The Secret Letters of 75

  “I doubt it will happen tonight,” said Mr. Knox, “They’ve put three marines into my house and it looks like they’ll be staying for at least a few nights. So, we have some time to try and find out where they’re going and what they intend to do.” He turned to Jamie asking, “I don’t suppose there is anything more you can tell us?”

  “No, sir,” Jamie replied, “But I’m trying to find out everything I can.”

  Knox smiled, “You’ve done well, especially in getting the word to us on such short notice.”

  Everyone around the table nodded their agreement.

  Dr. Church asked, “Well then, what shall we do?”

  Dr. Warren replied, “I suggest that we notify the militia in all the surrounding towns: Concord, Cambridge, Lexington, Watertown, and Charlestown. They should prepare themselves to march at a moment’s notice. As soon as we know where the British are headed, we can tell everyone to meet there.”

  “I’ll leave tonight,” Revere said.

  “What about the weapons?” asked Dr. Church.

  Mr. Holbrook spoke up, “I'll see that they get to our militia as soon as we know where the troops will go.”

  Dr. Church asked, “Where are they? And how will we get them there?”

  “We have wagons,” Jonathan said, “And plenty of hands to help move them as soon as necessary.”

  “We must set up a plan for sending messages,” said Dr. Church.

  Mr. Knox turned to Jamie, “If you hear anything more, come to my shop immediately and I shall tell the others.”

  “And while you’re on the way,” Mr. Revere said to Jamie, “Go to my shop and let my son Paul Junior know. He’ll send word to me if I’m not there.”

  “Where will you be?” asked Dr. Church.

  “Oh, here and there,” Revere replied with a cunning smile.

  “We’ve all got to swear to secrecy in these matters,” said Mr. Knox, as he reached into his coat pocket and brought out a small black leather-bound book. He placed it on the center of the table and everyone regarded it curiously.

  “I will swear on this Bible with my life and my soul that I will not tell anyone outside of this group here what we have spoken of tonight. And we must all swear the same oath.”

  “I’ll swear to it!” cried Dr. Warren. The others agreed enthusiastically.

  “Very well. Everyone put your hand on this Bible and repeat after me,” said Mr. Knox. He laid the book upon the table so everyone could touch it. They all reached out and placed their fingers upon the book in silence and waited for Mr. Knox to speak.

  “I do solemnly swear…”

  They all repeated the phrase, including Sarah and Jamie.

  “Upon the holy book of God,” said Knox, and the others repeated.

  It was then that Sarah noticed something odd. She nudged Jamie with her elbow and threw a furtive glance at Dr. Church. Jamie followed her gaze and watched him.

  Knox continued, “That I shall not divulge anything regarding this group or its business…”

  As they all repeated the words, Jamie and Sarah saw that Dr. Church’s lips were not moving and only the tips of his fingers touched the Bible.

  “To anyone outside of our members.”

  They repeated the last phrase and then Mr. Knox proposed a toast.

  “To liberty!”

  “To Liberty!” Everyone cheered, clashing their tankards together. Dr. Church picked up his tankard of ale and drank, contemplating the others. When their eyes met Jamie sensed something suspicious. Dr. Church looked away, but his mind was still on the lad, wondering what he was thinking.

  Dr. Church and Paul Revere at The George Tavern

  Back at home that evening, Jonathan stood before the fire with his arms folded across his chest, regarding Sarah and Jamie incredulously.

  “That’s ridiculous!” Jonathan cried, “Dr. Church has been a dedicated and hard-working patriot all the years I’ve known him!”

  “But it’s true, Father!” Sarah argued, “I saw him, too! While everyone else was swearing the oath, Dr. Church remained silent!”

  Jonathan shrugged and said roughly, “That doesn’t mean he’s a traitor! He was probably just thinking about something else!”

  “But sir, all those questions he kept asking,” Jamie declared, “Why did he want to know about where the weapons were stored and how they would be transported-“

  “He was just making sure that we’ll be ready, that’s all!” Jonathan argued angrily, “No, I cannot believe that he is a traitor! You two have let your imaginations go too far. I have known Dr. Church since before you were born, Sarah. He came to our home when your mother was sick and he tried everything he could to save her and your brother. And he has dedicated his life to our cause! I will not abide such talk about him now. It’s well past bed time for you both.”

  They knew by the tone of Jonathan’s voice that he would hear no more about the subject, so they said their goodnight and headed upstairs. They stopped on the landing outside Sarah’s bedroom door and Jamie spoke quietly.

  “I saw something strange in his eyes! Dr. Church is hiding something! I just know it!”

  “Then we’ll have to uncover the truth ourselves. No one will believe us unless we have proof!”

  Jamie nodded in agreement, “Let’s think on it tonight and try to come up with a plan.”

  Sarah smiled, “Oh, I’ll come up with something all right.”

  Jamie grinned back, “I’m counting on it!”

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 10: The Red-Headed Woman

  Like most New England folks, on Sunday morning Sarah and Jamie followed their usual routine of doing chores, eating breakfast, and going to the Congregational Church meeting,

  On their way back to the farm, Sarah asked Jonathan, “Father, if there is a war, will you have to go and fight?”

  Seeing the anxiety in her eyes, he said, “I pray that no one will have to fight, but if they do, I must do my part. I’ll send you to the Reveres until I return. I don’t want to leave the two of you alone on the farm.”

  Jamie spoke confidently, “You have nothing to worry about sir! I can take care of Sarah.”

  Jonathan gave a slight smile and said, “Thanks, but if the troops march out of Boston, they may invade every house looking for weapons, food, money, or women. Sarah will be safer at the Revere’s and I’ll feel better knowing you’re with her.”

  Sarah scoffed, “I don’t need protection! I can take care of myself!”

  Her father became stern.

  “You’ll do as I say, young lady! You’re no match for a bunch of soldiers no matter what you may think.”

  Jamie nodded in agreement. He knew that Sarah would need his protection, and he decided that from now on, he would keep his knife with him at all times. While in the Navy, he had learned how to throw a knife accurately, which saved his life on more than one occasion.

  The following day, Jamie hurried back to work at the Governor’s house after school. The General’s office door was open, and an aide was speaking with General Gage. Jamie stood mixing paint near the entrance to the drawing room and listened to their conversation.

  “And Major Pitcairn is ready to march his unit out on your command, sir,” reported the aide.

  “Very well. I'll send word to him when the time comes. I'm expecting a message sometime today. As soon as it arrives, I'll let everyone know their destination.”

  “Very good, sir. Shall I dispatch these orders?”

  “Yes. Take them yourself. I don’t want them to fall into the wrong hands.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The aide tucked the canvas pouch under his arm, saluted smartly, and left the office.

  Jamie went to Mr. Roberts, who was painting in the buildings on the wall mural.

  “Have you heard anything today?” Jamie whispered.

  Mr. Roberts shook his head and kept on painting as he said quietly, “No, but I shall need several shades of green mix
ed in preparation for painting the trees and grass. Add more yellow to some and blue to others.”

  Jamie nodded in understanding. Mixing paint gave him the opportunity to stand near the entrance while keeping an eye and ear on the General’s office.

  As he mixed the paint, he gazed out of the front windows overlooking the street. His attention was drawn to a woman across the road, wearing a shawl over a long blue dress. Her reddish auburn hair shined like copper in the sunlight. She looked up and down the street as if waiting for someone. She paced back and forth nervously, glancing up at the Governor’s house from time to time. Finally, as if she had made up her mind, she crossed the road and came up the front steps. Jamie pretended not to listen as Mr. Heath greeted the stranger.

  “I got a message to deliver,” said the woman. Her speech sounded American. She reached into a string bag on her wrist and pulled out a letter.

  “Give this to General Gage, if you please.”

  “And whom shall I say the letter is from, Madam?” asked Heath.

  “Just give it to him. He’ll know when he sees it.”

  She didn’t wait for a reply, but turned and hurried away. Jamie watched as Mr. Heath delivered the letter to the General, and wondered what it was about, and why an American woman would send one to General Gates.

  “Jamie,” called Mr. Roberts.

  Mr. Roberts gave him a piece of paper folded in half.

  “Here, you’d better keep this on you at all times,” said Mr. Roberts.

  “What is it?” Jamie asked.

  “A note explaining your presence here at the General’s house. It may come in handy if things become…difficult.”

  Jamie opened the note and read it.

  ‘To Whom It May Concern: Please allow the young man, James Quayle, to proceed into the residence of General Thomas Gage, in Boston, as he is an apprentice engaged to perform work in the Governor’s house.’

  Jamie thanked him and put the note into his pocket.

  That evening after dinner, Jamie and Sarah were given permission to ride into Boston for some supplies. When Jamie showed the guards at the Neck his letter from Mr. Roberts, they were allowed to pass through.

  They trotted past rows of tall buildings. Glowing windows and gas lanterns shed pools of dim light upon the cobblestone streets. The air smelled of the sea just a few blocks away.

  Sarah told Jamie, “I got Dr. Church’s address from Mr. Holbrook. I told him I needed to see a doctor about something, and he didn’t ask any questions.”

  They found number 17 King St., located in the middle of a row of three-story brick houses with black shutters. A gas lamp lit the doctor's brass plaque beside the door.

  “That’s it,” Sarah said, pointing to the door as they trotted past. They slid off the horses and dashed to a shaded spot across the street. Cloaked in dark shadows, they stood unseen.

  The street was quiet except for chirping crickets and the distant laughter from a nearby tavern. As they stood watching number 17, shadows moved behind curtains in the lighted windows.

  “I wish they were downstairs so we could see what was going on,” said Sarah.

  “He probably has his medical office downstairs and his living quarters above it.”

  She nodded. She hadn’t noticed how cold it was, but felt a shiver go through her. She heard footsteps approaching and nudged Jamie. He turned and saw two soldiers coming in their direction.

  “What’ll we do?” asked Sarah, looking worried. She feared the soldiers might interrogate them.

  Just as the soldiers were getting close enough to see their faces, Jamie grabbed Sarah, embraced her, and kissed her. She struggled to push him away, but he held onto her firmly, turning his face away from the soldiers. As the soldiers passed, one chuckled, saying, “Oh, I remember them days all right.”

  “Me, too!” cried the other, chuckling, and they kept right on walking . As soon as they were out of earshot, Jamie let her go. She hadn’t realized that he had such strength in his arms. Furious at what he had done, she punched him in the arm.

  “Ow!” he cried, “What did you do that for!”

  “Don’t you ever do that again, Jamie Quayle, or you’ll wish you’d never met me!” she cried.

  “Shhh!” he whispered fiercely, “I had to! We couldn’t just stand here like two idiots! They would have asked all kinds of questions!”

  Breathing hard, Sarah wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Next time, think of something else, will you?”

  He sighed, “Oh, stop complaining! It wasn’t that bad!”

  She pouted, trying to think of what to say.

  “Well…. not exactly…. bad, but I wasn’t prepared for it! I mean… it wasn’t awful, but- you took me off guard! Not that I liked it, mind you!” she added quickly.

  He was glad she couldn’t see his expression because it would have been difficult to hide his confusion. He had never kissed a girl before; at least, not like that. He wondered what was so bad about his kissing, but just as he was about to question her about it, she pointed.

  “Look! The light’s gone out!”

  He looked up at the window, now dark. Soon they heard the door of number 17 open and two figures stepped out, a man and a woman. The man took the woman's arm in his and they strolled down the road towards the main square where the State House stood. Jamie and Sarah followed. When the couple reached the corner, their faces were illuminated by the gaslight.

  “It’s Dr. Church!” Sarah declared, “But who is she?”

  Jamie studied the figure and the face. She had long reddish auburn hair and she looked very familiar.

  “I’ve seen her before!” he cried, “She came to the General’s house yesterday with a message for the General!”

  “She’s English?” asked Sarah.

  “No, American, I think. You know what this means? She could be the one who's passing the information to General Gage from Dr. Church!”

  “You’re right!” cried Sarah, “And now we’ve got to think of a way to stop them!”

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 11: Urgent Messages

  When Jamie arrived at the general’s house the following morning, Joshua was waiting for him.

  “Come inside!” Josh waved impatiently. Jamie followed him into the carriage house.

  “This morning the general had a group of officers come here for a meeting. When they left, I heard two of them talking and one said something about stopping the rebels who’ll try to alert the people of Concord, because- and I quote-'that’s where all their damn weapons are stored!'”

  Jamie’s heart skipped a beat and his mouth dropped open.

  “Concord? When?”

  “I’m not sure, but it sounded like they were getting ready to leave today!”

  Jamie grabbed Joshua’s arm and said urgently,

  “Tell Mr. Roberts that I have been delayed, but I’ll come back if I can! And thank you, Josh, for telling me this! If you’re right, you’ve just saved an entire town!”

  Josh grinned and nodded his head, “Right! See you later!”

  Jamie ran back to the street and headed straight for Paul Revere’s house on North Square. He pounded on the front door, and when a youngster answered it, Jamie said, “I need to talk to your father! It’s urgent!”

  The small boy looked up at him for a moment, unsure what to do. Jamie reached into his pocket and pulled out a halfpenny, which he handed to the boy.

  “Here! Now go get your father!”

  The small boy left the door open and ran up the stairs, yelling,

  “Father! Father! Mr. Urgent is here and he gave me this!”

  From the doorway, Jamie could hear footsteps thumping on the floor above. Then window above opened and a head poked out.

  “Oh, it’s you!” Revere said with relief, “I’ll be right down!”

  A moment later, Jamie was standing in the hallway telling Paul what he had learned.

  Revere nodded, “Th
en the rumors Dr. Warren heard were right! He told me that the boats from the transports have all been sent ashore. Do you know if they are going by way of the Neck or the Charles River?”

  Jamie shook his head, “No, I don’t.”

  “Never mind. We’ll soon find out. Thank you, lad. Go and tell Mr. Knox to let the others know that the march will be upon Concord!”

  “Yes, sir!” Jamie cried and ran off down the street towards the London Book Shop on Corn Hill. Running all the way, he arrived in five minutes. Just as he was about to open the door, a British officer came out. Jamie stood back to let him through, trying to contain his excitement. He entered the book shop quietly and spotted Mr. Knox behind the counter talking with a customer. As soon as the customer left, Jamie whispered his message clearly. Mr. Knox listened and nodded his head.

  “Concord!” he exclaimed, “I wonder why…”

  Jamie continued, “I think it’s because they know about the weapons stored there. There is a traitor among us, Mr. Knox.”

  Jamie went on to tell him what Joshua had overheard.

  Henry Knox looked alarmed. He said, “Go home and tell Jonathan.”

  Although he wanted to tell Mr. Knox about his suspicions about Dr. Church, without proof, he doubted Knox would believe him.

  Within twenty minutes, he reached home and found Jonathan in the back field clearing some land for plowing. As soon as Jamie told him the news, he put the horse into the barn and came into the house. Sarah was stirring a boiling pot on the hearth as her father disappeared upstairs. She turned to Jamie.

  “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be working at the general’s house?”

  Jamie told her the news.

  “Concord!” she cried, “And they know about the weapons stored there?”

  “Yes!”

  “Perhaps we should all go and warn them,” Sarah said, “We could -“

  “You’re not going to Concord,” Jonathan said firmly as he came down the stairs carrying a long rifle and leather satchel.

  He continued, “I’m taking you to the Reveres as soon as we’ve had our meal. Then I’ll be going on to Concord.”

  “But Father-” Sarah protested.

  “No buts, young lady. You’ll do as I tell you. And Jamie,” he turned him, “I’m counting on you to make sure she stays with the Reveres. When the British come out of Boston, no one will be safe. We’ll feed the animals before we go and lock the house and barn in case the soldiers come here.”