NationStates Jolt Archive

Virginia colonial militia colonel George Washington fumed at his troops.

"Can no one here fire a musket," he bellowed as he watched his forces take what seemed to be an eternity to cock, load, and fire their muskets. With the largest piece of territory amongst the colonies and almost daily skirmishes with the Indians, he figured the Virginians would be much better shots than this collection of rabble.

He paced through the citizen soldiers standing at attention, noticing with great disappointment that they didn't even do that well.

Where did I go wrong, Washington thought as he grimly sized up the company in front of him. Finally, he came upon one snivelly private who looked like he was about to topple over.

"Talbot," Washington bellowed, before methodically walking toward him. He sniffed, noticing a strong whiff of rum on Talbot's breath.

"Been drinking again, hmm?"

"Uh, er, yes sir," Talbot said, hanging his head in shame. Washington nodded his head slightly, took three long strides to set himself in front of the company again.

"Private Talbot, you'll be on night watch for the next week. I want you to clean those rifles and make sure they're worthy of the Redcoats." Washington then took a few more steps, making sure the entire brigade heard him.

"Men, Private Talbot over here has finished his entire ration of rum for a month in one night," Washington said, matter-of-factly. He gave the unit a look and said, "He's going to be dealt with, but at least he told the truth. If he'd lied, you would have seen Mr. Talbot on the next horse home. Keep that in mind if you continue to serve in this unit."

Washington then dismissed the company and called Major Samuel Humphreys into his tent.

"We've got a problem with the French over by the Ohio," he said.

"Not only that, but our scouts saw a few teepes around the bend."

"Indians," both men said in unison.

"We need to rid ourselves of those Indians first. Get a company of your best cavalry on our fastest horses and see if we can sneak up on them when they're going hunting," Washington said. "I'll have our messenger write the Royal Governor and apprise him of our situation out here."

"But what if the Redcoats take over out here?"

"They won't," he said. "They don't know how to deal with the Indians the way we do. Besides that, we've got a bit of a surprise if General Howe gets a little too ambitious."

Humphreys looked at Washington askance but saw a gleam in his eye, raised his cap, and backed out of the tent. He knew better.

Nice Rp'ing. I don't have a problem with the creation of characters and an rp'ed storyline as long as you can back it up with politics and wide ranging diplomatic and military decisions. Good work though.

"Very well Captain. Have the troops get some sleep and I'll see you at zero six hundred hours."

Washington ducked into his tent and lit a candle on the makeshift desk near his bed. He pulled out a sheet of paper and his quill pen from the desk and dipped the point of the feather into the ink well. He addressed his letter to Patrick Henry, a man with whom Washington felt a special kinship. He'd already written and sealed his letter to the Royal Governor outlining his pessimism over the quality of the Virginia militiamen under his command. This letter would take on a different tone.

My dear friend,

I trust that this letter finds you well. Since you've asked that I apprise you of our readiness for combat, I must confess that I remain ever so pessimistic over the ability of these troops to ever serve our fair colony for anything other than last-ditch defence of our homes and lands against the Indians or the French. Even so, I doubt very seriously our militia will do much more than attempt to outrun the French.

I have my doubts that a collection of thirteen colonies, especially those as widely divergent as these thirteen, can ever collectively oppose a nation as powerful as the Empire without a united command and singular leadership. I know not of any man in these colonies who possesses such abilities to lead these subjects of the Royal Crown under one flag, but for us to prosper, we must unite for one common purpose.

I am not sure how best to oppose the British unless we can somehow convince several countries that supporting us against the British is in their best interest and will somehow weaken the Crown. We must also endeavour to establish our own naval forces to oppose the British, though the idea that we could face the Royal Navy in the line of battle is a laughable proposition. To be sure, I believe a gentleman by the name of Joshua Humphreys resides in Philadelphia and he may well be of service to our plans for building and establishing a Navy.

I know not of the political struggles you face, though I am sure they present their own challenges. May God guide you and our great colony to the wisest course of action.

Yours sincerely,

George WashingtonWashington folded and sealed this letter and made sure to bury it amongst the other correspondence set to travel to Richmond on horseback the next morning. He looked out at the encampment, staring toward the soldiers who were standing watch in the event of an Indian attack lost in deep thought before he finally turned in for the night.

Definite tag! I like the way you portray Washington.

Definite tag! I like the way you portray Washington.

This is for the Earth Napoleon, or NE thread. If you want to join the RP, which is basically an alternate history from 1760 onwards, there are quite a few nations till available. Here is the link:

http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=449185

"Ben, may I see you for a moment?"

Benjamin Franklin peered over his new spectacles at the man who was motioning him into his room. He stood up and walked over and shook his hand. The two walked into the room and the man shut the door.

"Ben, do you feel like a trip to London?"

"London? What for?"

"The Crown is imposing a new tax on tea. They have yet to grant us any representation in Parliament, but they expect us to pay for them to sew more coats for the army or build more ships for the Royal Navy."

Franklin sighed. He looked at the man and closed his eyes. After taking several minutes to compose his thoughts, he finally nodded his head.

"All right, I'll go. Let's make sure we both agree what we want from the Crown."

"Repeal of the tax or representation in Parliament," the man said. "If not that," he said.

"If not that, then what?"

"Then, we petition the Crown to allow us to be independent."

"Independence? Have you lost your mind?"

"This isn't Europe, Ben. We're now quite different from our royal masters in a number of ways. We need to start fending for ourselves here with the Indians near every corner and a wilderness that Parliament can't begin to manage from across the Atlantic."

"Independence is lunacy! How on Earth are we to manage it? Thirteen independent countries, none of whom individually has an army worth even a company of Redcoats. And forget a Navy. We'd consider ourselves blessed if we even had two ships that could fire a gun."

"What's lunacy is a Crown that doesn't seem to get that we're supposed to be subjects but we have no say in how we're governed. To tax us without representation is sheer hypocrisy!"

"I sure hope you know what you're doing," Franklin said as he hailed a horse and buggy to take him back to his house to pack his belongings. Meanwhile, John Jay, the would-be Chief Justice of the United States in a future time, stared at Franklin's buggy as it slowly rolled behind the horses.

So do I.

While Franklin was preparing for his trip to the harbour in Philadelphia to the ship that was to take him to London, Jay was thinking about the political situation he was finding himself and his fellow colonists getting themselves into.

Right now, colonial troops were battling it out with Indians and French in the French-Indian War, so the best way to garner international support for the cause Jay was a key member of was likely not an option. While he was sure that tweaking the British Empire was something the French would jump at the chance to do, he realised that they would likely not look kindly upon their enemies in the Atlantic front trying to get them to marshall their efforts against the British.

Jay had received word from John Hancock about the readiness of colonial troops in some of the New England colonies, though none of it looked even remotely promising. As for the South, there wasn't much to report except for the rabble under Colonel Washington. He stood up and looked out the window and stared into the candle near the windowsill.

With the Stamp Tax just going into effect, the colonists didn't have much reason to want to secede from the British Empire and set out on their own. They didn't have the wherewithal or the sort of military force needed to stand toe to toe with the highly respected Redcoats. And a collection of farmers didn't have the manufacturing capability that their colonial masters possessed. Nor did the disparate interests of 13 colonial governments look like they'd ever be united enough to prosecute a war.

Jay knew that a lot could happen in a number of years, but for the thirteen colonies to unite so strongly to form their own nation or nations, there would have to be a perfect storm of events that preceded it. Jay knew that perfect storm wasn't here yet, though he would watch for the dispatch ships from Europe that could provide him with a smoking gun.

All those thoughts seemed to float with the smoke from the blown out candle into the stuffy air of his room as he lowered himself into his bed.

Tag.

Is this thread still active Sarzonia?

Yes. I've been trying to come up with my next post, which will probably be set in London with Franklin trying to talk to some of the Crown's representatives.

OOC: weell Britian isn't rally around at the mo.

He is he is just finishing some work, but I could control troop movements on the ground if it comes to that. However, for the time being, it will likely be diplomatic negotiation between Rodenka and Sarzonia.

The trip to London was a long and arduous journey for Franklin. Besides the 12 week trek from Philadelphia to London due in part to stormy seas that nearly cost him the ship and his own life, gathering the money, sailors, and supplies needed for the trip to London was an adventure. A process that usually only took a month ended up taking a full six months, and that was before they got underway.

Finally, the ship made its way to London. Scurvy was beginning to ravage the crew, several of whom didn't like the sauerkraut brought on board after James Cook's successful experiment with it in Endeavour a few years ago. Franklin ate it dutifully every day and he showed no signs of the scourge of the seas.

"Land ho!"

Franklin arranged his bags and waited for the transport to take him to Parliament. He first wanted to read a copy of the Times since current information on the Crown was so hard to come by in the colonies. Whatever the political situation was, he would have to grasp it quickly. The Stamp Act was still bedeviling the colonists, he realised, and he would make his bold case for representation in Parliament, aware both of the swelling rage of the colonies and their lack of readiness to do much of anything about it.

***************************************************

The raid on the Indian village was a success, one far greater than Washington expected. The colonial cavalry managed to take several muskets and bayonets, along with foodstuffs left behind by the ablebodied men who had gone hunting. The women and boys too young or old men too feeble to join their fathers on the hunt provided little resistance to the colonial raid. It was perfectly timed.

"Excellent job Sam," Washington said when Humphreys presented him with the spoils of the victory. General Howe would be most pleased that his collection of rabble struck a blow for the combined cause of the colonials and the Empire. Even more so, he knew the success would benefit his troops, who were beginning to doubt him.

"Where is the dispatch from General Howe," Washington asked. "I hope it didn't fall prey to an Indian raid."

Later that night, the messenger would come with a dispatch from General Howe. The French had been defeated in the Ohio valley and were on retreat. Washington and his troops were being ordered to cut them off at the Pennsylvania border.

"All right men, we march at sunrise. We need to arrive here," he said, pointing at the map, "by two o'clock." I want a round of muskets set up in between trees and some four pounders set up to pound their ranks as they try to retreat. I also want a cavalry raid to slow them down before they get here," he said.

"Major Humphreys, you will lead the cavalry attack. Fastest horses, best men. Same as the last raid."

"Aye, sir."

Washington set his plan in motion, whilst the troops prepared for their journey to begin.

Parliament agrees to hear Franklins case and the general opinion is that the Stamp Act should indeed be repealed, pending further review of the situation. debate has begun about allowing the American Colonies to have a representitive in the House of Commons.

Franklin was writing in his journal in the room where he was staying in London when a knock came at his door. He picked up a candle, walked slowly to the door, and opened it slowly. He noticed a slender young man standing roughly six feet tall at the door.

"Mr. Franklin, I presume?"

"Yes, I am Benjamin Franklin."

"I bring you news. Parliament has agreed to hear your requests. They would like to see you after breakfast to-morrow."

Franklin nodded thoughtfully and regarded the man still standing at his door.

"I see," he said. "Very well, I shall be at the door at ten o'clock tomorrow."

"Very good, I shall inform the House of Commons." The man turned and left and Franklin watched him leave with a curious expression on his face.

It appears that Parliament is more willing to listen to reason than I'd given them credit for, he thought. He closed and locked his door, then slowly ambled back to his desk and sat down to finish his writing.

ooo intruguing. carry on chaps.

Mr Franklin is ushered into the Parliament hal, where the lords and politicians sit, watchign apprhensively. As the American enters the room, there is a buzz of conversation that dies down as Franklin prepares to speak.