like it.”
The memory was clear and vibrant, but felt a lifetime ago. He lowered his head and stared at the dark ground between his feet for a long moment.
“You know,” Higgs said, “they’re keeping their distance because they don’t trust us. We don’t look like they do, talk like they do, or act like they do. We’re strangers to them. The way we’re dressed? Our snowsuits? They think we’re ghosts, Mason. Don’t take their distance personally. Or the whole thing about being next to their shitty little fires. The time will come.”
“For what—”
A ripple of slight noise came from the perimeter and Mason startled. By the light of Captain Washington’s small fire he saw a tall man on a horse approach. “Holy…”
Higgs whirled in that direction. They stared silently for a few seconds. General Washington, there was no question it was him, stared back for a moment. “He’s younger than I thought he’d be,” Higgs said.
Murphy whispered. “He’s in his mid-forties—like Lieutenant Colonel Graves.”
Except this man is the Commander in Chief.
The other cadets were silent now, all looking at the Father of their Country. The first President of the United States. Washington passed the reins to one of his cousin’s men and slid down from the stirrups. He was much taller than the others and he walked into the circle a few steps before they heard a voice from behind him.
“General. An escort?”
Washington looked at the cadets and shook his head. “Unnecessary. If they are friends, we’ll have a fine conversation. If they strike, you know what to do.” He looked up at Mason intently and there was a hint of a smile on his face.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Murphy whispered. No one moved as Washington approached them. He was five meters away when Mason stood slowly and whispered harshly.
“Squad, attention!”
Washington froze in place and for a split second Mason was sure the guards would shoot them all down. There was silence as the squad stood to the position of attention as a group and Mason raised a parade ground salute.
“Good evening, sir.”
Washington nodded. After a moment, he answered Mason’s salute in a similar, though different fashion. “Good evening. You must be Sergeant Mason.”
Mason took a deep breath. “I am, sir.”
“Good.” Washington stood silent before him for a moment. The general reached out a hand. His grip was firm and warm. Mason had the idiotic thought of never washing his hand again.
“Introduce me to your squad and then let them rest, Mason. We have much to talk about.”
* * *
They sat in a ring, Washington on Kennedy’s rucksack. They’d finished their story with Mason and Stratton handling most of the details from their arrival until their meeting. No one mentioned being lost on the training lane and Mason was grateful. Washington took it all with a poker face. When they were finished, the general fingered the nylon straps and camouflage material for a long moment. He looked up at them appraisingly. “Vernon Daniels and I served together against the French not that long ago. There are few men whose word I take at face value, but he is one. He tells me you’re from a time far different than this and hearing your story, I am inclined to believe you. He also says that you have specific knowledge of this war and what is about to take place. Something that no more than fifteen men know fully at this point. Given the circumstances, I suggest you tell me everything you know about my plan and we’ll go from there.”
Mason looked at Murphy. “Sir, Cadet Murphy is—”
“Cadet?” Washington squinted. “Are you all cadets then?”
“Yes, sir.” From the look on Washington’s face, Mason wasn’t sure that was a good or a bad revelation. “Our ranks are immaterial and really for training purposes. We’re all officers-in-training. Cadet Murphy is the most familiar with this period of history.”
Washington looked at Murphy. “Where are you from, Murphy?”
“Salt Lake City, Utah, sir,” Murphy said. “It’s a couple of thousand miles to the west.” He shrugged. “The continent is much larger than you currently believe. We won’t do much exploring out there for a few more years.”
Washington chuckled. “I have much to learn. What does your history say about the coming days, Murphy?”
Murphy beamed. “Sir, tomorrow is Christmas Day. You’ve ordered the men to be ready to muster starting in the afternoon with the intent to cross the Delaware and attack Trenton at first light. Over the last two days, you’ve had two councils of war to determine and plan an attack on Trenton.”
“Anyone could surmise that, Murphy. You’re not convincing me.”
Murphy nodded as if to clear his mind. Mason was about to speak when Murphy continued. “Your attack is three-pronged, sir. You have General Cadwalader to the south who is to cross and harass the enemy at Burlington. This is designed to keep Colonel Von Donop from making a quick attack in support of your operation at Trenton. You’ve just this evening sent Doctor Benjamin Rush on a mission to determine if Von Donop is still in the Mount Holly area. He is still there, sir. Colonel Von Donop has found a lady friend and is lingering for the holiday there. His troops will be drunk tomorrow evening and unable to mount a quick response.”
Mason leaned in. “Murphy? Remember—”
“No, Mason,” Murphy said. “This is the Commander in Chief of our army. He needs to know everything.”
“We can’t change history.”
“If I may,” Washington said. “You already have. You are correct, Cadet Murphy. I am glad to know that Von Donop will not have an effect on the outcome of our attack.”
“The weather will have a significant effect, sir. General Cadwalader will not be able to cross the Delaware, sir. Neither will General Ewing at Trenton proper.” Murphy took a breath. “A storm is coming, sir. What we call a nor’easter. The winds will pick up, temperatures will plummet and the river will start to freeze. You’ll make it across the river later than planned and run into issues crossing Jacob’s Creek. The weather will protect your late arrival into Trenton. Colonel Rall brings his men in from the weather which relaxes their alert posture. They’re all tired from constant harassment and by the time you get there, they won’t have stirred. Even two hours past daylight you maintain the element of surprise.”
Washington nodded. “We will adjust our muster time and cross earlier to compensate.”
“Not much more, sir,” Murphy said. “Nightfall is still your friend. And staying out in the elements for a longer time will have an adverse effect on your troops. You’ll lose more than you do.”
“How many are lost on the march?”
“Two,” Murphy said. “But no one dies in your plan during the attack. There are…some injuries but no one is killed in the attack. It’s quite stunning.”
Washington sat for a moment, staring again at the braided nylon strap in his fingers. “And your weapon? The one you lost?”
Mason frowned. Things had been going so well. “That’s why we’re here, sir. We haven’t been able to mount a search being behind enemy lines. If the British get it and study it, their whole culture could accelerate. Industry could develop and create different, more deadly weapons faster than you could retaliate. The war you win would establish this country, but the British would be back with better weapons of war. We didn’t want that to happen.”
“Vernon told me that the Hessian was wounded. Could he have made it back to Trenton alone?”
Mason shrugged. “We don’t know, sir.”
Higgs piped up. “If he did, sir, we can at least even out the effects. We have our rifles and more.”
Washington looked at her for a long moment. For the first time, his poker face cracked a little. “And you are?”
“Ashley Higgs, General.”
“And you’re a cadet as well?” Washington rubbed his chin. “Women serve openly in your time?”
“Yes, sir,” Higgs said.
The general turned to Murphy. “Women are our cooks. You know this is true?”
“Yes, sir,” Murphy replied. “Over the course of the next year, you’ll realize on your own that women can be of real service to the army as camp followers—doing laundry, cooking, taking care of the filthy habits of men. The result will cut dysentery and keep your army fighting. There are other isolated cases where women will help on the battlefield and in hospitals.”
“Really?” Washington’s eyebrows rose.
“But, we can do more than that,” Higgs said. “Women are equally capable as men, sir.”
Washington took a breath. “We’ll see about that, Miss Higgs. I commend your enthusiasm, but facing a wall of muskets has petrified men.”
“And where I’m from,” Higgs said, her eyes blazing, “women have saved petrified men from the battlefield and lost their lives just as honorably, sir.”
Washington almost smiled. “You make a formidable argument, Miss Higgs. Your very presence, along with Mason and Booker, have me thinking many things, but I do not have the time, nor the ability, to focus on them now. We will revisit this in a few days’ time. There is one more thing I need to know about this plan.”
Murphy replied, “Yes, sir?”
“When the Hessians strike their colors, what happens next?”
Mason looked at Murphy. We’re really going to change history now.
“Four hundred Hessians and the British dragoons escape over the bridge south of town. They warn Von Donop to the south and the British garrison at Princeton. Believing that they will attack you, you move east and attack Princeton, though not with the intent to take the town. As you retreat back to Trenton, Lord General Howe sends a message. Lord General Cornwallis is recalled from his leave—he is about to board a ship for England right now—and they march on Trenton. There is a series of skirmishes north of town. Realizing you can’t fight the full garrison in the open or in the town itself, you retreat across the river. Then, your entire army slips away in the night and the British return to Princeton. You’ll seek winter quarters farther north and have a terrible winter. But spring will bring reinforcements and new enlistments. You’ll have a new army.”
Washington looked at Mason for a long moment. “Your uniforms? Do you wear white all the time?”
“No, sir.” Mason shook his head. “It’s all about concealment. Protecting ourselves by blending into the environment makes it harder for an enemy to see us. What they can’t see, they don’t expect.”
“The French and their allies fought us the same way. The British officers believed it was cowardice to hide behind rocks and trees while they deployed their lines and went through their tedious commands. It was no wonder they hurt us so badly.” Washington shook his head. “Your army teaches you to fight that way?”
“Surprise is one of the major tenets we fight under, sir. Your example at Trenton is taught as a prime example. Surprise, the massing of troops, the application of them in synchronicity with each other. War is meant to be won, General. The players set the field.”
“Indeed,” Washington said. “Then the plan stays as it is, save for starting to cross the river earlier.”
“What about Ewing and Cadwalader?”
Washington stared into space for a minute. “Their orders will stand. Just in case something has happened across the river that changes things. Your very presence could have that effect, Mason. If your rifle is in the Hessian garrison, their alerts have a purpose beyond an irrational fear that our army is going to come and attack them at a moment’s notice.”
Mason looked at Higgs and then at Stratton. “We hadn’t thought of that, sir.”
“And nothing may happen differently than what you’ve suggested,” Washington said. “But there is a hole that must be plugged and your concealments are well suited for the task.”
Mason blinked. “You want us in the fight, sir?”
Washington nodded. “The bridge over the Assunpink Creek. Your squad will hold it. The high ground to the south of it is full of deep snow. It is a perfect place to hide you until the attack. Once we fall upon Trenton, you will prevent the Hessian and British escape as best you can.”
Mason looked at Murphy, “Didn’t you say the dragoons use their horses to cross?”
“Yeah,” Murphy replied. “The Hessians cross by the road, though.”
“How is the terrain around the bridge?” Stratton asked.
“The creek is wide but not terribly deep. Your position will be good for observation,” Washington said. “Until you’re needed.”
Mason looked at his watch. “We’ll have to start moving right now if we want to get—”
Washington nodded. “Colonel Glover is ready to move you down the river. You’ll stop on this side just before the falls and transfer to a second boat that will take you across. From there, simply move north until you can observe the bridge. Move onto the high ground and camp there. You will wait for our attack. More importantly—” Washington paused. Any levity drained from his features. “You will stay out of the attack until such time as you engage the escaping troops.”
Mason frowned. “You’re afraid we’ll do something wrong?”
Washington smiled again. Mason decided it was warm and friendly. “I’ve known a few cadets in my time, Mason.” He stood and they all stood with him. “That brings me to this,” he said. “If you’re going to serve in my army, I do not want you serving as cadets. For now, you answer only to me.”
Washington reached into his jacket and handed two documents to Mason.
“One of these are your orders and the other is a specific commission in case you run into friendly commanders who wish not to listen to your story.” Washington curled one side of his mouth under. “I doubt you’ll find that, but it’s hard to say. Keep the seals intact, nonetheless.”
“When the Hessians strike their colors, you’ll want us to report to you in Trenton?”
Washington nodded. “Yes, we’ll determine what should happen after we secure the town. For now, get back to the river and make your way south. I expect to see you in Trenton once the attack is complete.”
Stratton leaned in. “Sir? General Washington? You’re expecting us to fail, aren’t you?”
Washington’s expression was blank. “You’re questioning me?”
“Yeah,” Stratton said. As much as Mason wanted his stomach to turn, he couldn’t help thinking that Stratton might actually be right. “You’re expecting us to fail and those papers are false intelligence, aren’t they?”
Washington frowned. “In case you are caught, yes.”
“Then keep us here on this side of the river,” Mason said. “You already know the attack is going to succeed.”
“Or let us march with your army,” Stratton said. “Having us defend the bridge is tactically stupid, sir. It amounts to sitting us in a corner and then trying to have us plug a hole in your dike. If you want us there, give us what we’d need. More troops and supplies.”
“I cannot risk my army,” Washington said.
“We’re expendable,” Mason said. He looked at Stratton and they nodded at each other. “If we get there undetected, we plug a hole and keep some of the surprise factor longer. That changes how the British respond. If we get caught, or get killed in the process, we’re a deflection.”
Washington nodded. “Like your duplicitous camouflage, deception is a necessary evil, Mason.”
“So is trusting your troops, General.” Mason bent down and shouldered his rucksack. “If seeing us in Trenton is the only way you’re going to trust us, General, then we’ll see you at Rall’s headquarters. It’s in Mister Potts’ home, sir. You might have heard of it.”
“Your tone is disrespectful, Mason,” Washington said. “You forget you’re surrounded by my soldiers who can fire on you at a moment’s notice.”
“You said if we were friends that we’d have a nice conversation. You’re not going to kill us. Your intention is for the Hessians or the British to do it for you if we don’t succeed.” Mason raised the half-sleeve of his snowsuit on his right shoulder. “That flag means your men trusted you, sir. Your battle at Trenton is the start of something that will change history. If you want us there, fine. We’ll be there. But you’ve got to give us what we need and not some half-assed plan to infiltrate Trenton.”
Washington looked at Mason for a long moment, snorted once, and finally let a smile break out on his face. “Half-assed plan? I doubt Colonel Glover and his Marblehead men will agree, Mason.”
“Then prove me wrong, sir,” Mason said. “We’ll give you everything we have, sir. Do us the courtesy of returning the favor.”
Washington stepped forward, towering over Mason. He extended his hand again and they shook again. It took a moment, but Washington did the same with all of them, even kissing the hands of Higgs and Dunaway, who curtsied.
“Colonel Glover?” Washington’s voice was clear and firm.
“Aye, sir?”
“Ready your boats and provide rations and cartridges to this squad. Anything that they need, see to it that they have it. You’ll conduct them to Trenton for infiltration immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
They heard Glover giving secondary orders and Washington turned toward his horse and walked away. A few paces away, he stopped and looked over his shoulder. “Mason? If this half-assed plan works, we’ll have much more to discuss, I gather.”
“Yes, sir.” Mason smiled. “Victory or death, then, sir?”
Washington nodded. “Well said, Sergeant Mason. Victory or death. See you in Trenton on the morrow.”
You bet your ass we will. Mason turned to the squad, all watching George Washington walk away from them. “You heard the general’s orders. Ruck up, people. Team leaders on me for movement.”
Stratton and Higgs were in front of him in seconds. The pause was just long enough for him to gather his thoughts. “What’s the plan?”
Mason nodded in the direction of Colonel Glover’s voice. “I’ll see where Glover is going to put us in. We move north, like Washington said, and they get into the high ground above Trenton. From there, we see what’s going on.”
“You think we’ll find cover and concealment up there?” Higgs said.
Mason shrugged. “I don’t know. If there’s trees and snow, I think we’ll be concealed enough to recon the area when the sun comes up. All we have to do is stay warm and be ready when the army comes rolling along.”
Stratton chuckled. “Terrible pun, man.”
Mason realized he’d quoted the official army song. “That’s pretty terrible, huh?”
Higgs looked at them with a smile. “Can we get moving? Miles to go before we sleep and all that.”
Mason grinned. “No shit. Let’s go, people. Stratton, your team in front, ranger file. Head back to the river. Move out.”
* * *
Washington motioned to Glover as he took the reins of his horse. “Colonel? A word?”
Glover stepped closer so they could whisper. “I’m not to dispatch them, sir?”
“No,” Washington said. “Get them south of the falls and put them in where they can move on foot into Trenton from the south.”
Glover nodded. “I’ll need a runner to the Trenton ferry.”
“You have it,” Washington said. “Tell General Ewing’s men to put them in safely—like their raids or better.”
“You trust them, sir?”
Washington nodded. “I’m not about to question divine providence, Colonel Glover. Those young men and women are here for a reason. I intend to figure out what that reason is. For now, that means you place them as good as any soldiers under my command. We’ll see how they do on the battlefield.”
“Because they’re young and this is new to them, sir?”
Washington shook his head. “To teach them that knowledge is only a portion of the equation when it comes to combat, Colonel Glover. It’s a lesson they need to learn now, rather than later.”