Rise To Rebellion: A Novel of the American Revolution

Lexington, April 30, 1775

As Adams gazes upon the bloody aftermath of Lexington Green, he knows how it will play out in England: Gage will blame the rebels, and England will respond accordingly. War is upon them.

Philadelphia, May 10, 1775

Adams journeys to Philadelphia for a second Continental Congress. Hancock is also included in the delegation, primarily for his ability to finance rebel activities. Other delegates include Colonel George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin.

Led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, a contingent of rebel forces capture Ticonderoga, a largely forgotten British fort overlooking the mouth of the Hudson River, equipped with nearly 80 cannons.

Philadelphia, May 28, 1775

Conservative members of the congress are outraged by the assault on Ticonderoga, but they compromise with the moderates and radicals by agreeing that colonists will retain control of the fort if hostilities remain. The anger following the deaths at Lexington and Concord has cooled, and some conservatives, led by John Dickinson, suggesting reconciliation. Franklin responds that the king is not a puppet of his ministers, as Dickinson alleges. The aggression against the colonies comes directly from the king.

June 9, 1775

More British troops pour into Boston, totaling nearly 10,000. Gage plans to disperse them across all 13 colonies. Colonial militias grow in response. When Adams receives a letter from Abigail reporting the massive influx of troops into Boston, he fears for her and their children’s safety. He realizes that independence is the only solution but fears the congress will not act. Sam Adams believes that the other colonies will act when they feel the same direct oppression as Boston. The discussion turns to raising a well-equipped force led by an experienced professional who can lead men from all the colonies.

June 15 1775

The congress has now broken up into smaller committees tasked with preparing the colonies for war. Adams addresses the congress, proposing the formation of a Continental Army to be led by George Washington.

June 16, 1775

Washington does not believe he can unite the Thirteen Colonies, but he accepts command. Franklin assures him that they are all “amateurs” in these affairs.

Boston, May 25, 1775

England sends three major generals to augment Gage’s command. Although technically still in charge, he understands the implicit message: They came to Boston “to rescue Gage from what official London saw as an embarrassing predicament” (307).

June 16, 1775

All three major generals have their own ideas of how to salvage the situation in Boston. Gage fears that, despite the additional troops and officers, little will change. He suggests that Margaret sail for England. She asks him to cede this Boston to the colonists and retire, but he reminds her that, in the event of defeat, the blame will fall entirely on his shoulders. He resolves to fight on.

June 17, 1775

Gage becomes aware of rebels digging fortifications around Breed’s Hill, the nearest high ground to Boston, and fears an artillery attack. The generals plan to drive the rebels from the high ground and secure their own position on the peninsula. Gage decides to bombard the rebel position with cannon fire from the ships and then to send troops in to seize the territory. They are confident of victory.

Charlestown Peninsula, June 17, 1775

Warren replaces Hancock as president of the Provincial Assembly and organizes and prepares the army. Although many members of the militia have military experience, the troops lack discipline. That morning, Warren rides to Charlestown. As he reaches the peninsula, he encounters bombardment from the British navy. He heads toward Bunker Hill in search of the commanding officer and sees Charlestown in flames, obliterated by cannon fire from the ships in the harbor. He climbs Bunker Hill and finds General Israel Putnam organizing his troops as a reserve in case the front line—stationed on Breed’s Hill—falls. Warren then rushes to Breed’s Hill, where he meets Colonel Prescott. From there, they see British troops coming ashore, preparing for an assault.

Suddenly, the cannon fire stops, and the ground assault begins. Prescott orders his troops not to fire until his order. Warren picks up the musket of a fallen soldier and joins the defensive line behind an earthen wall. When the British troops are close, Prescott gives the order to fire. The first volley of musket fire sends the well-ordered English lines into chaos. As the British fall back and regroup, the colonists prepare for another assault. Warren is impressed by Prescott’s leadership. The colonists repel wave after wave of British assaults, but they eventually run low on ammunition. The next assault breaches the wall. Prescott orders his troops to fall back. As Warren tries to cover the soldiers’ retreat, he is struck in the head and falls unconscious.

Abigail Adams watches the smoke rising from the battle. Pitcairn dies.

The Road to Cambridge, Massachusetts, July 2, 1775

Despite his honorable service in the French and Indian War, Washington doubts his ability to lead the Continental Army. The congress appoints his subordinate generals, and Washington appoints Philip Schuyler commander of the Northern Department, charged with safeguarding the Canadian border and surrounding territory. As Washington and his staff make their way to Cambridge, he hopes to convey to his wife, Martha, the responsibility he now faces.

Cambridge, Massachusetts, July 1775

Washington’s arrival in Cambridge—the headquarters of the Continental Army—is met with hostility from Artemas Ward, the commander of the Massachusetts militia, who resents the intrusion of an outsider, a Virginian, on his authority. As he inspects the troops, Washington recognizes a lack of cohesion and discipline. He must transform these disparate militia into a single army. He directs the strengthening of their fortifications and realizes that Gage’s “inactivity” has given them time.

Washington and Charles Lee, a subordinate general, become aware of an unusual, egalitarian dynamic at work in the ranks. Officers are expected to do the same work as foot soldiers, and entire regiments are governed by democratic rule. While Washington considers how to impose discipline, Lee reports that they are short on gunpowder. As Washington grows overwhelmed, Daniel Morgan, an old friend, arrives with 96 men—the “Virginia Rifles—from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Morgan’s men, though tough and excellent marksmen, are undisciplined. Still, Washington feels a growing pride in this diverse array of “simple volunteers, shopkeepers and frontiersmen” (357). Realizing Gage likely has spies in their ranks, he plants a false rumor of an overabundance of gunpowder.

Washington begins to see cohesion in the ranks, and when some of Morgan’s men start a fight, he immediately breaks it up, telling them to “spend more energy preparing to fight their genuine enemy” (360).

Philadelphia, July 1775

Franklin wanders through an empty house. While in London, there were rumors of his infidelity—gossip he’s sure his wife heard before her death.

With the congress confronting the mounting costs of maintaining an army, Franklin is placed in charge of printing money. Voices of reconciliation are still heard in congress. Without unanimity on this issue, Franklin fears the entire congress may dissolve. The conservative Dickinson argues that American independence will weaken England and leave an opening for France or Spain to exploit the riches of the colonies. He makes one last plea for peace, and, as an appeasement, all the delegates sign his petition to the king.

Perth Amboy, New Jersey, August 1775

Franklin visits his son, William, at the New Jersey governor’s mansion. He urges his father to disentangle himself from war and politics. Franklin refuses, and William labels the rebels “whining jackals” and “rum-drinking cowards.” Franklin argues that America has already forged its own identity separate from England. Their differences are irreconcilable, and Franklin grieves the loss of his son.