For twenty-six year old Elizabeth Martin, the beginning of the war for Independence was not a welcoming event. Along with the loss of her brother Thomas and her family's home, her father and oldest brother Gabriel went to war. She and her brothers and sisters had to stay with their Aunt Charlotte, but Elizabeth was restless. She did not enjoy sitting on the sidelines as the people closest to her were being killed on a daily basis. One day, she decided to do something about it and ran away, hoping to find one of the colonial army camps before she starved to death. She traveled for three days in an outfit she'd stolen from Gabriel long ago and when she found the camp of Colonel Harry Burwell's men, she was relieved, but she also knew she had to keep her true identity a secret. Soon, an officer found her and took her to the young colonel.
"Sir, this boy was found at the edge of camp," the officer addressed the colonel and pushed Elizabeth forward. She kept her head down, trying to make it look more like a sign of respect than trying to hide her face.
"What's your name?" Colonel Burwell said. Elizabeth was quick on her feet.
"Charles Harmon, sir," she replied in the deepest voice she could muster. She didn't see the look the officer and colonel exchanged and kept looking at her shoes that were too big.
"And what are your strengths, Mr. Harmon?"
"I am an excellent marksman."
"Then I will assign you with Private Martin until he leaves with the militia. He will show you to your tent."
Elizabeth followed the officer to a tent near the edge of the woods. Gabriel was sitting outside at a small fire.
"Private," the officer addressed him when they approached Gabriel. He stood and saluted, then glanced over at Elizabeth. "You have a new tent mate." Then the officer left. As soon as Elizabeth looked at her brother, he recognized her.
"Elizabeth, what are you doing here!?" he said, stepping toward her and glancing around them, hoping no one heard him.
"I couldn't just sit around and do nothing, Gabriel," Elizabeth replied as they stepped into the tent.
"You can't stay here."
"I am staying." Then she let her waist-length hair out of her hat, throwing it over one shoulder.
"They'll find you out. Colonel Burwell knows you and would recognize you in a second."
"He didn't a few minutes ago."
"He will eventually. Or someone else will figure it out and tell him."
Then they both heard their father outside.
"Gabriel?" he said, pushing aside one of the tent flaps. When he saw Elizabeth, he just stared at her. "What are you doing here?" Elizabeth just stared at the ground, unsure of what to say to her father. He and Gabriel stared at each other for a second before Ben continued. "Gabriel, you'll be coming with me to recruit for the militia."
"But father, I'm not-" Gabriel started.
"Colonel Burwell has assigned you under my command." Then Ben looked to his oldest daughter. "Who does he think you are?" Elizabeth looked up at her father with pleading eyes. "Okay, you don't have to tell me. But I'm telling Colonel Burwell who you really are." Gabriel and Elizabeth glanced over at each other before running out of the tent after their father.
"Father! I don't think it would be wise to tell Colonel Burwell about Elizabeth," Gabriel pleaded. Ben stopped walking and turned to face his two oldest children.
"Very well," he said, looking between them. "It is apparent I have no say in what my children do anymore, so I will stay out of this." As he walked away, Gabriel and Elizabeth gave each other a weary look before Gabriel followed his father. Elizabeth retreated to the tent, unsure of what she should do. After silently arguing with herself for five minutes, she put her hair back up in her hat and walked to the other side of the camp where Colonel Burwell was. When she finally found him, he was by himself, studying a map. She felt like her heart was about to pound out of her chest as she approached the young colonel.
"Colonel Burwell?" she said timidly in her normal voice. She knew he was confused because he was completely still before turning to face her. "I just needed to tell you... I gave you false information earlier."
"I can tell," the colonel said, studying Elizabeth's face. "Miss Martin." Elizabeth looked down at her feet, slightly embarrassed. "You know you can't stay here."
"I can't go back home," she said quietly, not sure if he even heard her. "I want to fight."
"You can't, Elizabeth," the colonel said, standing up. "You know that." She finally got up the courage to look the colonel in the eye, but she didn't see anger. She saw pity. "You know I would let you stay, but I believe you know the consequences if you did." Elizabeth just stared at the colonel, at a loss for words.
"Please let me stay," she finally said, disappointed. The colonel sighed, unsure of what to do.
"Come with me," he finally said, walking out of the tent. Elizabeth followed closely, hoping she wasn't going to be sent back home. They walked to the edge of the camp, and Elizabeth saw a house in the distance. "The officers and myself are staying there tonight. You will stay there tonight, and in the morning I will decide what will happen to you." His last statement sounded like a threat to Elizabeth, but she just silently followed him to the aforementioned house. "Just stay with me." Elizabeth followed the colonel to an upstairs sitting room and he closed the door behind her. "Does your father know you're here?"
"Yes, but he said nothing about making me leave," Elizabeth replied, still staring downward. The colonel was silent for a while.
"Do you know why I'm letting you stay?" At that, Elizabeth looked up at the colonel. "Because you are just like your father and brother, and even though you are a woman, I need more people like you. So, for now you will be known as Lieutenant Colonel Charles Harmon, my second in command." Elizabeth was dumbfounded. She never would have thought the colonel would let her stay, let alone maker her his second in command. "Now, we move out in the morning, so I don't know when you will get a uniform. Just be ready." Elizabeth did not know what Colonel Burwell meant by "be ready," but she didn't have time to think about it as he gave her a steady look and continued speaking. "Would you like me to tell you the main reason I am allowing you to stay?" She stayed silent to let him continue. "You will probably be safer here. And your father told me you were here just before he left. He asked me to keep an eye on you." Elizabeth rolled her eyes, expecting that of her father.
Just then, horses could be heard approaching the house. Colonel Burwell walked to a window and when he turned back to face Elizabeth, worry was etched into his features.
"Green Dragoons," he said at Elizabeth's questioning gaze. He walked out of the room quickly and Elizabeth wasn't far behind him.
"What do you need me to do, Colonel?" she asked as they both practically ran down the stairs. The colonel stopped and turned to face Elizabeth so quickly that she accidentally ran into him.
"You will do nothing," Colonel Burwell said sharply, not realizing how close Elizabeth was standing to him. "Please," he continued in a softer tone. "I promised your father I would keep you safe."
The front door to the house burst open, and Elizabeth immediately recognized the man that walked into the house as the man that killed her brother Thomas. The man seemed to recognize her, too, so she took off her hat to show him who she was. His eyes narrowed as she watched her hair fall around her shoulders to her waist.
"What is this?" Colonel Burwell said, stepping towards the man. He wasn't even paying attention to the colonel.
"You!" the man said, walking past Colonel Burwell and pointing at Elizabeth. "You were at that farm, with that stupid little boy!" Elizabeth did not flinch when their faces were inches apart. She was furious.
"You killed my brother!" she screamed in his face, roughly shoving him. The man's icy blue eyes were full of hate as he drew back his hand and slapped her across the face. Elizabeth's head snapped to the side and the force of the slap made her eyes prickle with tears, but she was not going to show him any weakness. They had a glaring contest before Colonel Burwell cut in.
"What do you want?" the colonel said, stepping up to the two. The man stared at Colonel Burwell but didn't move. Finally, he grabbed Elizabeth's arm and started dragging her towards the door.
"No!" she shouted, attempting to free herself from his grasp. It was no use as he tightened his grip, making her yelp in pain. She looked back at Colonel Burwell with fear, both if them knowing he could do nothing to save her.