To Liberty

by turnaddict

. A strong minded and very intelligent young woman, Kate is not the type of woman to be so easily impressed on by a man, however, that all changes when she meets Major Benjamin Tallmadge. After the fall of Philadelphia, Katherine Allen, the eldest daughter of a wealthy merchant, comes into contact with many faces of our nation's history as she sets out on a dangerous mission.

1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: A Lost Cause

It was September 26, 1777 and all I could think was, "Does this mean it's the end?" as I held the urgent message for Father in my trembling hand. I was in the parlor reading a section of Rousseau's Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men, when the messenger galloped fiercely toward the house. Jonas, one of my father's slaves, was the one who inquired with the young man who gave him the letter and rode hard toward the village. As I stepped out outside Jonas brought the letter to me.

"An urgen' message for Master John, Miss Kate," he said handing me the message. Jonas' voice sounded concerned as to the contents of the letter.

"Thank you, Jonas." I said as I took the letter from him and returned inside the house. Something of this urgency must have be important so, naturally, I read the message for myself.

My dear brother,

Dreadful news from the war front. As you know, General Washington was defeated on the eleventh at Brandywine. Subsequent defeat followed and now the British are on Philadelphia's doorstep. Congress has fled the city, which is now utterly defenseless. By the time you receive this, General Howe is marching into Philadelphia unopposed. I am afraid our brave and noble cause is all but lost. For the meantime, Augusta and I plan to stay steadfast, we will not be deterred by this invasion. We shall maintain our supposed neutral status and use that to our advantage. As long as Washington lives, so does the cause.

Your brother and fellow patriot, Henry

The last few lines were a blur as I had my ardent attention on the line, "I am afraid our brave and noble cause is all but lost." Can it be? Traditional methods of war dictates that when the capital city of either force is captured by the enemy force, the war is over and the conqueror victorious. But this is not traditional war and Washington lives.

I folded the letter and placed it on the table in the parlor. I slumped down into the corner chair where I was reading before. I sat there for I don't know how long waiting for Father, Anne, and Bess to return from town to our farm that was merely ten miles from Philadelphia and the British.