The General's Christmas Read Free

Greene's eyes
brightened, "If we have enough boats to cross the river and could
make a surprise attack, I think we can."
    Washington nodded, "I think we should also
attack Trenton. It's not so large and well-fortified that it would
be difficult to take. We'd then control both sides of the Delaware
along this stretch. We urgently need supplies. According to our
scouts, the Hessian troops there have plenty."
    Greene replied, "I have every faith that
Colonel Knox can take our cannon across the river, even if the
river is solid ice."
    Washington leaned forward, speaking
earnestly. "To achieve a surprise attack, we'll need to cross the
river at points north and south of the city, then move in quietly
until we're upon them. To do that we'll have to cross in the
dark."
    "Which comes fairly early this time of year,"
Greene added.
    Washington paused to take
another sip of wine and to ponder the idea. Already his solemn mood
was lifting as the hope of a victory lifted his spirits. To his
credit, he was not one to dwell on past failures. He set down his
glass.
    "Call a Council of War for this evening at
six. I want to hear what the others have to say on this
subject."
    "Yes, Sir. I was going to
ask you to dine with me at my quarters. Tonight is Christmas Eve.
I'll notify the others and invite them as well."
    Washington shook his head in disbelief,
"Christmas Eve already? Well then, the sooner we take action, the
better. Time is against us."
     
    Corporal Baylor carried the letters past the
campfires where men stood, talking about their dismal situation.
Many coughed deeply and spit from the illness that had spread
through the camp when the cold weather arrived. Some spoke angrily,
discouraged by defeat and the lack of basic supplies such as food
and clothes, and others silently suffered the humiliation of
defeat. They had marched from Boston to New York City, up to White
Plains, and then across the North River now known as the Hudson,
into New Jersey through Princeton and Trenton. They were chased
across the Delaware River to their camp, all in the past few weeks,
in a constant retreat from the enemy. Their ragged dress and
haggard faces bore witness to their dire state.
    Baylor noted these things
and avoided the eyes that followed him as he passed. He knew they
wondered what it was like to sleep in a bed indoors, or to be fed
regular meals with the general. He consoled himself with the
knowledge that none of them could do his job. Many soldiers
couldn't read or make more than an 'X' for their names. Corporal
Baylor had graduated from Harvard College three years ago and had
the skills the general needed. Although this gave him a distinct
advantage, he felt somewhat guilty because he knew what it was like
to be cold and hungry. He had worked his way through college,
living in cheap rooms without heat and living on barely enough food
until he finished his studies. With his law degree, he had hoped to
join a practice in Boston and establish himself.
    Before the war began, his
family had suffered losses when Boston Harbor was closed by order
of Parliament as retribution for the Boston Tea Party. His father's
warehouse business went into ruin, so his family left the city. His
mother died six years ago of illness and his father, a Minuteman,
was later killed at the battle of Concord. Baylor had done his best
to raise his younger brother and sister until his aunt and uncle
took them to their home in Salem. He knew cold and hunger and had
vowed never to feel it again once he had his education. But he also
believed in the American cause. He had seen homes and businesses
ravaged by British soldiers, and he shared his father's ambition to
see the colonies freed from British rule.
    He reached the house and
stepped inside just as Major General Nathaniel Greene was leaving.
The major was one of Washington's inner circle of trusted officers,
with whom he consulted on military matters more than any other
soldier.
    "Corporal, I've called a meeting at