The Fort: A Novel of the Revolutionary War - xaviantvision

magazines that would keep the ammunition dry, and a well deep enough to provide plentiful water. Tents housed the soldiers for the moment, but McLeanwanted those vulnerable encampments protected by the fort. He wanted high walls, thick walls, walls manned by men and studded by guns, because heknew that the southwest wind would bring more than the smell of salt and shellfish. It would bring rebels, a swarm of them, and the air would stink ofpowder-smoke, of turds and of blood."Phoebe Perkins's child contracted a fever last night," Calef said brutally."I trust she will live?" McLean said."God's will be done," Calef said in a tone which suggested God might not care very much. "They've named her Temperance.""Temperance! Oh dear, poor girl, poor girl. I shall pray for her," McLean said, and pray for ourselves too, he thought, but did not say.Because the rebels were coming.* * *Peleg Wadsworth felt awkward as he led Lieutenant-Colonel Revere into the shadowed vastness of one of the armory's stores where sparrows bickeredin the high beams above boxes of muskets and bales of cloth and stacks of iron-hooped barrels. It was true that Wadsworth outranked Revere, but he wasalmost fifteen years younger than the colonel and he felt a vague inadequacy in the presence of a man of such obvious competence. Revere had areputation as an engraver, as a silversmith, and as a metal-worker, and it showed in his hands, which were strong and fire-scarred, the hands of a manwho could make and mend, the hands of a practical man. Peleg Wadsworth had been a teacher, and a good one, but he had known the scorn of hispupils' parents who reckoned their children's futures lay not with grammar or in fractions, but in the command of tools and the working of metal, wood, orstone. Wadsworth could construe Latin and Greek, he was intimate with the works of Shakespeare and Montaigne, but faced with a broken chair he felthelpless. Revere, he knew, was the opposite. Give Revere a broken chair and he would mend it competently so that, like the man himself, it was strong,sturdy, and dependable.Or was he dependable? That was the question that had brought Wadsworth to this armory, and he wished that the errand had never been given him. Hefelt tongue-tied when Revere stopped and turned to him at the storeroom's center, but then a scuffling sound from behind a pile of broken muskets gaveWadsworth a welcome distraction. "We're not alone?" he asked."Those are rats, General," Revere said with amusement, "rats. They do like the grease on cartridges, they do.""I thought cartridges were stored in the Public Magazine?""They keep enough here for proofing, General, and the rats do like them. We call them redcoats on account they're the enemy.""Cats will surely defeat them?""We have cats, General, but it's a hard-fought contest. Good American cats and patriot terriers against dirty British rats," Revere said. "I assume youwant reassurance on the artillery train, General?""I'm sure all is in order.""Oh, it is, you can rely on that. As of now, General, we have two eighteen-pounders, three nine-pounders, one howitzer, and four little ones.""Small howitzers?""Four-pounder cannons, General, and I wouldn't use them to shoot rats. You need something heavier-built like the French four-pounders. And if you haveinfluence, General, which I'm sure you do, ask the Board of War to release more eighteen-pounders."Wadsworth nodded. "I'll make a note of that," he promised."You have your guns, General, I assure you," Revere said, "with all their sidearms, powder, and shot. I've hardly seen Castle Island these last few dayson account of readying the train.""Yes, indeed, Castle Island," Wadsworth said. He towered a head over Revere, which gave him an excuse not to meet the colonel's eyes, though hewas aware that Revere was staring at him intently as if daring Wadsworth to give him bad news. "You command at Castle Island?" Wadsworth asked, notbecause he needed confirmation, but out of desperation to say anything."You didn't need to come here to find that out," Revere said with amusement, "but yes, General, I command the Massachusetts Artillery Regiment and,because most of our guns are mounted on the island, I command there too. And you, General, will command at Majajuce?""Majajuce?" Wadsworth said, then realized Revere meant Majabigwaduce. "I am second in command," he went on, "to General Lovell.""And there are British rats at Majajuce," Revere said."As far as we can determine," Wadsworth said, "they've landed at least a thousand men and possess three sloops-of-war. Not an overlarge force, butnot risible either.""Risible," Revere said, as if amused by the word. "But to rid Massachusetts of those rats, General, you'll need guns.""We will indeed.""And the guns will need an officer in command," Revere added pointedly."Indeed they will," Wadsworth said. All the senior appointments of the expedition that was being hurriedly prepared to evict the British fromMajabigwaduce had been made. Solomon Lovell would command the ground forces, Commander Dudley Saltonstall of the Continental Frigate Warrenwould be the naval commander, and Wadsworth would be Lovell's deputy. The troops, drawn from the militias of York, Cumberland, and Lincoln counties,had their commanding officers, while the adjutant-general, quartermaster-general, surgeon-general, and brigade majors had all received their orders, andnow only the commander of the artillery train needed to be appointed."The guns will need an officer in command," Revere pressed Wadsworth, "and I command the Artillery Regiment."Wadsworth gazed at a ginger-colored cat washing itself on top of a barrel. "No one," he said carefully, "would deny that you are the man best qualifiedto command the artillery at Majabigwaduce.""So I can expect a letter from the Board of War?" Revere said."If I am satisfied," Wadsworth said, nerving himself to raise the matter that had brought him to the armory."Satisfied about what, General?" Revere asked, still looking up into Wadsworth's face.Peleg Wadsworth made himself look into the steady brown eyes. "A complaint was made," he said, "concerning the Castle Island ration demands, amatter of surplus, Colonel . . .""Surplus!" Revere interrupted, not angrily, but in a tone suggesting he found the word amusing. He smiled, and Wadsworth found himself unexpectedlywarming to the man. "Tell me, General," Revere went on, "how many troops you'll be taking to Majajuce.""We can't be certain," Wadsworth said, "but we expect to take an infantry force of at least fifteen hundred men.""And you've ordered rations for that many?""Of course.""And if only fourteen hundred men report for duty, General, what will you do with the surplus ration?""It will be accounted for," Wadsworth said, "of course.""This is war!" Revere said energetically. "War and blood, fire and iron, death and damage, and a man can't account for everything in war! I'll make asmany lists as you like when the war is over."Wadsworth frowned. Doubtless it was war, yet the Castle Island garrison, like Lieutenant-Colonel Revere himself, had yet to fire a shot at the enemy. "Itis alleged, Colonel," Wadsworth said firmly, "that your garrison was comprised of a fixed number of men, yet the ration demands consistently cited thirtynonexistent gunners."Revere gave a tolerant smile, suggesting he had heard all this before. "Consistently," he said derisively, "consistently, eh? Long words don't kill theenemy, General.""Another long word," Wadsworth said, "is peculation."The accusation was now open. The word hung in the dusty air. It was alleged that Revere had ordered extra rations that he had then sold for personalgain, though Wadsworth did not articulate that full accusation. He did not need to. Colonel Revere looked up into Wadsworth's face, then shook his headsadly. He turned and walked slowly to a nine-pounder cannon that stood at the back of the storehouse. The gun had been captured at Saratoga andRevere now stroked its long barrel with a capable, broad-fingered hand. "For years, General," he spoke quietly, "I have pursued and promoted the causeof liberty." He was staring down at the royal cipher on the gun's breech. "When you were learning books, General, I was riding to Philadelphia and NewYork to spread the idea of liberty. I risked capture and imprisonment for liberty. I threw tea into Boston Harbor and I rode to warn Lexington when theBritish started this war. That's when we first met, General, at Lexington.""I remember it'" Wadsworth began."And I risked the well-being of my dear wife," Revere interrupted hotly, "and the welfare of my children to serve a cause I love, General." He turned andlooked at Wadsworth who stood in the buttress of sunlight cast through the wide-open door. "I have been a patriot, General, and I have proved my