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.Grabbing his jacket and pulling on his boots, he fumbled for his saber, lurched out of his tent and focused his eyes blearily on the cauldron of men stumbling out of their bivouacs.“Report!” he roared, hoping someone would have the sense to inform him what was going on.“Sir!” a picket snapped smartly to attention before him.“The British are approaching from the south.Two columns, sir.”“Very good.Go to your unit, Private.”The soldier saluted and ran off, clutching his hat.Blazing torches were showing the men which way to go, and Casca shouted for his messenger and orderly to report to him immediately.He buttoned up his jacket as he walked towards the edge of the camp and watched with satisfaction as the New Jersey men got into two ranks, their bayonetted muskets at the ready.This was more like it, not like the previous year when they had virtually no bayonets!Soderling and Connors arrived, Soderling cautious and sober while Connors was breathless with anticipation.“Numbers of the enemy, Captain?”“Sir, it would appear General Howe is throwing the full weight of his army against us.”“Is he, by God?” Casca replied, thinking furiously.Howe must have gotten good intelligence about the American movement, for he must have immediately decided to have a go at Lord Stirling’s exposed 2,500 men to have got here this early.It was a risky but acceptable move – destroy the advance guard of Washington’s army and you would secure a strategic victory.Casca looked ahead, to where the two small hills in front of them were seething with men.That was where the riflemen had camped and were now rushing to shoot at the as yet unseen British forces moving through the woods and along the road.Casca looked along the line of men.Beyond his unit, three cannon were being wheeled into position, and the growing light of the new day showed more men beyond the guns lining up.Stirling was not going to be caught with his pants down.“Sir, will we stand?” Connors asked, his eyes wide.“Lieutenant, the British probably have got around three to four times our number.We hold this hill, but we can easily be outflanked.If it looks like they’ll do that, then we’ll have no option but to withdraw.” He pursed his lips thoughtfully.That may mean to withdraw under fire, one of the most difficult maneuvers anyone could achieve.How would the new soldiers of his command cope with that? Could Lord Stirling manage that?“Orderly,” Casca turned to a thin, worried looking man to his left.“My compliments to Lord Stirling.Inform him we are ready.Ask if he would be so kind as to provide me with an estimate of the British forces, their leaders and their dispositions.”“Sir,” the orderly saluted and scribbled a message down, tore off the top sheet and passed it to the messenger who ran off into the distance.The growing light now was enough for the torches to be extinguished and Casca thumped his chest, belched and began walking up and down in between the two lines of men.“Stay calm, you’re part of the best army in the thirteen colonies.General Washington’s eyes will be upon us all, so show him that you New Jersey boys can stand and fight.Wait on my command.”There was not much else to do for the moment.He was hungry.Damned thoughtless of Howe to make his move before breakfast.No matter, like many men, he fought better on an empty stomach.Lack of food made him more bad tempered.From the smaller hills ahead shots were now audible, and the gun smoke visible.Whatever was going on over there was hotting up, and the men alongside Casca began fidgeting nervously.Just then Lord Stirling came ambling up, accompanied by his staff, inspecting the units.“Ah, the complimentary Major Lonnergan,” Stirling said gruffly.But there was a twinkle in his eye.Casca grinned and saluted.“Sir.Any idea as to their strength?”“Aye indeed.Two full columns of regulars, numbering about eleven thousand men.Lord Cornwallis is directly ahead of us and it is his men trading shots with Ottenden’s rifles there.I’m reliably informed that Howe is marching up through the woods off to the right along the road parallel to this one.We could very well be outflanked.If that looks like happening we’ll withdraw.I’ve sent word back to General Washington so he’ll be fully prepared if the British do break through here.”“A delaying action, then, sir?”“Correct, Major [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]