The last several posts of Yankee Doodle Spies have highlighted the people, places, and things featured in my upcoming novel, The North Spy. In this installment, I depart from those themes to provide readers with more background and set the scene for the upcoming action.
General Washington's Dilemma
As the winter snows of 1777 give way to the spring blossoms, General George Washington faces a dilemma. He knows the British Army, coiled up in their winter quarters, will strike like a snake at the first chance to seize the American capital, Philadelphia. But where and how? Rumors abound: Back across the Jerseys by land? Up the Delaware River by sea? Or perhaps some combination? Yet another option proves to be the most problematic: a movement north to link with a British Army forming in Canada.
Diverse Approaches
General Washington did not know that the British armies in New York and Canada would soon be working at cross purposes. Washington has the Yankee Doodle Spies, in the form of Major Benjamin Tallmadge's troop of the 2nd Continental Line Dragoons, patrolling, scouting, and spying in hopes of discerning what the British commander in New York, Major General Sir William Howe, has in mind. Despite the soundness of Major General John Burgoyne's "three-pronged" plan to join with Howe at Albany and cut the colonies in two, Howe vacillates.
Northern Storm Clouds, Southern Squalls
The capable yet often slow-moving Howe faces significant criticism for failing to capture the rebel capital in 1776 and is resolute in his mission to complete the task and defeat Washington. As Burgoyne gathers his forces, totaling over 8,000 men south of Montreal, to make a move across Lake Champlain and down the North (Hudson) River, he remains unaware that Howe has shifted his focus southward. Howe does instruct his second in command to stay in New York City with a few thousand men to assist Burgoyne if possible. We will see how that plays out.
Hopeless Mission
Enter Lieutenant Jeremiah Creed, whom Washington sends on a daunting, if not hopeless, mission to penetrate Burgoyne's Army, ostensibly to report back on its strength and objectives. Washington's "Intelligence Advisor" and senior intelligence officer, Colonel Robert Fitzgerald, provides Creed with secret orders that will connect him with an agent in Canada. Now all Creed has to do is figure out a plan to get there, find the agent, and work his way into the British Army!
To the North
As Creed journeys on, he reconnects with old friends and confronts new enemies. He will contend with ruthless Canadian backwoodsmen, fierce Iroquois (Mohawk) warriors, and an army of British regulars and German auxiliaries eager to impose the war on the Americans by any means necessary. Throughout his journey, Creed must employ deception and cunning at every stage. He also grapples with a crisis of conscience, as he is forced to deceive and manipulate people in ways he never has before.
This is a story of tradecraft and daring as much as action – and there is enough action to fill Lake Champlain with blood!
TurningPoint
Americans rally to the cause as the new commander of the Northern Department, General Horatio Gates, assumes command. The armies engage in a series of battles, and Jeremiah Creed finds himself involved. The Saratoga campaign is arguably the most significant of the American Revolutionary War and serves as its turning point. The North Spy offers my perspective on it, closely tracking the actions of British and American commanders and soldiers as they clash in deep forests, shimmering lakes, and flowing rivers of the great north. Spoiler alert: Burgoyne's army surrendered to the American rebels at Saratoga in October 1777, bringing France openly into the conflict.
The North Spy is due for release in December 2022 by Legatum Books. Available at Amazon.com
