Charlotte Tavington had been in Winnsboro with William for more than a fortnight now and was perfectly miserable. The Lord General had indeed found them indoor accommodations and while Charlotte was grateful for not having to live in a tent, the accommodations were most definitely not entirely suitable.
She'd put on a brave smile when William had led her to the rude cabin which, fortunately, had two rooms, so that Ruth was able to stay with them. But the roof leaked and the house was infested with mice and bedbugs. Plus it had been cold and rainy for much of the time they'd been there.
Still, she tried not to complain as she knew others were not as fortunate. Mary Bordon was having to sleep in a tent with her daughter and husband, which Charlotte knew had to be infinitely worse. At least she did not have to deal with mud and was able to get warm enough during the cold nights.
Nevertheless, Charlotte had been fidgety and restless ever since their arrival in Winnsboro. Perhaps it was the new surroundings or perhaps she was simply tired of being pregnant, but her mood had been ever-fretful.
For William Tavington, it had been a fortnight of "hurry up and wait". The Lord General had hurriedly moved his command to Winnsboro, thinking that a major confrontation with the rebel General Daniel Morgan was imminent. However, he and his men had done little but linger in camp and wait for the order to move out ever since their arrival.
Banastre Tarleton's Legion had been sent out to chase down Morgan, but Cornwallis had decided to hold Tavington in reserve, waiting until Tarleton had cornered rebel forces before sending Tavington out as a reinforcement.
So, Tavington had been left to cool his heels in camp, with an uncomfortable, ever-fretful Charlotte, who was more than anxious to give birth and be done with her pregnancy. When the weather permitted, they went for walks to allay their cabin fever, which did help to ease the tension for both of them somewhat. Making love after such a walk did even more to help them to relax, but having to share quarters with Ruth limited when they could do so, as the servant rarely left their quarters.
Ruth Moore had arrived in Winnsboro nursing a steady flame of hope that her relationship with Marcus Tapp could be rekindled. Since he'd saved her from being ravished along the road, she'd spent the rest of the journey replaying the incident over and over in her head.
But he'd not sought her out once since they'd been garrisoned in Winnsboro, to her dismay. She'd seen him from a distance a few times coming out of the town's one tavern; once with a slatternly tavern wench on his arm. Her hopes had been cruelly dashed and she now spent most of her time moping around the cabin.
James Bordon was also unhappy in Winnsboro. Since their arrival, Mary had been increasingly fixated with getting pregnant and had cornered him every chance she got to get him to try "just one more time" to impregnate her. He'd never before thought it possible, but he was actually tired of having sex all the time.
The dragoon captain found all sorts of excuses to get away from their drafty and damp tent, often escaping with Wilkins to make endless and pointless inspections of the men. Bordon knew he was irritating Marcus Tapp by appearing in his domain so often, but Bordon didn't care. In fact, he was meanly pleased to do anything to infuriate the arrogant Sergeant Major any chance he got. It was pretty much the only pleasure Bordon took from staying in Winnsboro.
Mary Bordon was glad that the dragoons had remained in their new camp, but was worried that James seemed less eager to start a family as she was. He'd advised her just to let go of worrying about it and just let it happen when the time was right, but as much as she tried to follow his advice, her thoughts couldn't help but return to their lack of success. She'd even stopped visiting Charlotte so often, as the sight of the heavily pregnant woman only served to make her obsess more, even without the other woman having to say a word. And she knew it would be even worse, once Charlotte had given birth.
James spent a lot of time away from their tent and Mary passed the time away by working with Susan on her lessons, particularly reading and ciphering. She was glad she'd thought to bring a couple of Susan's books along, as the work helped to keep her mind occupied during the day.
As for Marcus Tapp, he was perfectly content at Winnsboro. His men were ready to fight, as he'd drilled them relentlessly during their down time in Winnsboro. There had also been plenty of time for him to spend at the tavern, drinking and wenching as well.
He'd not been to see Ruth since they'd arrived, and he regretted his casual admission to her that he cared more for her than he should. He'd seen the look of hope in her eyes and had immediately felt trapped. He'd been truthful when he'd told her that, but Tapp was determined to maintain his freedom. Marcus Tapp was beholden to no man - and he was determined not to be to any woman, either.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Three days later, in mid-January, the call finally came. Ban Tarleton sent word that he was finally closing in on Morgan and that he needed reinforcements right away, as it seemed that a battle was imminent. The Broad River, which was at flood level stage, would be hard for Morgan to ford, so Tarleton knew he'd have to stand and fight soon.
As the dragoons hurried to the northwest to meet up with Tarleton's forces, Tavington turned to Bordon and said, "Well, Bordon? You're the tactician here. Do you think we'll crush that rebel rabble as we usually do? I'm more than eager for a good scrap."
"It's hard to say," Bordon equivocated. "It would seem as if Morgan will be the one who will pick where we fight, which gives them an advantage. I'm sure he'll do his best to pick a spot unsuitable to cavalry if he can. Of course, with as hard as Tarleton is no doubt pursuing him, he might not have the luxury of having the time to pick and choose the perfect battlefield. He'll have to pick soon, as I can't see Tarleton giving him the time to ford the Broad River."
"That sounds about right," Tavington agreed. "I certainly hope Martin and his gang of miscreants decide to make an appearance; that is, if he can drag himself up from his sickbed. I have some unfinished business with him that I'd prefer to settle as soon as possible.
Seeing the feral gleam in Tavington's eyes, Bordon could almost feel sorry for Martin. Almost, but not quite. After what Martin's men had done to Mary, Bordon had lost any desire to waste sympathy on the likes of Benjamin Martin.
"We'll wipe Martin's militia from the face of the Earth, Colonel, that's what we'll do," Bordon agreed. "They've been a thorn in our sides long enough."
"Indeed." Tavington spurred his horse, eager to get it over and done with
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Benjamin Martin had been eager when the summons had come to assist Daniel Morgan, who was soon to face Banastre Tarleton's British Legion. Martin had recently recovered from a long bout with malaria and after weeks in bed, he was ready to get back into the fight. He'd spent those weeks in bed brooding about the horror William Tavington had rained down on Pembroke, and his family in particular, and his desire for revenge was now at a near-boil. The partisan fervently hope that Tavington's dragoons would be part of Tarleton's force, as Martin intended to kill the bastard at the earliest opportunity for what Tavington had done to his family. He'd not rest until he saw Tavington in the ground. The memories of Thomas, Gabriel, and all his friends from Pembroke cried out for justice.
He and his men finally caught up to Morgan at Hannah's Cowpens during the early evening of January 16th, having successfully avoided Tarleton's group on the way up. Ben had been to Cowpens once before, several months back on his abortive run to help Isaac Shelby at King's Mountain.
The men had hunkered down for the night, close by other units in Morgan's command. Martin was glad to see Billy Washington's dragoons in evidence; if anyone could give Tavington and Tarleton a run for their money, it was these men.
"Ben, it's good to see you." Daniel Morgan had come to where Martin and his men were camped to offer a few words of encouragement. "We'll give old Benny Tarleton a devil of a whipping in the morning, I promise you."
"Sir, do you happen to know if Tavington is riding with Tarleton?" Martin asked.
"I've not seen any indication of him," Morgan replied, frowning. "The last I heard about the Butcher, he was in Winnsboro with Cornwallis. But I'd not be surprised if Tarleton called for him to serve as reinforcement."
"I just hope he's here," Ben said fervently. "I have a personal score to settle with him."
"That's all well and good," Morgan said seriously. "But don't let your desire for revenge keep you from doing your proper duty."
"No, sir, I won't," Martin promised. Of course, he still intended to go immediately after Tavington the moment he laid eyes on him, regardless of what Morgan said. In the confusion of the battle, who would have time to notice?
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
After the dragoons had left for Cowpens, Ruth went for a long walk to clear her head. Mary Bordon had come to visit with Miss Charlotte, which made the young woman want to immediately leave the cramped cabin she shared with the Tavingtons.
Ever since Mistress Bordon had made her opinion of Marcus Tapp quite clear, Ruth had avoided the woman. She wanted to tell the other woman off; that her relationship with Marcus was none of her business, but knew it would make things awkward for Miss Charlotte if she did. So, she simply avoided the woman whenever it was possible.
As she strolled up Winnsboro's one street, Ruth suddenly realized that young Susan was running to catch up to her. She paused for a moment to allow the young girl to meet her.
"Felt like a walk, too, did you?" Ruth said, smiling at the young girl. After Susan nodded, Ruth added, "Well, come along, then."
"I couldn't bear listening to Mama and Mistress Tavington talk about how worried they are about Captain James and Colonel Tavington," the little girl reported. "It makes me sad to think about things like that."
"I understand," Ruth said, smiling. "But it's normal to worry about those you love when they're going into danger."
"I suppose that means that you're missing Sergeant Tapp, then," Susan said, guilelessly. "Did you go on a walk to think about him?"
"How did you…?" Ruth asked, flabbergasted. She stopped and looked down at the young girl.
"Oh, I hear things," Susan said airily. "You and Miss Charlotte were talking about your babies in the carriage all the way up here." Grinning in delight, she continued, "You're having a baby with Sergeant Tapp, aren't you?"
"Oh, my, how did you figure that out?" Ruth demanded.
"I could tell by the way you looked at him when he brought you back from the creek that day," the young girl said confidently. "You had that same look in your eyes that Mama gets when she looked at my father and now at Captain James."
"I didn't know I was that obvious," Ruth said, chagrined.
Moving right along, Susan confided, "Mama and Captain James don't like Sergeant Tapp very much. But I don't understand why they don't." Sighing dreamily, she said, "I think he's ever so handsome and dashing and if I were a grown lady, I'd want to marry him!"
Ruth chuckled ruefully at the young girl's artless admission, then said, "Be glad you're a little girl and enjoy it while you can."
Still chuckling to herself a few moments later, she imagined exactly how Susan's parents would react if they only knew how their young daughter felt about Marcus.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The battle at Cowpens began very early the next morning, with Tarleton's men eagerly advancing forward to attack the American forces. In the battle that quickly ensued, it soon become evident that the battle was going in favour of the rebels, however.
Benjamin Martin did not see Tavington at first, as Tavington's dragoons had been held in reserve behind the British infantry. Ben had been with the skirmishers up front, first, but when they retreated to reform behind the Continentals, he had lingered near the front, in order not to miss Tavington once the dragoons were deployed. He hunkered down by a tree to wait, in an area unsuitable for cavalry.
Finally, the 71st Highlanders moved forward to attack, with Tavington leading his dragoons in a flanking manoeuvre to protect the 71st. They were met by several Continental dragoons, which resulted in a clashing melee of sabres.
Ben Martin remained behind his tree, waiting for just the right opening to attack Tavington. He didn't have to wait long. The dragoon's horse veered suddenly to the left to avoid the sabre of a charging Continental dragoon, who continued on past Tavington to slash at several of the Highlanders.
Tavington's horse caught its front left hoof in a hole in the ground only slightly larger that its hoof. The animal lost its footing, throwing Tavington unceremoniously from the saddle to land mostly unscathed on his bum not far from where Martin waited. Spooked, the animal ran off, soon lost in the confusion of fighting men.
Seeing his chance, Martin rushed from his hiding place brandishing his tomahawk. To his annoyance, however, the dragoon was able to regain his footing before Martin could bury the weapon in Tavington's skull, with him overshooting his target. No matter, though, Martin wanted Tavington to know who killed him. He wanted his face to be the last thing the Butcher saw before being sent to hell.
By the time Martin had gathered himself back up and returned to Tavington, the dragoon had drawn his pistol and fired. Ben managed to dart to the side, with the bullet grazing him across the outside of his leg. Still, it was exceedingly painful and made him bleed like a stuck pig. The partisan stumbled like a drunken man as Tavington rushed up to him, now with sabre drawn.
Martin raised his tomahawk to block Tavington's sabre and the two men danced around, blocking and parrying the other's moves.
"I'm going to send you straight to hell for what you did to my sons and the people of Pembroke," Martin grunted as he continued to struggle with Tavington. "And, God as my witness, I won't give you an easy death."
With a scornful sneer, Tavington shot back, "Well, let us just see who is the better man, shall we? It seems as if I am, as Charlotte chose to marry me, rather than a unrefined bumpkin like you."
"I should have let Rollins hump her to death," Martin jeered as he lunged, nicking Tavington's ear in the process. "And I'll be in her bed soon after I put you in the ground, mark my words. But not before I kill that bastard she's carrying. It's bad blood that has no right to live."
Incensed by Martin's words, Tavington swung his sabre, laying open Martin's cheek to the bone.
He moved to swing again, but was blocked by Martin's tomahawk. "You have a daughter, Martin, don't you?" he said in an almost conversational tone. "Fourteen or fifteen, isn't she?" Pushing hard against the shorter weapon, Tavington told him, "After the battle after I've killed you, I'm going to go find her."
Martin swung again, missing Tavington entirely.
Unfazed, Tavington continued, "When I find her, I'm going to bust her…and what a busting it's going to be!"
Martin lost all restraint at this point. Screaming in uncontrollable rage, Martin threw himself at Tavington, with the force of his anger catching Tavington off-guard and knocking him to the ground. He swung again, giving Tavington a glancing blow to his sword arm, which caused the dragoon to drop the sabre.
Ben kicked the sabre away, grinning maniacally. "I've got you now, you fucking bastard. And I'm going to enjoy chopping you into small pieces, truly, I am."
Before he could move in to make good his threat, Martin's eyes widened with shock as he was run through with a sabre from behind. As he fell, mortally wounded, Marcus Tapp brought his horse to a stop by Tavington.
Tavington scrambled to his feet and quickly retrieved his sabre. Glancing up at Tapp, he growled, "He's mine, Tapp!"
Nodding in agreement, the Sergeant Major nevertheless remained to protect his commander and to keep anyone from interfering with what Tavington was about to do.
Standing over Martin, whose hands were scrabbling uselessly at the tip of Tapp's sabre protruding from his chest, Tavington looked down at Martin, his cold eyes pitiless. "Time to say goodbye, Martin."
Moving forward, Tavington stuck the point of his sabre on Martin's throat and bore down with all his strength
With no more than a single strangled gurgle, Martin was dead. Tavington braced one foot on Martin's shoulder and yanked his sabre out of Martin's neck, then kicked him onto his stomach to retrieve Tapp's sabre.
Turning away from the corpse, he ambled over to Marcus Tapp. "I think you'll be wanting your sabre back, Tapp," he said, handing it up to him. "I am, of course, grateful for your timely assistance."
Tapp briefly nodded his acknowledgment, then pointed into the nearby trees. "Your horse, Colonel."
Tavington turned to see the faithful animal waiting patiently by the same tree that Martin had hid behind. After quickly mounting up, he and Tapp retreated back to where Tarleton's dragoons were racing from the field, the British forces in a complete rout.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Author's Note: Because Tavington was, of course, not at the Battle of Cowpens in real life, I had to change certain historical details of the battle in order to fit him in.
General Daniel Morgan actually referred to Ban Tarleton as "Benny".
Tavington's line "When I find her, I'm going to bust her…and what a busting it's going to be!" was again taken from the Sharpe Series' Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill, specifically from the TV adaptation of "Sharpe's Enemy".
There's a new post on my blog,"My Choice for Marcus Tapp". My blog may be accessed through my profile here.