Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14 AUGUST 27 9:00 A.M. BROOKLYN, NEW YORK The men of the Connecticut 5th were ordered to help guard the Gowanus Heights. Days before, Captain Marsh had told Nate that he would stay inside the fort for as long as they were in Brooklyn.

"You're not a soldier," he'd said. "I don't want you on the battlefield." But that morning, twenty-two men in the Connecticut 5th were too sick to march. There were not enough men to carry ammunition and other supplies to the ridge. "Nate," the captain said. "I need you to march with us to the camp. And then you'll return here to the fort." They were taking the place of some Pennsylvania soldiers who had been on duty there for three days straight. "You'll march back here with the Pennsylvania men." "Yes, sir," Nate said. "Anything happens, we all get ourselves back to the fort. You hear?" "Yes, sir." Gruesome pictures flashed through Nate's mind as he thought of stepping out of the fort.

Exploding cannonballs. Gut-smashing musket balls. Bayonets dripping with blood. But a rush of pride swept Nate's fears away. Captain Marsh was counting on Nate. Paul helped Nate load up a large knapsack with extra ammunition cartridges. He was unusually quiet. He didn't like the idea of Nate leaving the fort. "You follow me," Paul said as they were lining up. "And stay close." Nate nodded. He took a place in line between Paul and Samuel. And they all set out into the wilds of Brooklyn. They marched along a narrow road, under a sunny sky. The road cut through fields and meadows. They passed a deserted farm. The house was boarded up and there was not a person or animal in sight. In the yard was a big tree, with a wooden

swing hanging from a branch. Nate could imagine Theo shrieking happily as he flew up and down. Nate felt the familiar ache of missing Theo. He also thought about the family that had built up that farm. Where had they all gone? Would they ever be able to come back? For the first time it really hit Nate: This war wasn't just about King George and soldiers on battlefields. Regular people would lose their homes. Others would lose far more — their family members and friends. Even if the Americans won, some people would never be able to get back what they had lost. The road took them up a hill, and soon they were in the woods. They had reached the Gowanus Heights. There were groups of American soldiers standing guard along the way, but not as many as Nate would have expected. They turned off the road and walked along the ridge. The thickening woods

made it hard to see more than just a few yards ahead. All was very quiet. And then… Boom! Boom! Two sharp cannon blasts shook the ground. Nate froze. Samuel whipped around. "That's strange," he said, his eyes narrowed with worry. "Those cannons were shot from this side of the ridge." Samuel scanned the woods. "The Americans don't have big cannons this far from the forts. The British aren't supposed to be anywhere near here." But they were. And they had the high ground! KI-crack! KI-crack! KI-crack! KI-crack! Musket fire blasted them from the hill just above. Hissssssss! A ball streaked right by Nate's ear.

Looking up, Nate saw splashes of red between the trees up on the hill. Redcoats! "Take cover!" Captain Marsh shouted. Nate threw himself down into the dirt and covered his head with his hands. More shots exploded. KI-crack! Hissssss! Samuel cried out. Nate peeked up just in time to see him crumple to his knees. Samuel's hands flew up to his chest. Blood gushed from between his fingers. Nate saw it all so clearly. But he couldn't believe it was happening. All he could think was no. No, no, no, no. The life drained from Samuel's face. His body seemed to melt to the ground. Nate sprang up and rushed for Samuel. But the Redcoats were shooting again.