More from my upcoming book- The War Comes to Redding

Chapter Four- Preparing for the Winter Encampments-

I awoke to light rain on November 14th, it was Tuesday, I had school down in the Center mid-morning so I could have slept a bit more if I wanted but the fall forage had gotten me into the habit of getting up early; I was up and that was that. I sat with my tea cupped in one hand thumbing through my journal with the other, it had been just over two months since Stephen had seen the soldiers over at Read's old wood lot, and as I skimmed over my entries, I was amazed by how much had happened here in Redding over that short stretch of time.

Soon after Stephen's sighting we learned that Colonel Aaron Burr, one of General Putnam's aides and a frequent visitor to Redding, was the one that had advised General Putnam to ride through and consider our township for encampments following his visit with General Heath's Brigade in July. Heath's troops were stationed near the supply depots just North of Redding (in the town of Danbury) which explained all the soldiers we had frequenting Redding back then.

General Putnam liked what he saw in Redding, and with George Washington's approval three Redding camp locations were selected. Our saw mills bordered two of the three encampment sites and initially the Army proposed that roof slabs and door boards would be cut here and taken to the camps by teamsters. My Father asked them to reconsider because the work to provide the roof slabs and door boards required would bring his regular business to a halt. He showed the Army engineers his saw pits when they visited our mills in October and explained how easy it would be to replicate them at the encampments. They agreed and with Father and Uncle Ephraim's help each camp will be outfitted with saw pits prior to the troops arrival.

We expect the troops here soon, last week the Quartermaster's troops began laying out the encampments and staking the locations where each hut should go. Stephen and me counted the stakes over at the east camp yesterday and there were 116! Most of these huts are going to house twelve men each, at least that is what we were told; which seems unbelievable. If that's really true, there could be over 1,200 soldiers at the first camp alone, that number pretty much equals the number of people living in Redding right now which has caused a great deal of excitement (both good and bad) locally. Some people, like Mr. Lyon feel the troops will be a burden. Others, like Widow Sanford, are thrilled and making preparations to support the troops when they arrive.

As kids, the dangers and hardships of War are of little concern, all we know is that there will be excitement and activity, and so we are all very much looking forward to having the troops here this Winter. It's pretty much all we talk about.

"The second camp looks different than the first one." said Elijah Pruitt as we made our way to the Center.

"How so?" I asked.

"Well, you know how the first camp has all the rows laid out?"

"Yeah..." I said.

"The second camp doesn't have as many rows and some stakes are located along the hillside." Elijah explained.

"Hmmmph, I wonder if that's for a reason." I wondered out loud.

"Did you see any signs of activity while you were there?" I asked.

"No, just the stakes."

"How many?"

"Don't know, I didn't count them." said Elijah.

"Some spy you are!" I laughed.

"Hey! I think I'd make a very good spy." Elijah protested loudly.

By then we were just about to the Center, across the parade grounds is Mr. Adams' house, and we could see him on the front step ringing his school bell and waving for us to hurry.  Mr. Adams is our schoolmaster and a deacon at our church. For a long time I wasn't too excited about school days but since Mr. Adams came to town last February, he's really made learning a lot of fun. It's not the same old boring stuff over and over like it was before, Mr. Adams adds in new material like ciphering, debating and surveying along with our regular lessons which we all very much enjoy.

"Come on boys! Hurry! We have a guest lecturer today." Mr. Adams called out to us, which got us into a trot and we weren't disappointed when we got there. It was Squire Heron, a local legend in the flesh. I could barely stammer out my hello.

"Ha-ha-hello Mist-mister Ha-ha-ha-Heron."

"HELLO!" He boomed in return.

I was startled, but happy and smiling as I quickly scurried to my seat.

Mr. Heron's not very tall and he's what Stephen describes as "pudgy," but he has a strong presence. I can't quite explain it but, he has this air of self-confidence that commands your attention and obedience.

He lives just south of the Anglican Church on Redding Ridge, he moved there just after the War began. It's believed that he taught at the Academy in Greenfield Hill before coming to Redding, and prior to that had helped survey the old stage route from New York to Boston; but no one knows for sure. He never really speaks of his past except to say that he was born in Cork, Ireland, and attended Trinity College in Dublin. Then, there's that rumor that he's a spy, which makes him the ultimate man of mystery here in Redding, but...

"OKAY!" boomed Mr. Heron, jarring me from my thoughts.

He then removed the cover from his Globe, placed his finger on the Atlantic Ocean and said:

"Boys, today we are going to explore the topic of Supply and Demand. Does anyone know what goods our State produces?"

Lazarus Gray raised his hand. "Flour."

"Yes, that's correct. Our grist mills grind both corn meal and wheat flour. What else?"

"Fish?" Elijah answered hesitantly.

"Yes. Fish is one of our top exports, as is our pork and beef." said Mr. Heron agreeably.

"What else?"

"Lumber." I said hopefully.

"Yes." said Mr. Heron

"But, not in the form that you would imagine. Does anyone know what I mean?"

He stood with his hands on his hips scanning the room with his eyes.

No one raised their hand.

"Is anyone familiar with charcoal?" he asked and hands shot up throughout the room.

Mr. Heron smiled and said:

"Charcoal is a very important good, especially right now. Charcoal and lime are being combined with ore to produce the iron that will become cannons and cannon balls for our Army and Navy. And that is happening right now here in our State."

He swung the globe around and placed his finger on Connecticut and then he said:

"Right now in the Northwestern hills of our State there is a fine example of supply and demand going on. That is what trade is about boys, trade is all about fulfilling the needs of others and the iron furnaces up there in Connecticut's top left corner are doing just that- They are the Arsenal of the Revolution. Their profit, however, depends on the outcome of the War. Under normal circumstances, providing goods and services that fulfill people's needs will make you very wealthy, but the way this War is being financed has altered that and I think it is important that you understand what we may see here this Winter should the Army's provisions run low."

"What we'll see with the soldiers arriving here shortly will be needs that are very basic- the soldiers will need wood for their shelters and fires; they will need food and drink; they will need a water source; some will need clothes, blankets and shoes.

Whether or not all of these needs can be and will be fulfilled is uncertain. There should be enough wood for them and water sources are not a problem, however, food, drink, clothes, blankets, shoes and other goods may not be readily available when they need them. And should things get desperate, unfortunately, money will not be exchanged with the locals to obtain these necessities. The soldiers do not have any money and their officers pay locals for their needs in promissory notes that are for the most part "I owe you's."

Stephen raised his hand.

"Yes Stephen." said Mr. Heron

"So, my Father will not be paid if he grinds flour and corn for the soldiers?" asked Stephen.

"Unfortunately, it's not likely. If this winter is anything like last year in Valley Forge, army procurement officers will be employing an impressment policy, which means they will take whatever they need. In past encampments, locals have dismantled their wagons, hid their horses, and driven their livestock hundreds of miles away to avoid having it all confiscated in forced sales to procurement officers."

I raised my hand and Mr. Heron nodded for me to speak.

"Why are they stealing from the people who support them?" I asked.

"It's not because they want to." Mr. Heron said frankly. "And the procurement officers leave the owner with a certificate promising future payment. So technically, they are not stealing, but they are taking supplies without proper payment because they have no choice, they need supplies and there is no other way to get them."

That confused me. "If we don't have the supplies to support the troops, then why are they coming to Redding?"

"It's a strategic move." He answered.

"Has Mr. Adams taught you what a crescent shape looks like?" Mr. Heron asked the classroom openly.

"Yes," said Stephen "it's like a half circle."

"That's correct." Said Mr. Heron.

"Following the action at Monmouth, New Jersey this Summer, the British troops took up residence in New York City and have been there ever since. General Washington wishes to keep them there as long as he can and has configured a crescent shaped arrangement of encampments from New Jersey to the Hudson River to Long Island Sound to do so. If they wish to move North, they will have to fight their way through the encampments. Redding's position is appealing in this strategy because it has plenty of open land and timber for the soldier's shelters, and it's accessible to supply teams via roads that also make troop movement convenient in all four directions."

I raised my hand again, "Are there supplies in Danbury?"

"Yes," said Mr. Heron "there are supplies and there will be more coming now that we have France's support in this War. However, we still must be aware of the potential problems the troops may face. The supply depots are in Danbury, not Redding, so if the weather is as bad this year as it was last year it will be difficult for the teamsters to get the troops the supplies they need."

I understood what he meant and nodded to let him know.

"Are you happy about the War coming to Redding Mr. Heron?" Elijah asked.

Mr. Heron paused for a long moment. 

"I have concerns," he said thoughtfully. "I have concerns because as I just was explaining- with War comes uncertainty. The outcome you expect is rarely the one you get. And we will have a very large and diverse group of people here. If there is any trouble it will have to be handled swiftly and with force by the Generals or the safety of both the army and our citizens will be at risk."

"...our citizens will be at risk?" My mind began to race again.

And it wasn't just me, I think it made all of us a little uneasy and Mr. Adams must have noticed because he stepped in at that point to explain.

"What Mr. Heron means is that because three camps have been selected it will bring close to 3,000 soldiers to Redding and no one is sure if that will quiet or rile the locals who would rather see the British win this war."

"That's right." Said Mr. Heron.

"There are many loyal to Crown of England here in Redding, and some may attempt to assist the British by spying on the encampments and sharing what they see. That has been a problem in every Winter encampment thus far and I know that General Putnam is keen on putting an end to it this Winter. Another problem has been desertion by the troops themselves. To solve the soldiers deserting camps and spies infiltrating camps issue, General Putnam has warned that the next offender of either sort (deserter or spy) captured will suffer death as an example."

Again Mr. Adams stepped in- "What Mr. Heron is saying and the reason I asked him to speak to you today is: Change is coming to our town. The troops will only be here for the Winter but the impact of their time here may have an impact that will last a lifetime for many of you. What's to come is largely unknown, but I wanted you to know both the reasons behind the encampments and the dangers the encampments might bring. I wanted you all to be aware of this prior to the soldiers arrival because I know (as Squire Heron has mentioned) with War comes uncertainty. This Winter may be uneventful and perhaps even boring, but I wish to prepare you for events rather than explain why events have occurred to you later."

Over the course of the next two hours, Mr. Heron continued to share his knowledge and answer our questions; we had a lot of questions. There was so much that we hadn't considered. It was a lot to take in for one school day and our walk home was silent.

Well, mainly silent, as we got closer and closer to Colonel Read's we could hear lots of activity- pounding, chopping, crashing, oxen mooing and men barking out orders.

When we got to the corner of Read's property we discovered why- road work. Every Fall many of the men in our area tend to the roadways in preparation for Winter. We live on what's called a "Cross Highway" that runs east and west past Read's Manor. Normally this stretch of road doesn't get all that much traffic, mainly people visiting my Father's mills or the Limekilns down by Elijah's house. Most of the year it's a decent road, but come Spring it's a different story, it gets swampy, especially in front of Colonel Read's after the snow melts and travel can be difficult.

My Father was shoveling dirt on top of the logs on the far west end of the area they were working when we got there.

"Hi Dad!" I said cheerfully.

"Hey Jonas! How was school today?"

I told him there was a lot to tell and asked if we could discuss that at supper. He agreed and I asked him what they were doing with all the logs. I hadn't seen them do this type of road work before.

"With the troops coming, we are trying to ensure passage for not only the troops but also their supply teams throughout the winter and into spring. This will be a well-traveled roadway while the troops are here and we need to firm up the swampy areas. Placing the trees across the road and covering them with dirt allows carts and wagons coming through here to cross without getting caught up in the mud. It makes for a bumpy ride, but it's effective."

"Neat!" I said.

"Jonas," my Father said as he scooped up another shovelful of dirt. "I have to keep working if we're going to get this done today.

I'll see at home, okay?"

"Sure Dad. I'll see you tonight." I said as we turned to leave.

I had work to do too.


Why I'm writing this novel:


The purpose of my novel is to bring attention to more Revolutionary War topics than simply battles and timelines with the hope that it will fuel future study of these topics in local schools and help students become more aware of the history that surrounds them and push them to explore interests of their own.

In this novel I pick up where My Brother Sam is Dead left off and tell you the story of what it was like to live in Redding in the Winter of 1778-79. Your narrator is Jonas Fairchild. Jonas is 13 years old and lives within walking distance to the middle encampment. His friend and mentor is a Native American Indian named Tom Warrups. Tom is in his 30's and lives just up the hill from Jonas and his family. Through Tom, Jonas learns about Indian culture and their way of life.

Jonas' father owns and operates two saw mills in town with his brothers. When the army decides on Redding for its winter encampment, the Fairchild family agrees to help the soldiers more efficiently cut their hut lumber by showing them how to make saw pits at each encampment. Little do they know they will be helping the soldiers in many more ways than this as the story unfolds.

More will be shared as I edit my chapters so stay tuned for updates about this very insightful first person narrative of what happened when 3,000+ soldiers and their camp followers arrived to co-exist amongst the Redding residents in the winter of 1779.
Future Updates:

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What’s in the My Brother Sam is Dead Dropbox Folder?

Everything I have collected and written over that past 6 years and that's a whole lot. The idea behind this folder is to help parents and teachers better understand what topics the authors have woven into each chapter of the fictional history novel, My Brother Sam is Dead.

I have broken out this resource into three sections:

1). Guide to MBSD(2 e-books and 8 supporting documents),

2). Maps, Photos and Visuals and

3). Teaching Resources(includes lesson plans and online quizzes).

All my ebooks are included at this resource and much more. Photos and maps of everything that occurs in the novel and teaching tools are included as well.

This is everything you need and more to get your kids really excited about the novel and come away with a very good understanding of why the novel was written.

My Brother Sam is Dead Dropbox Access

Religion Affiliations and the Revolutionary War

Religion was a very important aspect of colonial life and greatly affected the colonist's positions heading into the War of Independence. In order to understand why this was significant to My Brother Sam is Dead's story-line the history of Religion, in England and America, must be examined.

Religion is a topic of the pre-Revolutionary period that is often overlooked. Most of us were taught about the events that led up to the War of Independence via time-lines focused on England's "Acts" and the American Colonist's reaction to them. We are familiar with the individuals that took offense to these actions as "Patriots" or "Rebels" and those that sided with England as "Tories" or "Loyalists". The reality is that it wasn't a simple matter of who was right and who was wrong for colonists faced with the difficult decision of which "side" they were on. My Brother Sam is Dead's authors make us aware of this in Chapter 2:

Betsy Read: "Timmy are you on your father's side or Sam's?

Tim: "I wished she hadn't asked me that question. I didn't want to answer it ; in fact, I didn't know how to answer it. 'I don't understand what it's all about,' I said."

Sam: "It's simple, either we're going to be free or we're not."

Betsy: "It isn't that simple, Sam. There's more to it."

There was more to it as Betsy correctly states- religious affiliation weighed heavily on colonist's positions on the war, especially in 1775. It's important to understand that the Meeker's religious beliefs made them "Loyalists" by default. Sam is unique in that he is an Anglican that is siding with the rebel cause. The Anglican Church was the Church of England, their preachers warned of rebellious behavior and prayed for the health and well being of the King and his Parliament each and every sermon. Conversely, Congregational ministers thundered anti-British tirades from their pulpits week after week, praying for the health and well-being of the troops and their generals. This religious influence resulted in many Anglicans siding with England and many Congregationalists siding with America.

Ultimately, the questions will surface…Why? Why was there a separation between the two religions? Why were Anglicans against a split from England? Why did Congregationalists support the rebellion? These were the very questions I asked myself, and what I found was a very extensive history that dated to 16th century England which clearly illuminated why there was a the division between the religions at the dawn of the Revolution.

King Henry VIII's self-serving actions in the mid-16th century caused a religious-fission in England that resulted in the formation of independent churches that would eventually become American Churches:

Beginning in 1529 and completed in 1536, England which had adhered to the ideals of the Roman Catholic Church for nearly a thousand years, separated from Rome because Henry VIII wanted his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled.

When Pope Clement VII refused to grant Henry VIII the annulment, Henry decided to sever ties with Rome. He named himself Supreme Head of the Church of England, thus creating the Anglican Catholic Church, and ensuring the annulment he desired.

Henry VIII's separation from the Roman Catholic Church, resulted in an era of religious uncertainty for the Church of England and its followers as Henry and his successors flip-flopped from Catholic ideals, to Protestant, to Catholic again, finally settling on a fragile union of Catholic and Protestant ideals. The Church of England and Anglicanism lost the favor of many in the process, ultimately spawning a belief that all existing churches had become corrupted by the impositions of Kings and Popes. Consequently, great numbers of Englishmen and women sought separation from the Anglican church and began establishing independent churches based on Christian fellowship, much like that which gathered around Jesus Himself.

[*Recently Episcopal theological conservatives upset by the liberal views of US Episcopalians and Canadian Anglicans have formed a new North American Church Society. This is a good topic to explore if you wish to inform students that what happened in 16th century England still occurs in the present day.]

The long-term affects of these "Purists" and their separatist churches, may have been minimal on the crown, the Anglican Church and its loyal followers if not for the availability of America soil. From the first Puritan pilgrimage, which included 35 members of these separatist groups in 1620, to the start of the English/Puritan Revolution in 1642, six new colonies would join Virginia in America. All six of these new colonies were settled by separatists of the Church of England- five Puritan based religious groups, one Roman Catholic.

These separatists would enjoy absolute freedom in the American Colonies while back in England, puritan revolts led to three Civil Wars between 1642 and 1660. In this period, English King Charles I, was dethroned and executed, a Republican Commonwealth was established in place of the monarchy and authority over the settlements in North America ceased. The American colonists were free to develop their own ideas about political authority, government institutions and religion for nearly 20 years. Even Virginia, lacking imperial rule, followed the lead of the separatist colonies of: Plymouth, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts Bay, and elected its own governor.

Three (3) fundamental principles, of *Connecticut's original eleven (11), won broad support among the American settlers in this time period:

(1) People can create their own governments by composing a written constitution or by transforming a charter into a political framework.

(2) People have a right to govern themselves through representative institutions.

(3) People can most effectively organize church-state relations by practicing religious toleration and by establishing either a single church or a system of multiple churches.

*Connecticut's eleven principles would become known as the Fundamental Orders, and are seen as a prototype for the U.S. Constitution by many scholars today.

When the English government reestablished its monarchy in 1660 and placed King Charles II (1660-1685) on the throne. The American colonists' Fundamental Orders were replaced by Royal Charters and old policies, such as awarding proprietary colonies to the King's supporters returned to America. Royal bureaucrats began reasserting their central control over the American colonies by implementing an economic policy known as mercantilism. Mercantilism involved: The colonies providing the raw materials, which were sent back to England, manufactured into finished products and exported. Often colonies were targeted as markets for these finished products.

The Mercantilism Act was soon followed by a series of Navigation Acts requiring the exclusive use of English ships for trade in the English Colonies and limiting the exports of tobacco, sugar and other commodities to England or its colonies, it also appointed a customs commissioner in the colonies to collect duties on goods that passed between plantations.

These acts were essentially pronouncements of power by the English crown, the statement being: "The colonies of America would be used to increase the wealth of the home country." Their position was understandable, for centuries many powerful nations had prospered on the same strategy. The difference in America was the origins of the settlements themselves. Unlike Virginia which was initially established as a trading outpost funded by English investors for the purpose of exporting raw goods back to England, a large majority of the American Colonies, especially in New England, were established by individuals wishing to enjoy the freedom of practicing their own religious ideals. They did not come to America to assist the King and his Parliament in exerting their power and influence, many had departed England in the wake of a string of rulers whose exertions of power and influence had destroyed the religious fundamentals they held sacred. There was a deep rooted religious opposition to the crown that twenty years of neglect had allowed to flourish and would prove difficult to overcome.

England needed a positive influence in the colonies of America and the promotion of Anglicanism in the 18th century became the means by which the crown achieved this influence. By establishing and expanding the presence of the Church of England in America, the crown created via religion, a loyalty to the King and the British Empire on American soil. This religious advancement began in the early 1700's via missionaries of the S.P.G. "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts" which was backed by the Venerable Society of London. Though initial resistance to the Church of England was great, in his "Story of the Diocese of Connecticut", Dr. Nelson Rollin Burr later observed that:

by the mid-1700's, the Puritan authorities in Connecticut "gradually realized that dissent (conversions to Anglicanism) had come to stay. They feared that continued intolerance would displease the British government and endanger their precious charter…the result was a series of grudging concessions to religious freedom."

The leaders of Connecticut, conceded religious freedom to the Church of England in 1727. Religious Tolerance opened new membership opportunities to the conversion-minded Anglicans and strengthened their goal of promoting "zeal for the Christian religion, affection to the present Government (the British Monarchy), and conformity to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England."

The influence of the Church of England spread quickly once tolerance was conceded growing from a despised minority to the second largest Christian religious group in Connecticut. This grow was largely aided by the conversion of Congregational ministers like the Rev. John Beach. By the dawn of the Revolution, Congregationalists and Anglicans were the largest religious groups in America and their views on rebellion were as different as their views on the practice of religion.

Why was Religious Affiliation Important?

Because we separate Church and State in our society, it can be confusing and difficult to understand why religion was of any importance in the Revolution. The reality is Religious affiliation was very important in colonial times, it determined your views, values and often where you lived and worked. Here are a couple examples of how Religion's role was different than it is now and why it was an important element in the colonists opinion on Rebellion:

1. News and Information. News and information was not as accessible and plentiful (in terms of different opinions) as it is today, individuals in rural locations obtained news and information in the following manner:

Post Riders
Post riders brought news and letters to and from towns and cities on horseback (often passing news biased by their own opinions in the process). At the time of the Revolution, there were two dozen newspapers in circulation in all the colonies combined though circulation was not widespread.

Visitors
Visitors from other towns and regions were another source of news and information. Bringing news from other locations to whomever they were visiting and/or passed information in taverns along the way to their destination. They too brought news that was often biased by their own opinions.

Religious Leaders
When it came to issues of importance in most cases it was the opinions of their preachers and ministers that held the most weight. Colonists were religious people and through their religious leaders they received the word of God. Rebellion was obviously an issue of great importance to colonists in America. As tensions flared in the 1770's, Anglican preachers stressed that Christians were obligated to suffer under an oppressive ruler, while Congregational ministers asserted that resistance to tyrants was obedience to God.

The Collier's give us examples of this with Mr. Beach's comments in response to Sam's report on the Rebellion:

"I think men of common sense will prevail. Nobody wants a rebellion except fools and hotheads."

"I don’t think the people of Redding are anxious to fight, Sam…I think you'll find that loyalty is a virtue everywhere."

"God meant man to obey. He meant children to obey their fathers, he meant men to obey their kings. As a subject of the Lord Our God I don't question His ways. As a subject of His Majesty, George the Third, should you questions his ways? Answer me this Sam- do you really think you know better than the King and those learned men in Parliament?"

As an Anglican, Rev. Beach's opinions reflect his loyalty to the Crown of England. Rev. Beach's views and opinions differed greatly from Redding's Congregational Church leader, Rev. Nathaniel Bartlett. Bartlett sympathized entirely with the Patriot's cause: two of his sons entered the Continental Army, munitions of the war were stored at his house, and he himself frequently officiated as chaplain during the encampment of Putnam's troops in the winter of 1778/1779.

Individuals had the right to make their own decision on the rebellion, but they were forced to make it with very limited and heavily biased information. This influence and the confusion it caused is exemplified by Tim's comments in Chapter 2:

"He (Mr. Beach) said that hot-tempered young men who listened not to the voices of their elders would bring a wrathy God down on their own heads. He said that the Bible commanded youth to honor their fathers, which made me pretty nervous for Sam…I knew that God could get Sam if he wanted to; and between worrying about that and being confused over which side was right I couldn't concentrate on church much."


2. Settlements and Towns. Today we live where we choose to. We are free to take-up residence in any, town, state, country we wish to. Colonists had choices too, but they were limited…especially in the 17th and 18th century. Connecticut's earliest "English" settlements, were founded between 1634 and 1654. These "English" settlements were located on the Connecticut River and along Long Island Sound, and were inhabited by individuals with Puritan-Congregational ideals. Over time, new settlers arrived in Connecticut townships, either from Europe or from other colonies in America. Puritan-Congregational ideals in many cases did not appeal to these new settlers but seeing that the Puritan-Congregational religion was already established and by law it was the only religion allowed, those with non-Puritan-Congregational views had little choice but to relocate to a town or settlement that did or head out into the wilderness to carve out their own utopia. It seems very odd, but many towns in Connecticut were created in this manner. It is for this reason towns established in the 18th century, Redding, Connecticut being one of them, were founded by either non-Puritans or a diverse mixture of *Puritan/Non-Puritan religious groups which reflected Connecticut's growth in population and tolerance of religion.

The point to be made here is that in the 18th century colonists were not choosing towns based on preferences like: schools, housing costs, employment opportunities, available amenities, etc…in many cases they were choosing towns that allowed them the freedom to practice their religion of choice and live as they wished to. Because these were often conscientious decisions, the location of one's **community had a tendency to reflect one's religious preference and later one's position on the war in the Revolutionary period.

The Collier's made it very clear in the novel that because Sam's parents were Anglican and lived on Redding Ridge (long settled by those of Anglican faith), it was presumed they were loyal to the crown by those outside of Redding.

*Puritans meaning: Presbyterians, Congregationalists. Non-Puritans meaning: Anglicans / Episcopalians and Baptists.

**Keep in mind, not all Anglicans were against a split from England, not all Congregationalists were for it. Many Anglicans and Congregationalists felt a Rebellious split from England was excessive and a diplomatic approach to the issues was in the best interest of all colonists involved.

More from my upcoming book- The War Comes to Redding

Chapter Five- The Troops Arrive in Redding

It was late November now, the weather was much colder and I was spending a lot more time foraging for wood than I was foraging for food. I was stacking piles of firewood and kindling near the beaver pond when Tom came racing up the hillside.

"What is it Tom?" I shouted.

"They're here!" he shouted back excitedly.

"The troops?"

"Yes!!"

Tom's excitement was unusual. I dropped what I was doing and headed over to him. 

"What's so exciting Tom?" I asked.

"My people are here Jonas. My people are here in Redding."

"Native Indian soldiers?"

"Yes!" Tom was beaming with pride.

"A lot of them?"

"No, no, just a couple, but I didn't expect them to be here, I thought they all went home." Tom explained.

"Mr. Heron told us there would be black soldiers with General Parsons, are they here too?" I asked

"Yes. They are here too, in good numbers. I counted at least 25 as they marched in and troops are still arriving."

"Which camp are they setting up first?" I asked

"The middle camp, just three hills over, by the Whortleberry bushes." Tom answered.

"Wow, this is real," I thought "just down the road from our house there is going to be a soldier's camp."

"Will you show me Tom?" I asked, knowing that he would.

"If you can keep up." He said turning to race back down the hill.

"Hey! No fair!" I shouted as I sprinted after him.

Tom just laughed and kept right on running.

I caught him on the backside of the second hill and we both slowed to a trot that got slower and slower as we got closer to the crest of the third hill. From that crest you could see everything.

The encampment was well hidden; no one that didn't know about it would suspect it. It was tucked into a hillside on a roadway seldom used, but it had access to a water source, was well wooded and allowed for troop movement if needed.

The troops had just arrived so they had not started on the huts yet but it was clear that these troops were well organized. We could see a good number of tents that had already been erected and it looked like either a bridge or a dam was being built along the ridge on the west end of the encampment.

"Do you see the rock outcropping on that hill over there?" Tom asked me, pointing northwest of where we were standing.

"Mmmm Hmmm." I answered.

"That's where the Native American Indian soldiers will be stationed."

"Anyone you know?" I asked him.

"I think so," he said "the soldier I spoke to earlier said that several Kent Indians had attended The Great Barbecue up on Quaker Ridge this Fall and he believed they were still enlisted." 

"And you think you know them?" I wanted to know if Tom really knew these Indians from Kent or if he was just saying he did because he visited Kent from time-to-time.

"Yes!" was his definitive answer.

"Jonas," Tom became very somber "I am going to tell you something that I would rather not have you repeat to anyone... at least not anytime soon."

I quickly agreed to keep the secret.

"My people are very divided about this War Jonas. Many of my people worry, just as some of your people worry about this War." he said.

"What are they worried about?" I asked.

"My people are fearful of what your Independence means for us. Will it be to our benefit or demise? We don't really know. What we do know is that since the white man has arrived in what you call "America," our ancient home lands have been taken and we have been pushed out. For those of us that fight for the Independence of your people we hope this War brings what your Declaration of Independence promises *and* restores for us the rights that we have lost. Do you know what I speak of Jonas?"

"Yes." I said, we memorized the Declaration last year at the schoolhouse.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness -- that to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever Any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new Government."

"That is right," said Tom "and I pray that it is known that the Native American Indian soldiers here in Redding are not 'merciless Indian savages' and recognized that they too are men in pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness; fighting for their own unalienable rights."

"Amen." I said and we both enjoyed that moment.

Looking back to the camp we could see and hear trees coming down just south of the rock outcropping.

"They work fast." I said to Tom.

"They must work faster," Tom replied "there will be snow tomorrow morning."

"How do you know that?" I asked wonderously.

A playful grin grew across his face and he said: "The wind told me."

"The wind? Yeah right. You're pulling my leg again Tom." I said waving my arm at him dismissively.

Tom just kept on smiling and told me I'd owe him a basket full of eggs should it happen.


Chapter Six- The Campaign of Starving and Freezing Begins

Tom was right. It snowed about 6 inches the next day and two days later it rained so hard that a majority of that snow melted into a muddy slush preventing the teamsters from bringing food and supplies to Redding.

"The soldiers are starving," Abby said at breakfast "isn't there any way we can help them?"

"We have." Said Father. "We have provided them with an efficient means to cut their wood at all three of their encampments."

"But they haven't any food." Pleaded Abby.

"That is not our concern," Father said sternly. "they have the supplies in Danbury and it is the Army's job to get them here. If we give away our stored food to starving soldiers and our supplies run out, then we will be the ones starving."

Abby nodded silently, she knew he was right. I did too but it got me to thinking and after lunch I headed up the hill to Tom's lean-to. Tom wasn't there but he had hung a fishing spear above the door so I knew exactly where he was and headed off in that direction. Along the way I passed Stephen's house and stopped in to see if he wanted to come with me. He was working in the root cellar.

"Stephen, Stephen, you down there?" I called.

"Yep. Come on down." he answered.

"Are you taking them out or putting them in?" I asked.

"A little of both." he said 

When I got down there I saw what he meant. He had all the vegetables sorted and readied to load back into the boxes.

"Are you making sand boxes?" I asked.

"Yep and I'm almost done. Where are you going?" he replied.

"I'm trying to find Tom, I think he's down at Umpawaug fishing." I told him.

"Is someone looking for him?" Stephen asked.

"No," I said "I want to talk to him about the soldiers situation."

"Oh, okay." he said "Help me finish up here and I'll come with you."

Sand boxes are how we store root vegetables for the winter, it keeps them fresh for months. 

The process is pretty simple, you work in layers starting with some moist sand at the bottom of the box, then you work your way up, lining each layer with vegetables and covering them with dry sand as you go. On the top layer you add some more moist sand and you're finished. Stephen had the carrots, and I took on the beets and turnips.

We made quick work of it and wove our way over to Umpawaug through Chestnut Woods.

{Background- Umpawaug is one of my favorites sections of town, it's swamps, ponds and rivers are always filled with fish. Tom says that when european settlers came to Redding the Indians made sure they would retain access to these places because the fish they caught here was so essential to their livelihoods.}

Tom was right where I thought he would be, on the west end of the pond. That area always freezes last and Tom likes to take advantage of it by placing his fishing weirs there. It's where the pond drains into a swampy stream that fish are drawn to and the way Tom narrows down the space with his weirs allows him to spear the fish that get caught up attempting to get through it. Looking at the size of the fish pile behind him, Tom wasn't fishing just for himself. 

"That's quite a take Tom." Stephen said admiring the pile.

Tom just nodded, he was in the process of driving another fish towards his weir. His focus was completely on the fish, slowly and meticulously he followed it until the fish had no where else go and then, BAM! He speared and tossed it on top of the pile.

"Why so many fish Tom?" I asked.

Tom never took more fish than he needed.

"The soldiers are hungry." He said matter-of-factly. "Will you and Stephen bring them to middle camp for me?" He asked.

We agreed to and began loading them into one of the sleds Tom had brought for that purpose.

"I am going to check the weirs over in Simpaug," Tom said grabbing his second sled. "If you see someone who can help me over there on your way to the encampment send them. I will be where the pond empties into the North Walk River."

We agreed to and began loading them into one of the sleds Tom had brought for that purpose. It was about 4 miles over mostly flat land until we got to Stetzell's Farm but from there it got steep.

Stephen said, "I think we'd better rest and think about this, pulling these fish up that hill isn't going to be easy."

As we were sitting down he asked-

"What were you going to ask Tom about?"

"I was going to ask him how we could help the soldiers" I answered.

Stephen smiled. "I guess he already had the answer."

"He always does, especially when it comes to helping others." I said.

"Why does he help people anyway? No one here in town seems to help him when he needs it." Stephen asked.

"That's not how he thinks." I replied.

"How does he think?" said Stephen.

"It's tough to explain. Tom says 'With all things and in all things, we are relatives.' which I take to mean that he sees everything as connected and he does not wish to break that chain with his own actions."

"It sounds like a good policy to me." Stephen said.

"It is." I agreed.

"Now, how are we going to make it up that hill?

"How 'bout I take the back and you take the front?" I said.

"And half way up we switch?" Said Stephen.

"Deal." I said.

It took us a lot longer than we expected but we made it to the top of the hill and veered off through the woods towards the encampment, taking advantage of the snow that still existed. As we neared the camp we were met by a sentry who stopped us.

"Halt." he said "Are you here on offical business?"

"No." I said. "We have food for the soldiers."

"Who sent you?" He demanded.

"Tom." we answered in unison.

The soldier furrowed his brow, turned and made a whistle call back to the encampment. Within minutes three soldiers appeared, one of them was clearly a native Indian.

Ignoring the others, I asked him directly: "Do you know Tom Warrups?"

He did; a broad smile crept across his face. "I do!" he said. "Where is he?"

"He's fishing," I said. "for you and all the others at this encampment. These fish are all for you and there are more. He asked us to bring these to your encampment and see if we could find help to get what he has caught down at the North Walk River up here as well."

The sentry made a second whistle call, this one a different tone and several more soldiers quickly appeared. The sentry explained the situation to them and within minutes they were headed over to Simpaug.

It was the first real meal the soldiers had had in three days. One of the soldiers told us it was getting so bad that they were gnawing on shoe leather flavored with pine sap.

Many soldiers came to thank us as we pulled the empty sled out of the encampment and made our way back home, it felt good to help out.

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