“If they come back,” Pierre corrected him.
“Oh, they’re coming back. My papa says so,” declared Adrien. “Some are so convinced of the British coming back that they are leaving Vincennes.”
“Leaving?” exclaimed Pierre. “I have not heard about this!”
Adrien nodded. “My papa has sold two canoes and built four other small boats for people headed downriver to flee the British.”
“Where will they go?” asked Quentin.
Adrien shrugged. “I don’t know. Just away from here.”
“It does sound like the entire village is in an uproar,” declared Pierre. “We must increase our spy missions. We have to find out about the British! We need more information!”
Gaspard hadn’t spoken a single word since he arrived. He looked very sad and upset. His eyes were swollen a bit and looked as if he had been crying.
Pierre asked, “What’s the matter with you, Gaspard?”
The glum boy didn’t make eye contact with the others. He just kept staring at the bare ground in the center of their circle.
“Gaspard?” Pierre inquired again.
The forlorn boy raised his head slowly and looked at his pals. “Things are bad at home. My mama is so sad all of the time. She cries day and night.” His lip quivered just a bit. “I don’t like to see her this way.”
“Why is she so upset?” asked Jean-Luc.
“Because Papa has been gone for so long. He and Mr. Grimard and the other men on the patrol have been gone for almost two weeks, and we haven’t heard a single word from them for many days now.” He paused thoughtfully. “Mama is convinced that something terrible has happened to them. That must be why the messages from them have stopped.” He looked sadly at Pierre. “Your mother is going to visit Captain Bousseron this afternoon to demand information about our fathers.”
Pierre was surprised, and a little bit upset, that his mother had not told him about this upcoming
meeting with the captain of the militia. He smiled and attempted to reassure his friend.
“Do not worry, Gaspard. I will find out what is going on. Your father and my father are just fine. You’ll see.”
Gaspard wiped his nose and smiled. “I hope they’re all right. I miss my papa. He’s never been gone from home this long.”
“I miss my papa, too. But it’s during times like these that we have to stick together. Right, guys?”
The other boys answered in unison, “Right!”
~
It took quite a bit of begging, but Pierre somehow managed to convince his mother to allow him to attend her meeting with Captain Bousseron. She made Pierre promise that he would sit quietly and not say a word. He agreed. They left his younger brothers with Mrs. Turpin and made the short walk to Fort Patrick Henry.
The captain welcomed them warmly and invited them to sit in comfortable chairs beside his toasty fireplace. The militia commander wasted no time getting to the subject of the visit.
“I understand that you are upset with our current situation. What, exactly, are your concerns, Genevieve?” inquired Captain Bousseron.
“My concerns, Francois? Well, my one and only concern is the fact that my husband is missing! I have not heard a single word from him in over a week! houldn’t he have returned to the fort by now?”
“Genevieve, you know that Pierre and his men are on a long-range patrol, very far to the north. It should come as no surprise that they have not yet returned.”
“But shouldn't we have received some word? A note from a messenger? Something?” She was almost hysterical.
He agreed, “It is a bit odd that we have received no reports from him in the past five days. But there could be any number of explanations for that. He may have moved his team upriver for a better vantage point. There were heavy rains a few days ago. They may be dealing with swollen creeks and streams. My dear, it is best not to jump to any wild conclusions. You must be patient and have faith.”
He stood and walked around the desk, extending his hand to Genevieve in a most gentlemanly manner. She took his hand and rose to her feet. Little Pierre stood, as well. The captain escorted both of them toward the door.
“Mrs. Grimard, I urge you to return to your home, care for your children, and wait patiently. You must assume the best, not the worst. The moment that I receive word from your husband, I will send a runner to fetch you. All right?” He smiled warmly.
“Yes, Francois. You’re right, of course. I need to remain calm. I need to have faith in my husband.” She smiled at the captain. “I am grateful for your time.”
“You are most welcome, Genevieve. My door is always open to you and to any of the other wives of my men.”
Captain Bousseron was just about to reach for the latch on the door when the heavy wooden portal suddenly exploded open in his face. He had to block the door with his foot to keep it from slamming into Mrs. Grimard.
He scolded the young private who had burst into his office. “Philippe, what is your reason for barging into my office in such a rush? You almost injured Mrs. Grimard!”
“I’m sorry, sir. But a runner just returned from upriver! The British are upon us! They are camped only two miles to our north! Surely they will invade tomorrow!”
“Good God!” exclaimed the captain.
“That’s not all, sir.” The soldier reached into his shooting pouch and pulled out a crumpled, folded paper marked with a red wax seal. “The runner brought this letter, given to him under parley, by a British officer in one of their forward patrols. Our runner was instructed to deliver it only to you, Captain, and not to the commander of the Virginians.”
Captain Bousseron reached for the note with a trembling hand. He carefully broke the wax seal and unfolded the letter. He scanned its words quickly. His face became gray and pale.
“What does it say, Francois?” demanded Genevieve Grimard.
The captain cleared his throat and read the note aloud.
To the Commander of the French Militia in Vincennes,
The combined armies of Great Britain and her Indian allies are within striking distance of your village. We will enter your town and lay siege upon Fort Sackville before noon tomorrow. The French militiamen in the fort are hereby ordered to lay down their weapons and return to their homes in peace.
If you do not resist, you will be treated fairly and allowed to pursue your daily lifestyles, work, and businesses. There will be no harsh consequences for your recent mutinous alliance with the Virginia rebels. You will be given new oaths to King George III and welcomed gladly back into protection of the British Empire.
However, if you do not lay down your weapons immediately, I will regard the entire village as being hostile to the British Crown. I will unleash the several hundred Indians under my command to enter and utterly destroy your town.
Signed,
Henry Hamilton, Lieutenant Governor - Fort Detroit
Pierre could not believe what he had just heard! The Redcoats were on the verge of invading Vincennes! They had Indians with them, ready to attack the village!
He stared in disbelief at his mother. She looked strange. Something was wrong with her.
“Mama, are you all right?”
Genevieve Grimard looked sadly at her son, made brief eye contact with Captain Bousseron, and then her eyes rolled back in her head as she collapsed and fainted.
chapter seven
preparing for the enemy
Pierre did not know what to do to help his mother. He was just glad that Captain Bousseron had been there to catch her when she fell.
The captain nodded toward his large desk chair. “Pierre, pull the chair out from behind my desk and place it in the corner.”
“Yes, sir.” Pierre obeyed immediately.
Captain Bousseron carried Genevieve Grimard toward the large, comfortable chair. He carefully laid her down on the padded seat and rested her head against the corner. Her face was as pale as a clean, white sheet. Pierre was terribly worried.
The man saluted and answered, “Right away, sir!” He turned and ran quickly out of Bousseron’s office.
“Pierre, bring me that pitcher of water and the washcloth. We need to revive your mother.”
Pierre fetched the pitcher of water and cloth from the wash table and carried it to the captain. The militia officer doused the cloth with the cold water and placed it in Pierre’s hand. “Wipe your mother’s face with this. Speak gently to her. She should awaken in a short while. Do not worry, Pierre. She is just fine. Women sometimes do this when they are upset … or when they are expecting a child.” He smiled at Pierre.
Captain Bousseron marched over to the door and called for some militiamen who were standing outside in the courtyard of the fort. Three soldiers instantly answered his call.
The captain pointed at Pierre’s mother. “Gentlemen, I need you to help Mrs. Grimard back to her home. Once she is safely there, I want you to go and fetch Mrs. Turpin to stay with her. When you are certain of her safety you must return to the fort immediately. The French militia will meet within the hour. Do you understand?”
All three men responded, “Yes, sir.” They placed their weapons against the wall and began to tend to Genevieve. Her eyes fluttered slightly as she began to awaken.
“Come with me, Pierre.” The captain walked out of the door onto the porch. Pierre tossed the cloth into the water basin and followed him. Once outside Captain Bousseron knelt down and placed his hand on Pierre’s shoulder. “Son, I probably should not have read the note in your presence. I need you to keep secret everything that you heard here this afternoon. Do you understand?”
Pierre nodded. “I understand, Captain. What are you going to do? What will you tell the American officer?”
Captain Bousseron grinned proudly at Pierre. “You are a smart little lad, aren’t you?”
“Smart enough to know that you have a decision to make … whether the men of Vincennes will surrender or stand with the Americans and fight the British and their Indians.”
The captain nodded grimly. “It is a difficult decision for me, Pierre.”
“I know that you will do what is right for Vincennes, Captain.”
Pierre’s mother appeared at the door. She was still shaky, but able to walk. A militiaman stood on each side of her, supporting her arms to help her stand.
One stood behind her just in case she happened to faint again. She seemed a bit embarrassed.
She declared, “Captain Bousseron, I sincerely apologize for my female silliness. I do not know what came over me.”
“The news shocked you, Mrs. Grimard. There is nothing for which you need to feel ashamed. The promise that I made to you earlier still remains. The moment that I hear something about your husband I will send for you.”
She nodded. “Come, Pierre. Let us return home.”
Captain Bousseron interjected, “Would it be possible for me to borrow your son for the remainder of the day, Mrs. Grimard? I find myself short of runners, and he would be most useful to me here at the fort this afternoon.”
Pierre’s mother eyed both the captain and Pierre suspiciously. It appeared that she might deny the request. Pierre was beyond thrilled when she answered, “I suppose that would be all right. But I would want him home in time for supper.”
“Suppertime might be difficult. I will see that the boy is fed here at the fort. How about bedtime tonight?” He paused. “I could really use the extra help, Genevieve.”
She reluctantly nodded her assent.
“Bedtime it is, then,” responded the captain. “Meanwhile, my men will see you home and safely in the care of Mrs. Turpin.”
“Thank you, Francois.” She turned and walked with the three officers toward the gate of the fort.
The captain waited until she was out of earshot, then whispered to Pierre, “I know that you have been snooping around outside my office, Pierre. You have been listening to our private conversations.”
Pierre stared at the captain wide-eyed. He didn’t say a word. Fear gripped his heart. What would the captain do? Pierre thought, “Is he going to punish me?”
“You have turned into quite an industrious little spy, haven’t you?”
Again, Pierre just stared. He simply did not know what to say.
Captain Bousseron sighed deeply. “I suppose that if you plan to be a spy in my fort, it would be best if you were actually working for me. Does that sound agreeable to you?”
Pierre grinned and nodded.
“All right then, Pierre. I have a mission for you. Are you up to it?”
Pierre nodded excitedly. “Absolutely, sir! Just tell me what you need me to do.”
“I want you to find the American, Captain Helm, and keep an eye on him for me. See if he acts in any way like he knows about the British coming. He is probably just lounging around his quarters, as usual. Don’t talk to him. Just watch him. Report back to me just before sunset. I will meet with our militia before that time. Then I will send you to fetch him to my office so I can tell him what the French militiamen are planning to do. Can you handle that important assignment?”
“You can count on me, sir!”
Captain Bousseron chuckled. “I knew that I could.”
~
The sun had just gone down. The Frenchmen had made their decision. They were not going to resist the British. The men were in agreement that they could not take any action that might endanger their homes and families. Governor Hamilton’s threat to unleash his Indian horde upon the village was enough to make the Frenchmen lay down their weapons and return to their homes. The fort was empty and undefended.
Little Pierre had just brought Captain Leonard Helm of the American army to Captain Bousseron’s office. The American was not happy. Pierre did not leave Bousseron’s office after fetching the American there. He simply sat down in a chair in a dark corner of the room and listened to the two arguing officers. The men didn’t seem to notice that he was still there.
Captain Helm almost screamed at Bousseron. “A fine bunch of soldiers you Frenchmen turned out to
be! Your men tucked their tails and ran home the moment they heard the word, ‘British!’”
Captain Bousseron pleaded, “You must understand, Leonard. They had no other choice!”
“That’s a lie!” bellowed Helm. “You and your men could stand with us and fight!”
“Stand with who? The three of you? And with only one small cannon? Don’t you understand Hamilton’s threat? This is not some faraway battlefield. This fort stands only a few hundred yards from our homes! Our wives and our children and grandchildren are just a short distance down the street.”
Captain Bousseron paused and gathered his thoughts.
“Leonard, the British have threatened to unleash their Indians upon us. You know what that means! They would slay and scalp every Frenchman in this town. They would burn and utterly destroy our homes and our village. There is no way that these local men could be expected to resist such a powerful force of enemy soldiers!”
“Yes, they could, Captain! Courage is a choice. Cowering down and running from a fight is a choice. And it seems that your men have already made their choice. There aren’t a dozen Frenchmen left inside the walls of this fort. The rest of them have melted into the darkness and are now hiding under the skirts of their women!”
“Tell me … what would you do if this were your home, Leonard?”
“Excuse me?” responded Captain Helm.
“I said … what would you do if Vincennes were your home? What would you do if your wife and children were sleeping in a house down the street?”
“That has nothing to do with the matter at hand,” retorted Helm.
“It has everything to do with it!” shrieked Bo
usseron. “That is the true issue here! My men are loyal. They want your liberty and freedom. They are willing to pay a very high price, but not at the expense of their families and homes!”
“Your people owe me, Francois!”
“Owe you?” shrieked Bousseron in disbelief. “You think we owe you? That is insane! You owe us! You certainly owe me! Since you and your men arrived here all that you have done is eat our food and play cards. The businesses in Vincennes have cash drawers full of worthless receipts from you and from Virginia. If your government some day does not pay me, I will be financially ruined! That is how dedicated we citizens of Vincennes are to the American cause! But, again I say, we will not sacrifice our women and children to the war clubs and knives of Hamilton’s Indians.”
Helm grunted his disdain. “I still say that you’re all a bunch of cowardly, half-hearted traitors.”
“Well, I’m still standing here, aren’t I, Leonard? Am I not demonstrating my dedication to your cause?”
Helm paused and stared at Bousseron. “I suppose so. But what do we do now? We only have a dozen men left.”
“I do not know,” replied a frustrated Captain Bousseron. “We must think, and quickly.”
“We can hide everything,” chirped Pierre from the corner.
Both men’s heads spun around as they stared in the direction of Pierre’s voice.
“Has that lad been here the entire time?” demanded Captain Helm.
Captain Bousseron shook his head in disbelief. “I suppose so. Pierre, why are you still here? I thought you left after you summoned Captain Helm.”
“No, sir. You never told me to leave.”
“No, I suppose I didn’t. But still, you should not be here.” The captain paused and looked inquisitively at Pierre. “What are you talking about? What must we hide?”
“Everything. Powder, lead, food … anything the British might need. Some of the men of the village are already doing it. The father of one of my friends has already hidden all of his furs, lead, and gunpowder. He says that lead and powder will be the things they will try to take first.”
Little Spy of Vincennes (Patriot Kids of the American Revolution Book 3) Page 5
