"War Comes to Willy Freeman"

Chapters 1 and 2

Hi my name is Wilhelmina Freeman.  Call me Willy. My parents are Lucy and Jordan Freeman. We live in a cabin near Fort Griswold. I saw the Red Coats, Not long before they march up to Fort Griswold and run their bayonets through a lot of our people. I was scared for pa. Ma said he would fight.  Pa said “since we are free now it our country too” Pa got his freedom from colonel Ledyard, by joining the militia. Ma got a cow from nursing Mrs. Ledyard’s little girl back to health. We lived on a little split of land by Thames River.  I heard a boom and a canon was hot to sea and that scared me because I knew pa was out at sea on his jolly little boat. Ma and I were inside the house when we heard a shrill, and mom yelled “the cow!!”  The red Coats killed the cow. They said if they knew we were niggers they wouldn't have touched our cow. They were saying they should take me back to New York with them, they thought I was a boy, so they reached out and tried to touch my breasts. Right then pa stepped in and said “take your hands off that child or I’m going to kill you”

                The soldier that was touching me looked at Pa, laughed, and let go. I kind of jumped back to the cabin door. The soldier raised his musket and said “you’ll do what, and Pa said “I’ll rip your head off”. And the soldier said “if you was white I’d run you through” and walked away. Then pa said “is the horse alright? Ma “said yes but they got the cow, Pa said “good”. We suddenly heard a pop-pop-pop from across the river they were fighting in New London. Pa said “get me something to eat Lucy” She got him pork and biscuits. Then Pa said “Willy I want you to ride up there with me to bring the horse back” the mom said “no not the child” and Pa said “I ain't going to get her killed” I went and got one of my dad’s hats and wore it because I already had shorts on so then I looked like a boy. As we rode to the fort we saw people running and carrying stuff in their arms. They were taking it to the field to hide it from the British. There was smoke drifting up from New London. We circled around behind the fort and came up through the back. The British was going to burn the town down I knew that. The firing started to get closer and I wished Pa would change his mind and go back home. “my heart began to race and my legs felt weak and wobbly. Pa had to climb up the wall and hope someone would be there to give him a hand. They pulled him headfirst over the wall. The British start shooting at me and then I have to get help into the fort so I’m safe.