Of Wildflowers and Gunpowder

Chapter 26

The drums echoed across the field as the British troops slowly marched between the French and American armies, their pride smashed into a million pieces. 

With their flags unfurled and muskets shouldered, it was a scene of dishonor and pity. We silently rejoiced. 

Brigadier General Charles O'Hara, one of the men I had spied upon in Yorktown, led the troops towards General Washington and Rochambeau with a grim expression on his face. 

Benjamin glanced at me from atop his horse a few feet away from Washington and winked.

"Lord Cornwallis is ill," O'Hara said, "so I have come in his stead." 

Washington cocked his head and raised his eyebrows. "Well, sir, you may tell him that I am also quite under the weather." 

I stifled a smile. For a split second, Charles O'Hara made eye contact with me, doing a bewildered double-take as he presented the sword of surrender to Rochambeau. 

The French officer shook his head and pointed to Washington, who refused to take it. He motioned to his second in command, Benjamin Lincoln, who had been humiliated by the British at Charleston earlier that year, who accepted it momentarily before returning it to O'Hara.

As the Tories laid down their arms, some of them wept or appeared to be drunk. We had beaten the British empire.

The fife and drums began to play a traditional English tune, "The World Turn'd Upside Down" and I looked at Benjamin with a grin. This was the first song we'd ever danced to, it seemed even more appropriate today. 

When the surrender was over and the British troops marched out of the city, I ran to where General Washington was speaking to Hamilton, Benjamin, Lafayette, and John Laurens.

"Ah, our lovely spy," Laurens said, kissing my hand and adjusting his hat. 

"It is because of you and your sacrifice that we celebrate victory today, Miss Adams," Washington said, "I could never thank you enough. Now, let's see what kind of party the troops have set up for us, shall we?"

Benjamin linked my arm in his and kissed the top of my head, following the rest of them into Yorktown, where the loud music could be heard even from the field of surrender.

"We won, Benjamin. We will have peace soon, I know it, and then will come safety and comfort and happiness for the rest of our lives."

He looked at me with a smug expression. "Something tells me you're ready for this to all be over?" 

I nudged him lovingly as we entered the city, thousands of people emerging from their war-torn homes to greet us. Liberation.

As the crowd of French and American soldiers wound their way towards the center of Yorktown, Benjamin put a strong arm around me and pulled me close, a look of pensive anxiety on his face. 

My stomach turned when I realized the reason for his protective comfort; we were going to pass right by the alley where I'd been attacked.

 "Just don't look, Louisa. You're safe now." I nodded and took a deep breath, entwining my fingers in his as I kept my head high.

Unable to help myself, I turned to look down the alley. There was still dried blood in the dirt and even my discarded stockings were still left on the ground. The man's body was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm never coming back here ever again, Benjamin. Never."

"Aye," he said, escorting me into the courthouse where dancing had already begun, "I do believe that can be arranged. Come now, forget about that for a night. May I have this dance, my darling?"