✔️An Adventure of a Lifetime (ReaderxVarious)

The Battle of Monmouth

(Slight) Trigger Warning: War, mention and use of weapons

*** = start and stop

After a few days in the city, we all returned to camp. Weeks had passed with little to no action, and we were anticipating another ambush and were frantically trying to plan our next move.

General Washington has had a hard time dealing with preparation, so while he and his team of strategizers figured out their next battle stance, Alexander has taken over writing all of Washington's correspondence.

He told me he received a letter from congress telling the general to attack the British forces, and he had written back that we are out of supplies at the moment.

It's devastating. Our army can't take much more. We have resorted to eating our horses!

Local merchants deny us equipment and assistance because they only take British money.

Like that old nursery rhyme my mother used to sing to me: sing a song of sixpence.

I was making my way around the myriad of tents to find a soldier I was supposed to give a message to when I heard a conversation between the general and Alexander.

"The cavalry's not coming," Washington declared defeatedly.

"But, Sir!" Alexander started.

"Alex, listen," Washington spoke up. "There's only one way for us to win this: Provoke outrage, outright."

"That's right," Alex said confidently.

"Don't engage; strike by night. Remain relentless until their troops take flight."

Is Washington promoting Alex to a commander?

"Make it impossible to justify the cost of the fight," Alex added.

"Outrun," Washington directed.

"Outrun," Alex noted out loud.

"Outlast."

"Outlast."

"Hit them quick, get out fast," the general said gravely. "Stay alive 'til this horror show is past. We're gonna fly a lot of flags half-mast."

I shuddered.

~~~

Later that day, Washington and Alexander announced to everyone that they had made new plans to initiate a battle near the Monmouth Court House.

We all did our own preparations before this serious battle was put into play.

Hercules went back to New York City to his tailor shop to spend time crafting clothes and blankets for all of the soldiers. We needed them more than he could've sold them for money. 

Lafayette told me how he wrote a letter to one of the generals in France, asking for French military aid. He said there's a good chance they will send some ships since he used to be a high-ranked soldier himself there. 

I stayed at camp with Alex and John; we write essays against slavery. 

Every day's a test of our camaraderie and bravery. 

When we're not writing, we cut supply lines and steal contraband. We pick and choose our battles and places to take a stand. 

Quite literally every day, Alex has been begging General Washington to trust him with a command, but every day he dismisses him out of hand. 

Instead of Alexander, he promotes Charles Lee - makes him second in command. Instead of professionalism, excitement and eagerness were written all over Lee's face.