The Fort: A Novel of the Revolutionary War - xaviantvision

Chapter TwelveAnd, suddenly, there was hope.After the disappointment of the previous day, after the ignominious flight of the militia from an enemy force scarce a quarter its size, there was suddenlya new spirit, a second chance, an expectation of success.Hoysteed Hacker was the cause. Captain Hacker was the tall naval captain who had captured HMS Diligent, and he was rowed ashore at first light andclimbed to the clearing in the woods that served as Lovell's headquarters. "The commodore has vanished," he told Lovell who was taking breakfast at atrestle table."Vanished?" Lovell gazed up at the naval captain. "How do you mean? Vanished?""Gone," Hacker said in his expressionless, deep voice, "vanished. He was with the sailors who were attacked yesterday, and I suppose he wascaptured." Hacker paused. "Maybe killed." He shrugged as if he did not much care."Sit down, Captain. Have you eaten?""I've eaten.""Have some tea, at least. Wadsworth, did you hear this news?""I just did, sir.""Sit, do," Lovell said. "Filmer? A cup for Captain Hacker." Wadsworth and Todd were sharing the bench opposite Lovell. Hacker sat beside the generalwho gazed at the big, impassive naval officer as if he were Gabriel bringing news from heaven. Fog drifted through the high trees. "Dear me," Lovellfinally comprehended the news, "so the commodore is captured?" He did not sound in the least dismayed."Or killed," Hacker said."Does that make you the senior naval officer?" Lovell asked."It does, sir.""How did it happen?" Wadsworth asked, and listened as Hacker described the unexpected attack by the British marines who had driven the sailorssouthwards from the battery on Haney's land. The commodore had been separated from the rest who had all made it safely back to the river's bank southof Cross Island. "So no casualties?" Wadsworth asked."None, sir, except perhaps the commodore. He might have been hurt.""Or worse," Lovell said, then added hastily, "pray God it isn't so.""Pray God," Hacker said equally dutifully.Lovell flinched as he bit into some twice-baked bread. "But you," he asked, "you are now in command of the fleet?""I reckon so, sir.""You've taken command of the Warren?" Wadsworth asked."Not formally, sir, no, but I'm the senior naval officer now, so I'll move to the Warren this morning.""Well, if you commmand the fleet," Lovell said sternly, "I must make a request of you.""Sir?" Hacker asked."I must ask you, Captain, to attack the enemy shipping.""That's why I came here," Hacker said stolidly."You did?" Lovell seemed surprised."Seems to me, sir, we should attack soon. Today." Hacker pulled a ragged piece of paper from his pocket and spread it on the table. "Can I suggest amethod, sir?""Please," Lovell said.The paper was a pencil-drawn chart of the harbor which marked the enemy's four ships, though Hacker had put a cross over the hull of the SaintHelena, the transport which lay at the southern end of Mowat's line. She was only there to stop the Americans sailing around Mowat's flank and herarmament of six small guns was too light to be a cause of concern. "We have to attack the three sloops," Hacker said, "so I propose taking the Warren into attack the Albany." He tapped the chart, indicating the central sloop of Mowat's three warships. "I'll be supported by the General Putnam and theHampden. They'll anchor abreast of the North and Nautilus, sir, and give them fire. The General Putnam and Hampden will be hit hard, sir, it'sunavoidable, but I believe the Warren will crush the Albany quickly enough and then we can use our heavy guns to force the surrender of the other twosloops." Hacker spoke in an expressionless tone which gave the impression of a slow mind, an impression that Wadsworth realized was quite false.Hacker had given the problem a great deal of impressive thought. "Now, sir," the naval captain continued, "the commodore's concern was always the fortand its guns. They can plunge shot down into our ships and for all we know they might have heated shot, sir.""Heated?" Lovell asked."Not a pleasant thought, sir," Hacker said. "If a red-hot shot lodges in a ship's timber, sir, it can start a fire. Ships and fire aren't the best of friends, so Iwant to keep the enemy's shots away from the leading ships as far as that's possible. "I'm proposing that the Sally, Vengeance, Black Prince, Hector,Monmouth, Sky Rocket, and Hunter should follow us into the harbor and make a line of battle here." He indicated a dotted line which he had drawnparallel to the harbor's northern shore. "They can shoot up at the fort, sir. They'll do little enough damage, but they should distract the enemy gunners, sir,and draw their fire away from the Warren, the General Putnam, and Hampden.""This is feasible?" Lovell asked, scarcely daring to believe what he was hearing."Tide's right this afternoon," Hacker said in a very matter-of-fact voice. "I reckon it will taken an hour and a half to get the first three ships into positionand an hour's work to destroy their sloops. But I'm worried that we'll have the best part of our fleet in the harbor, sir, and even after we've taken the enemyvessels we'll still be under the cannons in their fort.""So you want us to attack the fort?" Wadsworth guessed."I think that's advisable, sir," Hacker said respectfully, "and I plan to put one hundred marines ashore, sir, to aid your endeavor. Might I suggest theyoccupy the lower ground with some of your militia?" He put a broad, tar-stained finger on the map, indicating the land between the fort and the Britishships."Why that ground?" Lovell asked."To prevent the enemy's marines coming ashore from the defeated ships," Hacker explained, "and if our marines assault the fort from the south, sir,then the rest of your forces can attack from the west.""Yes," Peleg Wadsworth said enthusiastically, "yes!"Lovell was silent. The fog was too thick to allow any gunner to shoot accurately so the cannons of both sides were quiet. A gull called. Lovell wasremembering the shame of the previous day, the sight of McCobb's militia running away. He flinched at the memory."It will be different this time," Wadsworth said. He had been watching Lovell's face and had divined the general's thoughts."In what manner?" Lovell asked."We've never used all our men to attack the fort, sir," Wadsworth said. "We've only attacked the enemy piecemeal. This time we use all our strength!How many cannon will we take into the harbor?" This question was put to Hoysteed Hacker."Those ships," Hacker put a tar-stained finger on his chart, "will carry over two hundred cannon, sir, so say a hundred guns in broadside."