From Chapter One of 1777 - Danbury on Fire!
Our book's hero, Joe Hamilton goes to bat against the town bully, who has just mentioned robbing Joe's family...
This direct focus on what my family owned did not sound good. The crowd suddenly stopped talking as Isaiah took the stage and our audience gathered.
“I jus’ love pig fat drippin’ into the fire. My mouth be waterin’ already.” Hands over green-mottled teeth indicated laughter. That or drool.
Shaking with amusement, Isaiah leaned closer to me and snorted like a pig. “If the Big Raid happens, I’ll end up rich and you’ll end up robbed!”
Isaiah made a showy pause, finger in the air, while he pretended to think. “On second thought, just keep them smelly pigs. Your peace-lovin’ Daddy won’t be needing his fancy horse no more. At midnight, I bet I could grab that nasty nag right out’n your broken-down shed.”
Stung by the threats, I took dead aim and let fly, “Your weight would break any horse’s back. What day are you going to join up, fat rebel boy? Got a gun already?”
The two Tories applauded my new bravery, clapping hands over their heads. I loved it when
older boys liked my act, so I readied more ammunition.
“Just throwing your weight around?” I challenged.
Isaiah walked closer to me, puffed up a little bigger than usual. I didn’t flinch, since David had my back.
“I can claw up a gun and a horse any time,” Isaiah sneered, “‘cause I takes what I wants. I don’t care where I gets it from, neither.” Rebel confiscation activities gave criminals free rein to snatch anything and blame “Patriotism.”
“Do you ever do anything or you just boast and steal?” I shot back.
A shiver surged around the group, such as occurs before a fight. Isaiah preened for the two girls, who made faces of disgust before they edged away.
An odd thing happened then. The bullying look drained from Isaiah’s face as he motioned us closer. His voice turned low and confiding. “I turn sixteen on Sunday, so I gots to enlist. I wants to fight, but I ain’t doin’ it for free. The Continentals offer twenty pounds bounty money now.”
To the Hon. John Hancock, Esq., President of Congress. State of Massachusetts-Bay, Boston, December 30, 1776.
It was found necessary to make an addition of twenty pounds to the Continental bounty, in lieu of the additional wages that were intended, said bounty to be given to each effective man enlisting to serve three years, or during the war, and payable in two equal notes, issued by our Treasurer, on interest, at six per cent., payable in four years from their dates.
“Why do the rebels offer pounds instead of rebel dollars?” asked a Tory boy. “No takers on their own worthless paper? Plus, they likely won’t pay ‘til the year 1800!” He and his friend slapped each other’s well-dressed backs.
Isaiah issued a dirty look. “The Patriots will give land away after the war, too!” Isaiah stuck up his nose, as proud as if he already owned a whole farm.
“Not worried about starving while you wait? After the last war, the king promised my grandfather Hamilton three thousand acres. He got nothing!”
This direct focus on what my family owned did not sound good. The crowd suddenly stopped talking as Isaiah took the stage and our audience gathered.
“I jus’ love pig fat drippin’ into the fire. My mouth be waterin’ already.” Hands over green-mottled teeth indicated laughter. That or drool.
Shaking with amusement, Isaiah leaned closer to me and snorted like a pig. “If the Big Raid happens, I’ll end up rich and you’ll end up robbed!”
Isaiah made a showy pause, finger in the air, while he pretended to think. “On second thought, just keep them smelly pigs. Your peace-lovin’ Daddy won’t be needing his fancy horse no more. At midnight, I bet I could grab that nasty nag right out’n your broken-down shed.”
Stung by the threats, I took dead aim and let fly, “Your weight would break any horse’s back. What day are you going to join up, fat rebel boy? Got a gun already?”
The two Tories applauded my new bravery, clapping hands over their heads. I loved it when
older boys liked my act, so I readied more ammunition.
“Just throwing your weight around?” I challenged.
Isaiah walked closer to me, puffed up a little bigger than usual. I didn’t flinch, since David had my back.
“I can claw up a gun and a horse any time,” Isaiah sneered, “‘cause I takes what I wants. I don’t care where I gets it from, neither.” Rebel confiscation activities gave criminals free rein to snatch anything and blame “Patriotism.”
“Do you ever do anything or you just boast and steal?” I shot back.
A shiver surged around the group, such as occurs before a fight. Isaiah preened for the two girls, who made faces of disgust before they edged away.
An odd thing happened then. The bullying look drained from Isaiah’s face as he motioned us closer. His voice turned low and confiding. “I turn sixteen on Sunday, so I gots to enlist. I wants to fight, but I ain’t doin’ it for free. The Continentals offer twenty pounds bounty money now.”
To the Hon. John Hancock, Esq., President of Congress. State of Massachusetts-Bay, Boston, December 30, 1776.
It was found necessary to make an addition of twenty pounds to the Continental bounty, in lieu of the additional wages that were intended, said bounty to be given to each effective man enlisting to serve three years, or during the war, and payable in two equal notes, issued by our Treasurer, on interest, at six per cent., payable in four years from their dates.
“Why do the rebels offer pounds instead of rebel dollars?” asked a Tory boy. “No takers on their own worthless paper? Plus, they likely won’t pay ‘til the year 1800!” He and his friend slapped each other’s well-dressed backs.
Isaiah issued a dirty look. “The Patriots will give land away after the war, too!” Isaiah stuck up his nose, as proud as if he already owned a whole farm.
“Not worried about starving while you wait? After the last war, the king promised my grandfather Hamilton three thousand acres. He got nothing!”
