Cobblestones Home : Colonial Lives : The Soldier's Tale

The tent is so cold “Good morning” I said “Hi Sam ho-” BOOM! a cannon boomed. I jumped out of bed “Run” some one screamed
“Get down! get out of the te-” BANG! The man was shot in the chest and blood gushed out of the open wound “Ahhhhhhh!” he screamed in pain. We ran out of the tent only to find more soldiers shot.

Click play to hear my story

I woke up to the sound of cannons booming BOOM! The blast hit a soldier and shrapnel tore him to pieces. The British hired Hessians were getting closer BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! Three shots fired more men go down screaming. I find my rifle to the right of the trench. I saw men running, they were shot “Find cover!” Tom said

“Fall back!” Lt. Carmen shouted before he was hit in the chest “ahhhhh!” he screamed.

“No” I pulled him in one of the trenches he was bleeding bad “He needs a doctor!” I shouted but no one was there just bodies Where was Tom?

“Sam!” someone said I looked up and it was Tom

“Tom!” I said. Lets get out of here I thought but I can’t leave Lt. Carmen

“Leave him, he is dead!” Tom yelled

“No!” I said But I knew he was dead, we ran and ran as fast as we could, other men were with us

“I think we're safe” Gabe said.

“Nothing is safe anymore Gabe!” Tom said. I heard more cannons BOOM BOOM! Now I knew we had to run so we sprinted until we ran out of breath.

“Hey I think we-” BOOM a cannon ball hit Gabe in the head, now he did not’t have a head.
    "No Gabe!” Thomas screamed.
   “Just keep running!” Tom yelled.

I could not get the image of Gabe being hit out of my head, I could not sleep when we got to Boston. “I need a drink” I told the bartender

“Hard week?” he asked

“Yes very” he handed me an drink of a dark color I took a sip, it tasted like dead animal but it hit the spot. Time for me to go to bed.

“Bye” I said

"Gods speed” he said. I walked to the Inn called the “Jolly Boar Inn” Strange name, I thought oh well. I saw Tom at the pub talking to Thomas and another man. I could not tell who it was “Tom, I’m going to bed” I said

“Okay” he said “Goodnight” Thomas Said   .
   Three weeks later...

The tent is so cold “Good morning” I said “Hi Sam ho-” BOOM! a cannon boomed. I jumped out of bed “Run” some one screamed


“Get down! get out of the te-” BANG! The man was shot in the chest and blood gushed out of the open wound

“Ahhhhhhh!” he screamed in pain. We ran out of the tent only to find more soldiers shot. BANG, BANG, BANG! A bullet came through our tent, a man was hit in the throat, he went down with a scream cut off by a gurgle.

“No!” John yelled. I grabbed my musket and I grabbed powder and bullets. I saw Tom use the butt of his musket to club a British soldier and his nose began to bleed as Tom beat him.

“Tom stop” I shouted but Tom wouldn’t stop beating him “Stop!” I yelled

“ Why do you want to save him!? They killed my family Sam I hate them!” Tom shouted but Tom didn’t stopped. BOOM! BANG! This time it was one of our cannons the British infantry fell and blood spilled all in one giant scream of pain. My ears rang I shot a British in the torso he fell, alive I felt bad for him. Tom shot a man in the head and it was a grisly sight. Suddenly a cannon exploded and a man was cut in half, and blood oh the blood I lost me stomach. Time to run I thought. We ran, more men were shot then we heard the British victory cry “HUZZAH! HUZZAH!”. Suddenly a cannon blew me off my feet I don’t remember anything after that.

    I was dreaming, but was I? It was Christmas. I was eight, I opened a box With ten metal toy soldiers five British and five others. We are at dinner now, the turkey was smelling like the most beautiful thing I ever smelled. It was St. Valentine's Day. I gave Jane a rose. She was beautiful. Later I was playing with the soldiers the British soldiers were winning against the French. I’m joining the militia. I’m seventeen I can shoot well with any type of weapon. Weapons smoking blood all around me Tom, James, John all dead No! Then I jumped to another memory of Tom and I when we were eleven playing hide and seek in a field. Wait, now it’s a field of death I see the Grim Reaper!

   I woke in a bed of a field hospital “Sam” Tom said

“Tom” I said.

“You’ve been out for a while” John said

“Were heading out for Trenton with General Washington” Tom said

“Good I need something to do” I said.

“Your not coming” Tom said harshly.

“Yes I am” I shouted.

“No!” he said.

“Leave now” I shouted.

“Fine” He yelled. I went back to sleep.
   We were on the river, a bitter cold night but the Hessians were asleep. We landed on the shore then BANG! BANG! BANG! We shot our muskets one man was shot in the throat. More shots rang in my ears, the Hessian leader was shot and wounded. As more Hessians fell the more cheers I heard. “Get down” I yelled, I saw a Hessian, I shot him he fell. Then it was over, As fast as it started it was over. Lt. Monroe was wounded and James Washington, General Washington’s cousin.

                                                                Epilogue

The Battle of Trenton was not the last battle of the Revolutionary War. Sam was wounded and went home to start a family. His best friend was killed. He built his own home and raised his children in New York.

Top of Page

Home