A good read; such an insight into the mind of early times in the Americas
An important element in this tale is the part that gangs of thieves played in the chaos that always surrounds a war scene.
"The convenience, and perhaps the necessities, of the leaders of the American arms, in the neighborhood of New York, had induced them to employ certain subordinate agents, of extremely irregular habits, in executing their lesser plans of annoying the enemy. It was not a moment for fastidious inquiries into abuses of any description, and oppression and injustice were the natural consequences of the possession of a military power that was uncurbed by the restraints of civil authority. In time, a distinct order of the community was formed, whose sole occupation appears to have been that of relieving their fellow citizens from any little excess of temporal prosperity they might be thought to enjoy, under the pretense of patriotism and the love of liberty."
So of course in the name of Liberty we'll need to take that from you!
Race and slavery are a loud part of the narrative:
"The race of blacks of which Caesar was a favorable specimen is becoming very rare. The old family servant who, born and reared in the dwelling of his master, identified himself with the welfare of those whom it was his lot to serve, is giving place in every direction to that vagrant class which has sprung up within the last thirty years, and whose members roam through the country unfettered by principles, and uninfluenced by attachments. For it is one of the curses of slavery, that its victims become incompetent to the attributes of a freeman"
I have for years questioned the common fault of all humans to assign greater qualities to our friends than they could possibly posses.
"It is a painful discovery we make, as we advance in life, that even those we
most love are not exempt from its frailties. When the heart is fresh, and the
view of the future unsullied by the blemishes which have been gathered from the
experience of the past, our feelings are most holy: we love to identify with
the persons of our natural friends all those qualities to which we ourselves
aspire, and all those virtues we have been taught to revere. The confidence
with which we esteem seems a part of our nature; and there is a purity thrown
around the affections which tie us to our kindred that after life can seldom
hope to see uninjured."
A "doctor" plays a major role his job is to explain to the reader the horrors of the sabre in battle. We put out of mind the direct one on one battle form which has been mostly eliminated, and for good reason; imagine the level of PTSD gained in hand to hand combat!
I like this bit of death bed wisdom:
"The bruised reed may endure, but it will never rise. You have that within you, Harvey, that will guide you aright; persevere as you have begun, for the duties of life are never to be neglected and”"
This is a little more on Slavery:
“Sir,” said he, “slavery is of very ancient origin, and it seems to have been confined to no particular religion or form of government; every nation of civilized Europe does, or has held their fellow creatures in this kind of duresse.”
“You will except Great Britain,” cried the colonel, proudly.
“No, sir,” continued the surgeon, confidently, feeling that he was now carrying the war out of his own country, “I cannot except Great Britain. It was her children, her ships, and her laws, that first introduced the practice into these states; and on her institutions the judgment must fall. There is not a foot of ground belonging to England, in which a negro would be useful, that has not its slave. England herself has none, but England is overflowing with physical force, a part of which she is obliged to maintain in the shape of paupers"
And something to tell the young:
“Poor, sensitive girl!” said Isabella, regarding her with tender interest; “but the world is still before you, and why should I disturb the little happiness it may afford! Dream on, lovely innocent! and may God keep the evil day of knowledge far distant!”
Albeit classically wordy this is a fine book as we try to understand how we got here from there
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