WEN: 2260EE
Exhibitor Name: Jeshua Wickham
Division: Creative Writing--
Class: 04 Short Stories (
heart he questioned why he had ever joined. He had no thought of deserting however, no, he was too loyal for that. Besides, there was Randall. He had pulled through the worst of it, but still lay weak and wan on his bed, and he could not be left. No, he would sink or stand with his country. If only this awful winter would end soon. The only thing that cheered his heart were the letters from Priscilla and from his Mother. By mid February, things began to improve slightly. The weather was less biting, and the sickness had abated somewhat. In March, General Nathanael Greene was put in charge of supplying the army, and rapidly, food and supplies began to trickle in, raising the men’s hearts. During April, the Prussian Baron Von Stueben began transforming the ragged jumble of men into a regular, well trained army. The hard, hard winter tried them all, not the least their beloved General George Washington. But they pulled through, all of them together. They had turned the corner, and seen hope on the other side, like a faint glimmer of light at the end of a dark tunnel. . . . . . Henry sprinted to the next tree and pulled his body up stiff beside it. Near him crouched Randall, hidden by the tall swamp grass. A few feet away, Frank, another lad they had met, stood concealed behind a screen of greenery. All around them were hidden figures, all tense and ready. Awaiting the signal silently, hearts pounding, they examined the ground around them for the next rush. The whistle sounded, piercing and low, and they sprang off silently, creeping through the swampy forest toward the unsuspecting Redcoats. The shots rang out. A dozen soldiers fell where they stood. Every shot had told. Before the rest of the column had time to turn around, the little band of men had captured the supply wagon at the end of the train and, firing a few more parting shots, they disappeared as silently and stealthily as they had come. The bewildered British stood stupefied. “After them you blundering fools!” came the angry order. Grinding his teeth in rage, their commander watched his clumsy men stumble off into the swamp after the rebels. Oh how he hated them! The impudent wretches. How many times had this happened? Never could they catch the elusive rebels. If he ever caught them he would. . . His angry reflections were broken off by the return of his men. “Sorry sir, we couldn’t find them. They just plain vanished!” The speaker winced and stepped back as his commander burst into a rage. Calming down somewhat, he turned and gave the order to continue.
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