PAGE 9
Washington Crossing the Delaware
by
WASHINGTON
Honeyman? Excellent! Gentlemen, I must ask you to leave me.
ALL
Yes sir, General, of course.
(
etc.
)
WASHINGTON
You may hold yourselves in readiness for action.
I’ll issue the orders shortly.
ALL
(
going
)
Yes, sir. Very good, sir.
(
etc.
)
WASHINGTON
Bring the prisoner in, Colonel Reed.
REED
(
off
)
Yes, sir. Bring him in, men.
VOICES
(
coming in
)
Here you are–come along.
(
etc.
)
CORPORAL
Here he is, General, that Tory you wanted, sir.
WASHINGTON
Very good, men. You may go.
CORPORAL
Can you handle him safe, sir?
WASHINGTON
He seems to be well bound. I think I’ll have no trouble.
CORPORAL
Yes, sir. Very good, sir. Come on, men. We’ll wait outside, sir.
WASHINGTON
(
loud
)
Well, Honeyman. We’ve got you at last, eh?
HONEYMAN
(
loud
)
I demand to be set free.
Ye’ll all answer to yer King fer this.
(
door shuts
)
WASHINGTON
(
low
)
What news?
HONEYMAN
Across the river in Trenton there ain’t but
a thousand Hessians.
WASHINGTON
Who’s commanding?
HONEYMAN
Colonel Rall, and he ain’t none too keerful–no patrols
up er down the river–nobody at all north of him, and
six miles to the nearest post on the south of him.
WASHINGTON
Excellent–excellent! We can do it! I’ll order the
attack tomorrow night! We’ll trap them! We’ll fight
for once instead of retreat–we’ll–
HONEYMAN
Beggin’ yer pardon, sir.
WASHINGTON
Well?
HONEYMAN
If yer figgerin’ on attackin’, the time is Christmas night!
WASHINGTON
Why?
HONEYMAN
On Christmas the Hessians are goin’ to git a big
issue o’ heavy wine, an’ wal’–General–ye know
soldiers–I don’t have to say no more!
WASHINGTON
Good! Christmas night! Yes that’s it! Has Colonel
Rall taken any precautions against surprise?
HONEYMAN
Nary a one that I could see. He ain’t a mite o’ use
fer you er yer soldiers. Ragamuffins he called ’em.
WASHINGTON
Ragamuffins? Yes, they are, poor fellows, but Honeyman,
we’ll see–perhaps ragamuffins can fight when they’re
given the chance–and with this information, you have
given us our chance!
HONEYMAN
Wal’, sir, I thought ye’d like to know.
WASHINGTON
Now, shall I turn you lose, Honeyman?
HONEYMAN
No, General, I figger ye’d better treat me like a
prisoner er I can’t be any more use to ye.
WASHINGTON
True, very well then. I’ll have you put in the
guardhouse and contrive to have you escape.
HONEYMAN
Yes, sir.
WASHINGTON
(
calling
)
Oh, Orderly!
VOICE
(
off
)
Yes, sir.
WASHINGTON
Tell the Corporal who’s waiting out there to
come in and take his prisoner to the guardhouse.
ORDERLY
Yes, sir–Corporal, come take charge of your prisoner.
CORPORAL
(
off, coming in
)
Come on, men! Fall in around the prisoner–and look
sharp that he doesn’t try anything–forward march!
(
sound of feet receding
)
WASHINGTON
(
to himself
)
Christmas night! Trenton–God be with us!
ANNOUNCER
That night, by some unexplained accident, John Honeyman escaped from the guardhouse and returned to the British lines, where he continued his valuable service for the American cause.