Storm of Love - A Historical Romance Set during the American Revolutionary War (13 page)

17
Revolution

December 25, 1783

The morning was as calm as any winter's day had been that year. Massachusetts had been kind to her residents. The small home situated against the tree line made for a modest residence, and it was decorated with handmade accessories. As morning reached through the windows to wake her, Abigail opened her eyes and smiled. Happiness had been her friend for some time and every day made her thankful.
              She reached her arm out and felt Edward's hand, squeezing it gently. He stirred, and as she looked away from the window and toward him, his dark hair falling against his face perfectly, he gave her that smile she had fallen in love with so many years ago.
              "Good morning, dear," he said.
              "Good morning," she said.
              The previous years had been difficult, but things had turned out for the best. After Edward had been injured and found in the forest, Abigail had worked at the outpost for another several years and Edward had trained as a doctor under Doc. Abigail eventually became a nurse, and the two of them tended the soldiers who passed through the outpost for some time.
              In a way, it was as if they were both honoring the memory of her father. She was taking care of soldiers who were much like him, and Edward had become a doctor, just like her father had been. Though it may have seemed unusual to some, Abigail and Edward had found a way to overcome the tragedy of her father's death and use it as a force for good.
              In her heart, Abigail knew it would have been her father's wish for anyone who found the patriot cause a worthy one to be accepted. He knew it was not where a person was born that made them an American or a patriot but what was in their heart, and Edward had a heart of gold.
              After they had worked several more years at the outpost, they had decided to settle close by. The woods had become their home and something they treasured. So many nights they had talked together by their tree on the battlefield, the woods were where they had first met, and amid the trees Edward had been saved and she herself had come to the realization of her own second chance at life.
              The battles that passed between Edward's recovery and their building a nearby home were many, and the bloody fights continued. It was always a difficult job but a necessary one for them to tend to the wounded and dying.
              Finally, though, just a couple of months prior, the last British troops had left American soil. They were, for all intents and purposes, their own independent country. It was the dawn of an era her father had always dreamed of and which she wished he had been able to see. But somehow she knew that he was with her, with both of them.
              Outside, the snow was gently falling to the ground, covering everything in white. It was a new era, and the white snow seemed to represent a fresh start, innocence, a reckoning for the past and the end of bloodshed, at least for a time.
              Edward rose from the bed and left the room, coming back with a pitcher of tea, pouring Abigail a cup. She sat up slowly in bed, still getting used to her swollen belly. They were expecting their first child any day now, and she was elated. The events that brought them together and the love that had carried them through such difficult times was as strong as ever, and somehow she knew her father had a hand in their happiness.
              Looking down at her stomach, Edward laid a hand on it gently and said, "I'm so proud to be your husband. And I can't wait to be a father."
              She put her hand on his, feeling blessed and fortunate. "You'll be an excellent father. I know it."
              A look of poignant reflection crossed his face and his brows furrowed ever so quickly.
              "What are you thinking of?" she asked.
              After pausing for a moment he said, "I just wish…I wish your father were here to see his grandson, that's all."
              Abigail stopped for a moment to reflect on the situation. Her mother, she had found out, had died while Abigail was fighting in the war. Officially, she was said to have had a heart attack, but there had been rumors that she had committed suicide. Either way, the loss was difficult. Though her mother was not her favorite person and they’d had their share of difficulties, she was still her mother. But she thought that perhaps somehow her mother had finally found peace. That perhaps she was resting somewhere, happy and joyful. Maybe she and her father were together and enjoying the happiness that Abigail and Edward now had. But Abigail still missed her father most of all, and Edward's words made her think for a moment.
              "Edward, he is here. He's with us always. I don't think for a moment that my father would do anything but bless our marriage and our children. He believed in revolution, yes, but not simply for those living on one side of the ocean or the other. Revolution, to him, was as much a revolution of the heart and mind as it was a political belief. You embody the revolution my father dreamed of for everyone. And I feel like my father lives on in you in some way. He changed you, you said so yourself. And the man you are now is a man I would be proud to introduce to my father."
              They sat for a moment, considering what she had said, and Edward seemed to understand what Abigail was trying to convey. He nodded and leaned over to hold her close to him in an embrace.
              In that moment, she felt blessed to have a man she loved so much. But mostly she felt that her father was more alive than ever. Her life had been a revolution, and she had grown into the woman her father had hoped she would become. While she happily stitched Edward's trousers or made pillows for the house, activities for which Edward playfully teased her, saying she had "finally caved in and become a woman," the rebel spirit that had first led her to join the patriots was still alive. And as long as she had that, she had her father's light within her.
              One day, the pocket watch that hung around her neck would be her child's possession, and she would teach her children about her father. His legacy would be handed down for generations, and he would not be forgotten.
Revolution
, she thought,
lives on in anyone who believes in standing up for what they think is right and just.
So she would teach her children those values, and they, along with the new nation, would go forward, keeping her father's memory—and the memory of others who had given their lives to secure freedom—alive.
              As she looked at Edward, she knew her father's lessons were more than just a statement about government. They were a philosophy about people. That people could experience internal revolutions—revolutions of the soul—that transformed them. Edward was living proof of that, and so was she. Their future looked bright and as clean as the first snowfall. It was going to be a beautiful winter, and in the spring they would have a child. And as the birth of a nation was occurring all around them, the birth of their new life together would also bring change and excitement. It was a future for which Abigail was prepared, so long as Edward was by her side. It was a future that was theirs to make what they wanted.
And that
, she thought,
is freedom
.

- THE END -

ANNEX
Facts & Fiction

A good portion of this story is fiction. However, since it is set in an important historical time period during events that shaped the world as we know it today, much effort has been exerted to preserve the accuracy of key historical events, themes, dates, and people. In an effort to be transparent about how much of this historical fiction is history and how much is fiction, this description serves as a brief breakdown of what is and is not a historical fact. While this editorial could be much expanded, in the interest of brevity only the most crucial details will be explained here, or those which present the greatest departure from true historical accounts.

As one reads the following chapters, it is safe to assume that if something is found to be historically inaccurate it was intentional or deemed unimportant to the context of the story. Many other works of historical fiction use a setting or time period merely as a backdrop on which a story can be played out; this novel does much the same with the time period of the Revolutionary War. From the actual length of the war to the fact that the flow of the story or events therein would be massively slowed down and hindered by being totally historically accurate, there are many, many reasons why this story is not held entirely to the records of history.

However, it is true that many of the characters are based on real people who really existed in this time period. Where possible, these people have been painted in an accurate light if they have been presented as themselves, such as General George Washington—later, of course, President Washington—and Dr. Joseph Warren, who will be discussed in greater detail below. While Dr. Warren is a real person, much of his family dynamic had to be changed so the story could more easily flow and be understood by readers.

This book is many things, but one thing it is not is a history lesson. Reading this book should be entertaining, and while history is very entertaining, it is not the intent of this novel to follow a series of historical events. Rather, this is a character-driven novel, the story between two of its characters the main focus, and while period clothing, weaponry, housing, lifestyles, and the like are taken into consideration and portrayed as accurately as possible, events, such as certain battles and the time it would take to travel between locations, have been changed so that the story does not become arduous to read.

First of all, Dr. Joseph Warren, the father of Abigail, the main female character in the novel, was a real person. He was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, and he did die in the course of events at what is called the Battle of Bunker Hill (historical notes show that although it has long been called the Battle of Bunker Hill, this name was given to it erroneously, as the battle actually took place at Breed's Hill). Dr. Warren was revered as one of the original Minute Men, was fiercely patriotic, and did have children, although he had four, not one. He had two boys and two girls, none of which was named Abigail (their names were Mary and Elizabeth), but since Abigail's siblings would have made the story that much more complex, it was more efficient to keep it to one child. Were this story intended to be one of a woman who defied tradition to serve her country alone, the siblings would have been quite helpful in creating conflict and drama, but since this was primarily a story of romance, it seemed all but convoluted to extend the family to such a degree.

Dr. Joseph Warren's wife, at least as far as historical documents—limited though they may be—are concerned, was likely not the harsh and heartless force of tyranny that Abigail's mother is in the novel. In fact, it is entirely likely that she was quite a kind woman, an heiress, actually, whom Dr. Warren married when she was just eighteen years old.

Of no fiction is the passion with which Dr. Warren served his country. While it would have brought me much satisfaction to elaborate upon the story of Dr. Warren, it did not serve the purpose of this novel to do so, but any reading that can be done about the man will certainly not be in vain. By all accounts, his loyalty to America was not to be shaken. In fact, he wrote many times in the newspaper under the pseudonym
A True Patriot
, publishing articles very critical of the British and many times eliciting threats of violence from those in authority, though none could ever be followed through on and the paper was never actually punished because of it.

Additionally, in the beginning chapters of the novel, there is a moment when Abigail reflects upon a song her father wrote. That song is, in fact, part of history, as it was written by the actual Dr. Joseph Warren. While it is unknown whether he actually wrote it down and gave it to one of his children, of course, it was his own creation, and he set it to the tune of an old British march. The lyrics capture quite well his passion for patriotism and his resolve that the patriot cause was worth the fight.

Abigail herself was based on an actual person, Deborah Sampson, who famously joined the ranks disguised as a man in order to fight for the patriot cause. She served for seventeen months in the Continental Army under General George Washington. In 1782, she was injured, and when she was taken to a hospital they discovered, inevitably, that "Robert Shurtlieff" was indeed a woman, Deborah Sampson. She was honorably discharged in 1783 and later petitioned for what we would today consider veteran pay, and her request was approved by General John Hancock. Of course, Deborah did not marry or fall in love with an English soldier but rather married an American farmer later on. She had four children, one of whom was an adopted child who had been orphaned. In addition, she was not an only child but had six siblings, and rather than leaving her family she actually became an indentured servant at an early age. In short, the only true portion of Deborah Sampson that remains in Abigail is her drive to fight for the patriot cause like any man was able to and her disguise, which she devised in order to do so. The rest is entirely fiction, but the spirit of Deborah Sampson is rather accurately embodied in that of Abigail.

When it comes to the notable historical figures throughout the book, great effort was taken to maintain as much historical accuracy as possible, including actual quotes. Clearly these characters had no interaction with the fictional characters, so their interactions are entirely fictionalized and not based on any actual conversations. However, the personalities and dispositions of all historical figures are presented as accurately as possible for a work of fiction.

Much of the Revolutionary War was overlooked in a sense when creating this novel so that the story would not stray too far from its main point. In order to facilitate the meeting of Edward and Abigail, much of what likely occurred on the battlefield is omitted for effect. Since this is not a story focused entirely upon the war itself or the plight of soldiers but rather one that facilitates events in the war in order to unite two characters' lives, some details of the actual daily lives of soldiers have been altered, removed, or overlooked to speed the story along a bit. Where details are offered that are historical in nature, such as dates of battles and the like, every effort has been made to assure historical accuracy; however, where historical details are vague or not included, it is intentional so that the story can be kept alive without compromising historical accuracy.

When it comes to the homes, kitchens, clothing, and other aspects of daily life, historical accuracy has been sought after and attained in most of the story.
              At one point, Edward remarks about the affairs of George Washington, noting that he had been fixing up the troops and helping very much in pulling the army together. It was stated that Washington would be coming to the camp where Edward and Abigail were and that he very much looked forward to this because it meant their army—or their particular branch of it—would be in better shape after Washington's training.
              By most accounts, it would seem that Washington trained the entire army at once and that there were not really well-defined divisions. However, seeing as historical fiction is, after all, fiction, it suited the story much better to describe the scene upon entering as a disorganized and disheveled group of individuals who drank too much but had a fighting spirit.
              This part, in fact, is true. The Continental Army—before the official name was given—was actually in a bit of disarray, and it so happened that they went through almost a gallon of rum per person per day—a mighty high amount for anyone. It is also true that before Washington took control, the American army was in quite a state of upheaval and had no real leadership.
              However, Washington did not train his army in divisions or sections but rather as one group. By the time Washington took power as General Washington, the number of true soldiers had dwindled by quite a bit, as many of those who would flock to the battlefield in such events as the Battle at Bunker (Breed's) Hill had gone home, and some had been killed.
              Regardless, while some things were changed to make the story flow more efficiently, this also goes to show the state of the American army at its inception and speaks to the remarkable fact that it ever got anywhere or defeated anyone, much less the British.
              It is also worth noting that many of the events described in the context of the novel have either been sped up or rearranged. This is, for the most part, why many battles are not named.
              For instance, Joseph Warren, Abigail's father, dies in the Battle of Bunker Hill, and Abigail later becomes injured in another battle. While the context of the story makes it appear as though those events were only a few months apart, history professors and those very familiar with the events of the Revolutionary War will tell you that these events actually took place years apart. The Revolutionary War took place over eight years, but the love story between Abigail and Edward would have become extremely arduous and tasking if it had taken that long to develop.
              Were this a historical fiction novel strictly about war, many exciting events could easily have been examined in greater detail over eight years—but not for a romance. For this reason, the speed of events was changed and the timeline is nowhere near accurate.
              However, when it comes to things like the clothing the characters wear, descriptions of uniforms—or the lack thereof—and descriptions of individuals such as George Washington, who actually did exist, of course, every effort has been made to be as historically accurate as possible.
              Essentially, the Revolutionary War is a background in which the story of Abigail and Edward is set, and the greater points of the novel involving their love story and the messages of forgiveness, revolution as change and not merely war, and other messages, are far more important than a play-by-play of the Revolutionary War.
              Also, the fact that someone like Edward would even consider changing sides is really not that much of a stretch. There are many accounts of people who sailed back to England after the war with missing limbs, famished bodies, and other ailments, and many in England had stated publically that the American colonies were not just a bunch of rebels, or "rabble" as they were called, but had a viable cause for fighting and should not be gone to war with.
              Even so, as stated, the backdrop of the Revolutionary War is only used so that the extremes can be illustrated. In other words, Edward's switch from one side of the Revolutionary War to the complete opposite side illustrates a gigantic change in mindset, attitude, beliefs, and viewpoint. The fact that change is possible, that people do change, and that Abigail's father may have wanted more than just war when he spoke of change is well illustrated in this concept and the event that illustrates it.
              The reader should walk away feeling as though they have read a feel-good story about two people who came together against all odds; they should not necessarily be looking for historically plausible outcomes.