“I bet they could,” said Cam.
“Me, too!” Liberty joined in.
Just then a flash of light and the sound of an explosion erupted from the side of one of the warships.
“Oh no! Is that what I think it is?” panicked Freedom.
Sure enough, cannonballs started flying toward the fort from the ships below. The ground shook and there was dust flying everywhere.
“Hurry, duck behind that wall!” I yelled, my heart racing.
“I’m scared!” Freedom cried out. We all fell to the ground with our backs against the earthen wall.
“Everything is going to be okay,” I said, very nervous on the inside.
Freedom sat frozen on the ground and clung to one of Liberty’s legs. “I’ll protect you,” Liberty said, keeping the promise he made.
“Mr. Revere, I hear a lot cannon noise but I don’t feel many cannonballs hitting the fort,” said Cam.
I stood up to see over the wall and said, “Oh no! That’s because they’re hitting the city of Charlestown.”
In what seemed like a few minutes Charlestown was on fire! Huge billows of smoke rose high into the once cloudless sky.
“Wait, Charlestown? That’s where you guys met Paul Revere before he started his midnight ride, right?” Freedom asked with a worried look on her face.
“That’s right, Freedom,” I said. “It becomes real, doesn’t it, when you actually see it happening with your own eyes? It’s a shame to see this noble and great town destroyed.”
Cam couldn’t resist and got up to peer over the wall. “Oh man, this is crazy! There are a bunch of smaller boats getting closer to the shore.”
“Yes, those smaller boats are carrying British soldiers from the bigger boats so that they can start to climb the hill,” I said.
“Um, maybe we should think about our departure plan?” Liberty asked.
“This is going to be a blowout, isn’t it?” Cam said. “I mean these American soldiers look completely tired and those British guys are marching this way like it’s a school parade.” He watched the sea of red starting to come up from the shore to the fort.
“A parade? Now you’ve made me curious,” Freedom said, slowly standing up to look over the wall.
At the opposite side of the fort, a flash of white caught my eye. It seemed to come out of nowhere. I focused and saw an extraordinarily well-dressed man, unlike everyone else in the fort. The sun sparkled on his clothes, completely opposite to the dirty and hot surroundings. His face looked extremely calm.
“Dr. Warren?” I said, louder than I intended. “Wait, what is Dr. Warren doing here?” Freedom asked with the same concerned tone she had when the first cannon went off.
“I will go find out,” I said. “Liberty, please keep Cam and Freedom here. I know you’ll keep them safe,” I said firmly. “I doubt we’ll be able to stay here much longer so be ready to leave when I give the order.”
“You got it, understood,” said Liberty.
Immediately I ran toward the other end of the fort. “Dr. Warren, you probably don’t remember, but I was at your home in Boston a while back with my students. You were kind enough to take us in and care for my student’s illness,” I said.
“Yes, of course, hello, Rush Revere!” Dr. Warren said, putting out his hand to shake mine. “How is Cam feeling?” He was such a personable and friendly man no matter the circumstance. I couldn’t believe that in the midst of this battle he remembered our names.
“Cam feels much better now. In fact he is over there behind the wall with Freedom,” I said. “Are you here to treat the injured soldiers?”
Dr. Warren kindly replied, “I am always willing to give medical assistance. But that is not my main purpose here. I have come to join these men and fight for freedom.”
“Incredible,” I said, almost to myself.
Dr. Warren gave a gentle smile. But there was something behind his eyes, too, a strength that was unmistakable. He turned and began to speak with the Patriots in the fort. Men gathered around him as if he were the head coach. I had not realized before now that Dr. Warren was both a well-known doctor in Boston, caring for patients, and a frontline fighter in the war.
“They’re coming!” a voice shouted from somewhere inside the fort.
I could feel my heart beating with urgency. You could see the massive parade of Redcoats climbing steadily up the hill toward the fort.
Dr. Warren did all he could to boost the morale of the militia. “Be patient. Don’t shoot until they are closer.” His words drifted down the front line of men who were anxiously waiting to fire their guns.
“Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes!” a young soldier shouted.
Another said, “Yes, hold your ammunition, wait until you can see them clearly.”
I knew the Americans were low on ammunition and couldn’t hold off this attack for long. I stood frozen-still.
Dr. Warren shook me from my thoughts as he yelled, “Remember, we are fighting for our freedom!” He stood tall as he continued to move up and down the front of the fort, patting men on the back and encouraging them. The Redcoats were now close enough that I could see the silver on their buckles.
“Boom!” The exploding shot shocked my senses and I nearly jumped out of my boots. All the Patriot soldiers were pointing their guns downward at the British.
“Stay down, Mr. Revere,” Dr. Warren said. “You are going to be all right.” My heart was racing and sweat was pouring from my forehead.
Volley after volley, the shots rang through my ears. All around in front and to the sides of the fort the British seemed to fall and then come forward again. A sea of red started to wash up all around the outside walls.
Dr. Warren grabbed me roughly by the sleeve of my coat and said sternly, “I want you to leave now with your students. It won’t be long until the British overtake the fort.”
“I won’t leave without you,” I said, afraid for him.
“You must,” said Dr. Warren. “It is my job to stay and fight, and it is your purpose to protect those children and share what happened here. We have showed the mighty British army that Patriots will fight. Go now!” Dr. Warren’s eyes looked like they were on fire. He rushed back and I saw him disappear into the smoke and chaos.
“Mr. Revere!” Freedom shouted. She and Cam were already on top of Liberty.
I ran toward them and yelled, “Go, go, go!” as we ran from the battle. Gunshots rang out behind us. The back of the fort had caved in slightly, presumably from cannon fire. I looked quickly back as the Redcoats climbed over the unprotected walls and filled the overwhelmed fort.
Liberty raced ahead and I followed as quickly as humanly possible. I was exhausted by the time I met up with them under a large solitary tree, far from the battle.
Within the hour, several American soldiers hurried and stumbled before us, collapsing in the shade of our tree. Some had weapons and some did not. Some had shoes and some did not. Some had frontier clothing while others wore vests and coats reflective of city life.
A man who looked around thirty years old, with sweat and dirt smeared across his face, collapsed in the shade beside us. He still carried a sword. His leg was cut.
Freedom watched with tender eyes at his wound as the soldier ripped the hem of his shirt and used it to bandage his leg. Finally, he exhaled deeply and leaned back against the gnarled tree trunk.
“I will fight on,” the worn-down soldier said, out of breath.
“How long have you been fighting?” asked Cam. The soldier slowly turned his head to see Cam on his other side.
“I stopped counting, friend. I’m not sure anymore, but not long enough. We must fight until we have our freedom,” he said.
“Do you miss your family?” asked Cam.
“Yes, every single day. I wake up thinking of my son and how his mother is all alone. But I can’t give up, it is for their future.” The soldier closed his eyes for a moment.
This is a famous painting
of the Battle of Bunker Hill. The Americans did not fire until the British were extremely close, in order to conserve their limited ammunition. They said, “Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes!”
Cam moved closer and said softly, “My dad is in the military, too, just like you. I don’t really get to see him much.”
“War is hard on everyone, both for the soldier and the ones they leave behind. Even though supplies are low, and we face hunger almost every day, with little to no weapons or gunpowder, we must never lose faith. We must never give up. We must fight for our freedom,” said the soldier.
After all the excitement, I almost forgot the original reason we came here. I reached into my pocket and handed this soldier the inspirational note sent by George Washington.
“What’s this?” he asked as he wiped his brow.
“I was asked by George Washington, the new Commander in Chief of the American army, to deliver this message for you to read and share with your captain and others.”
The soldier seemed overwhelmed with emotion. “This is really from General Washington? I just can’t believe this. This is incredible, thank you.”
“We won’t give up, either,” said Cam.
“And we will fight like fathers who want desperately to return to their sons,” the soldier said, winking at Cam. He pushed himself from the tree and began hobbling back toward Cambridge. “I must be on my way now. I must meet up with the rest of our men. Thank you, again!”
“We are proud of you!” Freedom said loud enough for him to hear.
We sat there for several more minutes before Liberty’s stomach finally broke the silence as it rumbled like distant thunder.
“What do you say we get a little fuel in the tank, if you know what I mean?” asked Liberty.
“Excellent idea,” I replied. “I think it’s time we travel home. I know how grouchy you get when you’re hungry.” I winked.
“Grouchy?” asked Liberty. “I prefer to call it ‘anxiously engaged’ or ‘persistently focused.’ But if grouchy gets us home sooner, then I’m good with that, too.”
Cam and Freedom climbed up onto Liberty and all he needed to say was, “Rush, rush, rushing from history.”
* * *
We landed back in the schoolyard at Manchester Middle School. As we were walking back toward the school entrance, Liberty for once was not thinking about snacks. He said, “You know, it’s really amazing to think what’s happened since the Pilgrims first arrived on the Mayflower. Actually, I should probably say it’s amazing all we’ve seen since the Pilgrims and the Mayflower. I thought we were crazy to time-travel to the middle of the ocean on a small ship, but we’ve had a lot more crazy adventures since then!”
“Yeah, like being shot at?” Cam said with a laugh.
“Against my better judgment, I have to agree with Liberty again! It is truly amazing to think about what started with the Pilgrims and what made us into the country that we are today in just a few hundred years,” I said, smiling.
“Cam, note that one in the compliment bank, too, will you?” Liberty winked.
“I got you!” Cam said, patting Liberty on the back.
“Why don’t we meet in our usual spot on the field near the track tomorrow morning at nine o’clock?” I said.
Freedom sighed, “Okay, Mr. Revere, but can we go someplace less dangerous?”
Cam practically snorted. “I doubt Liberty can get us to the land of lollipops and unicorns.”
“Is that a challenge?” asked Liberty. “Because I love a good challenge.”
“Okay, you’re on,” said Cam. “And when you lose I get to ride you to school for a whole week.”
“Well, when you lose,” said Liberty, “you have to get me a week’s supply of fresh vegetables and text every friend in your phone that you believe in unicorns.”
Cam rolled his eyes and said, “Liberty, you’re not going to win. Unicorns don’t even exist.”
“All right you two,” I interrupted. “Enough bickering. Let’s have a little peace, huh?”
“Pizza! Did you say pizza? I thought you’d never ask,” blurted Liberty. “I’ll take two large vegetarian pizzas, thank you.”
We all laughed.
“Sounds like a good idea,” I said.
“And I’ll make sure Tommy comes tomorrow,” Cam said, “if he isn’t too busy scrapbooking.”
* * *
A few minutes after 9 A.M. the next day, Tommy, Cam, and Freedom arrived together. Seeing all three of them made me realize they all wouldn’t fit on one horse. Then again, perhaps we wouldn’t need to travel anywhere once we arrived in 1775. Hmm, but what if we needed to make a daring escape? Better safe than sorry, I thought.
I whispered an idea into Liberty’s ear and watched his face turn from a smile into a sour look.
Liberty whispered back, “You seriously want me to go and find Little Liberty?”
I nodded. “Hopefully, he stayed in Lexington, where we left him. You might try there first. Anyway, I want you to tell him to find his way to Cambridge and meet us there. Plus I think the kids would be thrilled to see their friend, again. It would be a fun surprise for them.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll do it for the kids. But it will cost you extra,” Liberty said out loud.
While the students were talking I reached into Liberty’s bag and fed him a giant, juicy apple.
“That’s a start,” he said and started chewing as he turned and exited the classroom.
I turned my back to Liberty and faced the kids. “Okay, guys, Liberty has to go take care of an errand. But he should be back soon.”
“Mr. Revere,” said Freedom, “since we’re waiting I want to show you something I’ve been working on. It’s a painting.”
Freedom unrolled a small canvas and turned it in our direction. It was a painting of the Old North Church as we saw it from the wharf in Boston. A man was holding two lanterns from the highest window just below the tall white steeple.
“This is beautiful, Freedom,” I said, and it really was.
“It’s how I remember seeing it,” Freedom said.
“Wow, it’s great, Freedom. You really have a gift,” Tommy added. “You should paint one of me rescuing Little Liberty at the Battle of Lexington!”
“I could try it,” said Freedom, flattered.
“Ditto,” said Cam. “You are way talented. Except Tommy’s face might ruin the painting.”
“Ha, ha,” Tommy said as he slugged his best friend in the arm.
“Thanks, guys,” said Freedom, shyly. “It’s just a hobby, but I really enjoy painting.”
“I think we should find a special place to hang your painting, Freedom,” I said, beaming.
“I think we should hang it in our clubhouse,” said Cam.
“We don’t have a clubhouse,” said Freedom.
“Well, our class is sort of our clubhouse,” Cam said. “But we’ll need a club name.”
“How about the ‘Jumping Spiders,’ ” said Tommy. “Seriously, jumping spiders are cool and they can leap to catch their prey just like we leap back in time.”
“I vote no,” said Freedom instantly. “No spiders. How about ‘Spring Time Club’? Because we spring back in time. Get it?”
“I vote no,” said Tommy. “No springy flower names.”
“Oh brother, just because you’re a boy you don’t like flowers?” Freedom teased.
“I like flowers,” Tommy said. “They attract insects and without insects I couldn’t feed my spiders.”
Cam raised his hand and said, “I have one. How about ‘Rush Revere’s Crew’?”
“Ooh, I like that!” Tommy said, giving Cam a high five.
“Yeah, me too!” Freedom added enthusiastically.
“Okay, everyone, huddle in! You, too, Mr. Revere,” Cam said, motioning for all of us to put our hands in the center just like on the sideline of the dodgeball game. “Okay, ready, one, two, three . . . Rush Revere’s Crew!” We all joined in.
&n
bsp; Suddenly Liberty reentered the classroom.
“Hey there, welcome back!” I said. “Are we good?” I asked, trying not to give anything away.
“If by good you mean did I accomplish the mission of finding the little twerp, then yes, we are good,” Liberty replied, rather annoyed.
“What twerp?” said Freedom, overhearing Liberty’s reply.
“We have a special friend who will be joining us in our next time travel!” I said happily.
Liberty added, “He’s a four-legged friend who’s waiting for us in 1775.” Liberty winked at Tommy.
“No way!” Tommy exclaimed. “Is it Little Liberty?”
“That’s right,” I said. “Earlier this morning, I asked Liberty to try to track down Little Liberty.”
“It was easy,” said Liberty. “The little pipsqueak was in a stable in Lexington. When he saw me he was really happy. Anyway, I helped him out of the stable and told him to meet all of us in Cambridge. It’s only about ten miles from Lexington and he knows his way around those parts. He acted really excited to see Tommy.”
“Can Little Liberty be part of Rush Revere’s Crew?” Freedom asked with a smile.
“Absolutely not! Wait, what is Rush Revere’s Crew?” Liberty asked.
“It’s a long story, but yes, Freedom, I am going to overrule Liberty on this one,” I said. “Both Liberty and Little Liberty are now officially part of Rush Revere’s Crew!” We’d better get going, I thought; we don’t want Little Liberty to beat us to Cambridge.
“So what’s the game plan, Mr. Revere?” asked Cam.
“As you know, George Washington was appointed at the Second Continental Congress to lead the first official American army. Washington faced many problems when he became the leader of the army. He told you some of them, Cam, remember?”
“Yes, like his men weren’t well trained and he didn’t have as many guys as the British army and he didn’t have money for supplies,” Cam replied.
“Absolutely right, those are all very true,” I continued. “But one of the biggest obstacles George Washington faced when he first became the leader was weapons. It’s important to note that in 1775 the British Empire had the strongest fighting force in the world, including the army and navy. You can’t beat the most powerful military in the world without weapons.”
Rush Revere and the American Revolution Page 13
