Becoming a Founding "Father"- Historical Hamilton

Chapter Twenty-Four: Battle of Monmouth pt.2

The results of the battle of Monmouth are inconclusive. 

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The word rung out as clear as day, booming across the entire field. That sounded like an order, which made no sense at all.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought so. People clumsily rushed around me, looking at each other in confusion. I stumble up, leaving the injured man to be trampled. Calling out a last apology, I run to the nearest captain, shouting over the mass, which had started slowly descending into madness. "Why are we retreating? Washington's order was not given!"

The man stutters, his eyes flitting to my green ribband. I frown, looking around. Complete and utter chaos surrounds us, and I shout again. "What's your name?"

"C-Captain Thomas Seward, sir!" 

"I need to lend your horse!"

"What?" He looks shocked, and I just let a shout of frustration. With all of the commotion around us, you can barely hear it. The metallic smell burns my nose. "Men are dying! Give me your fucking horse so I can get to Lee!"

Seward, thankfully, complies. I barely nod as a thanks, and get on the horse. It shifts uneasily at the new weight, but I don't have fucking time for that-

Get to Lee- that's all that matters. Surely, there's some kind of mistake. I grip the reigns painfully tight. The sound the horse made was bit too pained, and yet my grip didn't falter. I look at the frightened and shouted over the crowd. "Do not retreat! Round up as many soldiers as you can- we are not retreating!"

"But sir- General Lee-!"

"Damn general Lee!" I shout back, and watch as his eyes widen with terror. I'm sure that there's some kind of mistake- there's no fucking way Lee is that stupid. "Washington needs us here!" And, without looking back to see his reaction, I kick the horse painfully, sending me off to the last place I saw the general.

I was hard to get through the masses, men were running around in every direction, confusion flooding the whole field. After a few minutes I can't bear it anymore, shouting the loudest "Hold your ground!" I've ever shouted. Barely a few men stilled, looking at me. I grip the reigns tighter, quickly looking to where I wanted to get to.

Through the crowd of gunshots and shouts, I see Lee on top of a hill, just watching the chaos unfold with a resigned look. I barely resist shouting- he won't be able to hear me. And, from the looks of it, he wasn't even trying to get the situation under control. For a bare second, our eyes meet, and I give him the most disgusted look I could manage.

Even if he wasn't the cause of this, which I'm seriously starting to doubt, he's not doing anything to stop it. Doesn't he realize that Washington's depending on us?

I look at the chaos in front of me with a determined feeling in my heart. Fine- I'll just do it myself.

"Hold your ground!" I shout again, blocking several men from escape. They look at me, terrified, and I repeat myself. "Hold your ground! We are not retreating!"

I'm sure that I looked terrifying with dried blood splattered on me and a crazy look in my eyes, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that I turned around those ten men. Kicking my horse again and breaking a low hanging branch to use as a saber, I was off again.

"Stop!" I shout as loud as I can. I watch as people stumble around me, looking around in confusion. Is this truly what Lee wanted, or some kind of hearsay? "We are not retreating!"

It seemed as if sparks of electricity were flying from all around, and I try my best to round up the soldiers. But, no matter how much I tried, there was no way to get them all. I am one person against literal thousands. But that doesn't mean I won't try.