We lay there for some Hours. We heard constant Conflict, which was often Distant (the tapping of Bullets & Blast of the Guns). With our Eyes we saw only the most Gentle Scene: the Grass waving on the Silver Hills & the Driftwood on the Beach.

We could not have known — but have since learned — that on Noddle’s Island, our Militia lay in Ambush for the Royal Marines & eventually sprung up, firing upon them from the Hillside, & they made no small Havoc among Parliament’s Rowdy-Boys, but drove them back towards the Bay.

While this transpired, the Ditch was ours. Others huddled in it, farther down, some watching, some weeping. We heard always the Shots in the clear Air.

Cows came & posed — blinked at the Fire that had overtaken one of the Hills on Noddle’s Island — and continued their Progress.

When we rose once to move, we saw instanter a Boat not three hundred Feet off, in which Redcoat Guns were leveled at both Shores — and we sank again for Hours.

The Firing went on all around us, we lying, Belly down, all in a Row. The Marines drifted up & down through the Channel — & sometimes were but a few Rods from our Shivering-Place.

It is curious how quickly a Man forgets Alarm. After an hour, the Mind toiling with nothing but repeated Warnings & Desperate Strategies & Calculations of Escape — it resolves itself to distant Explosion & Danger.

Shem & John whispered to one another, lying side by side in the Dirt. Other Men amongst us began muttering. Mr. Wheeler spake of Miss Joan; Mr. Bullock of Mrs. B. We all wished in that Moment to be with those we loved & held most enshrined in our Hearts. I need not tell you I spake of you & Ma, which you may tell her. Mr. Wheeler spake of the Glories of Mothers, as we listened to the Firing in the Channel, and the Fathers in the Ditch, they grew solemn at the thought of their Little Ones, many Mountains away.

Mr. Symes, dreaming on the possibility of Mrs. S. fructifying, inquired of Mr. Wheeler of the conditions under which Joan was conceived, and whether the Moon’s Visitations had favorably affected the Engendering; Mr. Wheeler — never the most loose-tongued, & dumb-founded by the Impertinence of the Question — replied not, glaring out of the Corner of his Eyes at Mr. Symes before shaking his Head.

“It is a mysterious Business, Conception,” says Mr. S.

“And wonderful,” says Shem, thinking clearly of some seaside Trollop.

“Birth,” said Mr. Bullock, moved to Words, “is magical, my Boys.”

“I have heard,” said Mr. Symes, “that one of the old Emperors of Rome wondered so greatly about the mysteries of the Womb, that he cut his Mother’s Belly open to view the Place he came from.”

I remarked Prince then jolting like he been Burnt, & I said, “Prince, here to my Left, is our Classicist. Which Emperor was that, sir? Julius Cæsar? Cæsar Augustus?”

Prince spake not; his Eyes were large; his Breath perfectly even; something amiss.

“Agricola?” said John.

Prince lowered his Forehead so he gazed at the Sand.

“Nero,” he whispered. “The Emperor Nero.”

He turned away from us, and lay on his Side.

We spake no more.

Then — I was aware he was stood to his full height, exposed, and he stalked away from us, saying, “It is in Suetonius.”

We histled he would attract the Enemy and I grabbed at his Ankles to fell him, & fall he did, & lay in the Sand without Sign of Life beneath the Glare of our Townsmen.

After that, there was no more Speaking.

In the early Evening, the Firing grew greater, which was General Putnam arrived with Reinforcements & engaging with Parliament’s Schooner.

Oh, Shun, I cannot describe the Scene. The Air above us was burning, & we heard the Bursts of Fire, & it put me in mind of that terrible Day when

The Sea & Sky must perish too,

And vast Destruction come;

For all the Sea shall shrink away,

And Flame melt down the Skies —

We saw bursts of Light from the Shells & the Smoke from the ranked Volleys. The Detonations grew exceeding fierce as the Patriots brought forward their Cannon & began firing at the Schooner that had been discharging at the Islands & there was fighting even in the Channel near our Hiding-Spot.

We lay huddled in a Line, & well wot we that at any Moment a Shell might fall upon us & our Ditch and leave us maimed or buried.

Now there was a continual BLASTING —
             the Shouting of Commands —
                 — and no moment to think —
                 but A CLAP OF THUNDER —
                     too close —
                           which made the spongy Earth shudder —

And I saw a Motion: that John was risen, deranged with fear, & confronted the Battle Screaming.

I raised my Head & saw two ranks of Redcoats standing at attention across the Channel, & their Scouts darting before them, crouched & scurrying like Jackals, with their white Gaiters flashing in the grasses.

John screamed & begun to run down the Length of the Beach towards the Enemy; & though we wished to call to him, we could not, though Shem started up before someone grabbed him & yanked him back to the Sand while he gasped —

& then we heard the shouted Order from the Enemy & their Muskets tumbled to the Fore: DEATH PRESENTED TO VIEW.

& John — without Musket — still run down the Beach towards the Line of Fire; & he moaned & wailed like an Infant Baby as he run towards them —

& there was cried a sharp Order; the Redcoats fired off a small Volley, & the Sand whickered with Shot —

& half-way down the Beach, John spun & fell; struck in the Hip.

He moaned & rolled upon the Dirt, grasping at himself as if he believed he should soon slip away; he tore at his Side.

I raised my Head again to survey. The Redcoats, they stood with their Muskets in a line & they was motionless & silent —

John lay near the Water — pained on the Strand — his Blood smearing on the gray Beach in the Evening.

The Redcoat officer called out a Command —

& with a SCREAM — which froze the very Blood — the Ranks began to advance towards the Channel — stiff-legged & unstoppable & Muskets ready & Bayonets pronged. IT WAS ALL THE MORE TERRIFYING FOR BEING SLOW — & John watched them come on towards him — O ghastly Inevitability.

& then I saw that on my other Side, PRINCE was risen to his Feet & walked towards John; walking with an Air of Defiance; with no simple intent of Heroism; but we could see he WISHED TO DIE.

Another Blast, then — & though I am sure it was but one or two Muskets discharged upon us, it sounded as a Volley of a Thousand.

Prince had Tears running down his Face; he walked forwards in utter Regularity; & Shun, it was as if he had no Body & no Substance to slay.

Prince stood before them, Saber drawn but not raised.

He presented a Target so they would not fire upon John.

’Twas time for us to rise & fire — but we could not, Prince impeding our Shot — he standing between us & the Enemy — & still John lay upon the Sand, crying out & still they advanced.

Capt. Draper gave out the Command that we should charge our Muskets and prepare to rise & surprise the Enemy, & I saw he would have us fire despite Prince — & I could not abide it — my Spirits in such Confusions.

I would not otherwise have risen — knowing that I might leave Life behind. I would not otherwise have risen as I did & run forwards, tripping on the clods, expecting at every second the Bite of Lead — every second — to be torn asunder —

So when I reached Prince, I threw us both into the Mud & Brine.

“Life,” said I, “is worth at least Threepence.”

A Volley was fired — I know not who — and whether directed at us or at Capt. Draper or from Capt. Draper at the Enemy.

I know only that my Back, mounded, felt as huge as a Knoll —

& that Prince sobbed beneath me —

& that I was deaf with Shot —

& that I heard Capt. Draper calling to Present! — to Fire! —

& that, when I raised my Eyes, unto the Hills, from whence cometh my Help — I saw that the small Company of Redcoats was astonished by this new Enemy and that, thus confronted, they swiveled towards Capt. Draper and FIRED A VOLLEY.

I prayed as Prince & I huddled; and the Lord delivered us out of our Distress — for other Militia concealed farther down the Beach had arisen out the Eel-Grass & fired their own Rounds, the Air being liquid with Smoke —

& the Redcoats now, in the first Rank, dropped down to one Knee to fire while the other Rank stepped back.

No longer could I see the Conflict through the Smoke & Evening — who fired, &c. — & Courage having quit me, I did not raise my Head again as the Air thundered. I heard a Scream, which was John, still disordered with Pain.

After some Time, I perceived that the Enemy was drawing away & firing at a Company farther down the Line of Hills on my Shore; & from this, reckoned that the Flood was become too deep for them to cross to annoy us with their Bayonets. They made their way down the Beach on Noddle’s Island towards the Bay, firing as they went.

Prince quivered with some torment of Spirits; but now looked about too; and we both rose from the wet Sand; & we made our way to the Water’s Edge to fetch up poor John.

He could not stand, Shun, & when we raised him between us, he could not move the one Leg, which dragged after him, bobbing across the scallops of the Mud. Prince supported the Broken Side of the Boy, I his Other.

So struggling, we reached our pitiful Revetment.

We laid John on the Ground, while he howled. We bound him with his own Shirt & staunched the Bleeding. His Hip was shattered. We fed him Rum to dead the Pain, & then lifted him & began walking back double-file through the Eel-Grass across the Isle to the far Shore.

Some twenty Minutes later we heard Sounds of Jubilation & a Detachment of Militiamen come over a Hillock, saying that they had all but driven the Redcoats up the Length of the Isle & that the Parliamentary Schooner & Sloop had been bombed so exceedingly that they fought simply to remain afloat.

When we was arrived to the Shore near where we had forded in the Morning, Scows with Fisher Boys were come to greet us, & we laid John in one Boat & sent him & Shem & Prince across to Chelsea.

We spent an Hour or so beating more Livestock out of the Brambles, where Pigs & Sheep were fled. We drive them onto Boats & waded back to the Island & they was taken over to the Land. Prince returned, his Errand with John complete; he said the Boy slept & was like to live. Prince joined us in shuttling the Beasts across the widening Channel to Chelsea.

At long last, we led the last of the Livestock onto the Scows.

On the Waters, we passed into the Channel. Behind us, the Tide rolled in, as did the Waters return and cover the Chariots of Pharoah, & the Horsemen, & all of Host of Egypt to their desperate Confusion as the Israelites fled across the denuded Deep —

He turned the Sea into Dry Land: They went through the Flood on Foot: There did we rejoice in Him.

O bless our God, ye People, and make the Voice of His Praise to be Heard:

For Thou, O God, hast proved us: Thou hast tried us, as Silver is tried.

We went through Fire & through Water: but Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy Place.

Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my Prayer, nor His Mercy from me.

And do you, O Best of Sisters, wake in the Night, and find our Mother woken too, as by some Presentiment, & do you descend the Stairs & out into the Dooryard, holding each other, & does the Voice of your Soul inform you, as you stand beside our Gate, that far from the thick Fever of Crickets in the Hills and the Silence of Mountain Stars, your Brother is engaged in Battle? And do you, standing together, Pray?

   For if you do, I overhear you. And I am Safe.

& I am

your humble & affectionate

Brother & Son,        

Private Ev. Goring