AN- I did a little historical research here, so I wasn't completely off. Tavington's real-life counterpart Tarleton stayed in the South, mainly in South Carolina. He established his reputation as being ruthless after the fall of Charleston when he rode 40 miles north and attacked a group of 350 Continental Soldiers under the command of Col. Buford. The Americans eventually put up a white flag, but Tarleton ordered his men to attack anyway killing 113, and wounding another 150. This attack is mentioned briefly in the movie, when Gabriel comes in wounded, carrying dispatches.
Lieutenant Greene watched the tent where the young woman had disappeared. She had eaten dinner with the children, and then disappeared into the tent. He glanced back toward the groups of soldiers around the various fires. His brow furrowed when he realized that a few of the men where watching the same tent. Greene quickly checked his horse to make sure that she was ready to go. Somehow he had the feeling that something was going to happen tonight.
In her tent Rebecca waited impatiently for the soldiers to go to bed. She waltzed a few steps imagining what it would be like to be Mrs. Tavington. She smiled a silly little smile as she planned her wedding. She watched and waited as slowly the fires started to go out, as one by one the soldiers headed off to bed. She stifled a groan, as the soldiers around the fire closest to her still didn't wander off to go to sleep,
"Don't they have work to do in the morning?" she thought exasperatedly. She chanced a look outside her tent. There were three soldiers around the fire. She waited for a while longer before she lay down on the ground to see if there were soldiers around the back of her tent. Rebecca didn't see anyone but decided to wait for a bit longer before attempting to sneak out.
The colonials watching Rebecca's tent yawned. The woman hadn't done anything but sleep all night. One by one it appeared that they dropped off to sleep. Rebecca smiled to herself waiting until the last one had started snoring. Then, she crept toward the edge of the camp. She hid inside the empty mess tent waiting for the sentries to change.
When the sentries changed, the soldiers were too preoccupied with getting to bed to notice a single figure creeping out into the forest. However, that single figure didn't see the other two sentries posted to watch her. Rebecca crept toward the old farm, having no idea that she was being followed.
Rebecca nearly screamed when suddenly she saw a man in front of her. The man quickly stepped back and bowed from the waist,
"Lieutenant Greene, Madame." He said quietly.
Rebecca couldn't help but smile a little as she recognized the crisp tones of a British accent. She gave a little curtsey, and responded
"Miss Rebecca, sir."
The lieutenant straightened and pulled her toward where two horses were tethered,
"We must make haste, you were being watched."
Rebecca glanced around the woods furtively,
"If something happens you must tell Wil… Colonel Tavington about a group of Continentals to the north of Charleston."
Greene listened attentively while helping Rebecca into her saddle. He turned quickly at the sound of a twig breaking. He slapped Rebecca's horse, sending her into an immediate gallop, while jumping to follow suit. He quickly took the lead, so that Rebecca could follow him.
William paced restlessly in his tent. A week, she had been gone a week. He mentally berated himself; it wasn't as if he was never going to see her again. She would be here anytime now and then… He gave a rueful smile. Well, then he was going to marry her. He thought about it and rolled his eyes, she was going to insist upon a church, he was sure of it. He sat there and nearly laughed aloud at how he was acceding to demands that she hadn't even made. He rolled his eyes and prepared to sleep for the evening. He didn't want her to think he had been that worried while she had been gone.
The sound of hoof beats suddenly pulled him from his light sleep. He heard shouts for the surgeon and he immediately jumped up. He was out of the tent in a moment and heading toward the commotion. Young Lieutenant Greene was being placed on a stretcher. The young man saw him and tried to get up. The doctors held him down and tried to stop him from struggling, and loosing more blood,
"Colonel Tavington, sir!" he cried trying to get up.
William moved to the boy's side and forced himself to be steady,
"Calm down, man. What is it?"
Lieutenant Greene calmed down slightly as he gained Tavington's attention,
"She was leaving. She told me everything she could before they came…"
Cold fear crawled through William's veins,
"Who came?"
Greene closed his eyes,
"The colonials, They had her followed. She tried to follow me but, they shot her…" Tavington wanted to close his eyes, but he kept them staring straight ahead as Greene finished his story, "She fought them, but…"
Captain Bordon watched, as Tavington's grip on the stretcher became so tight that his knuckles turned white,
"Was she alive?" he asked quietly.
The lieutenant nodded slowly, exhaustion and blood loss catching up with him,
"Buford," the young man said closing his eyes, "She said something about Buford."
Tavington nodded to the doctors who took the stretcher toward the hospital tents. He turned and wordlessly started off toward his tent. Captain Bordon followed wordlessly,
"I want to know whatever else she told him." Tavington said expressionlessly.
"Yes, sir." Captain Bordon replied.
"I also want the location of that camp."
"Yes, sir." The captain responded quietly again. He turned to leave before turning back to his commanding officer, "She is not dead, sir."
Tavington didn't say anything so Captain Bordon started off toward the main company to begin giving orders. He never heard the Colonel's reply,
"Not yet, anyway."
Rebecca bit back a cry of pain as they cleaned the shallow bullet wound in her shoulder. She ignored the hostile stares of her captors and bit her lip. She watched nervously as the commanding officer General Gates walked into the tent.
General Gates looked at the woman in shock. She looked tired, dirty, and she was bleeding,
"This is the spy?" he asked sounding skeptical.
Colonel Macavoy, the man responsible for her capture, nodded,
"Yes sir, she was found sneaking out of the camp, where she met a British Dragoon."
Gates' eyes snapped back to the woman,
"What did you tell him?"
Rebecca, looked at him and closed her eyes tiredly,
"Tell who, sir?"
Gates advanced on her, his expression serious,
"Girl, the punishment for espionage is death. Do you want to die?"
Rebecca shook her head, refusing to answer for fear her voice would crack. Gates leaned toward her,
"If you cooperate, then perhaps we can spare your life. You are young, and young ladies are… impressionable."
Rebecca's eyes snapped open and she glared at him,
"Impressionable? Your soldiers killed my parents! The believed in their king and they were killed. I was sent to live with my sister's family, who treated me like a slave, since I thought it wrong to betray my loyalty to my king. Impressionable?" her voice rose slightly before she regained control, "I owe you no cooperation. Do what you will, sir, but I have done nothing more than to serve my King."
Gates studied the young woman and turned to Colonel Macavoy,
"What is the worst scenario?"
Macavoy shrugged,
"They know about Colonel Buford, they know where we are and the make up of our forces. There isn't really anyway to know, sir, unless she tells us.""
Gates nodded slowly before turning back to the woman on the cot,
"This is your last chance, woman."
Rebecca glared at him before turning away to face the back of the tent. Gates shook his head before looking at Macavoy,
"She is a spy and she must be treated as such."
Macavoy looked slightly surprised,
"Sir?"
Gates' gaze hardened,
"She knew what she was doing."
Macavoy saluted smartly and left the tent. Gates turned and studied the young woman again,
"You will be hung tomorrow."
Rebecca nodded her eyes shut for a moment before she forced herself to look at the general,
"What day is it?" she asked quietly.
Gates looked at her confused, but answered anyway,
"The fifth of May."
Rebecca nodded,
"Thank you."
Gates glanced at her one more time before leaving the tent. Rebecca stared at the ceiling ignoring the burning pain in her shoulder. A tear rolled down her cheek,
"William…"