History Homework...

This Journal Belongs to: Luke Capulet Year 1777

Jan. 3 Today I decided to start keeping a track of my days, and what a day it has been. General Washington was victorious at Princeton. I saw how some were exhausted and simply dropped on the spot while others celebrated gleefully. I just can not wait until I can leave I was forced to attend to this massacre by

my father and I miss my home and family.

June 14 I have not been able to write for a while for we have just left winter which we spent in Morristown, NJ and I have never been the kind for the cold. Other than this nothing to interesting has happened until now that is. The new flag resolution was decided it seems it will now have 13 stripes. I am starting to get used to this all and am now quite neutral about the ordeal. I have thought about going A-Wall but simply laughed at the idea I would probably survive longer in this war than if I ran away anyway.

July 5 I am tired, very tired. Today General St. Claire and his troops battled against the Hessians, British, and Brunswickers. You could not exactly call it a win after all General St. Claire was forced to surrender the Fort of Ticonderoga to the British. I remember all aspects of the surrounding for t was not long ago and the uniforms of the British remain imprinted in my mind. The British wore red coats and headgear of bearskin caps, leather caps or tricorne hats depending on whether the troops were grenadiers, light infantry or battalion company men.

July 27 Marquis de Lafayette, a 19 year old French aristocrat, arrives in Philadelphia and volunteers to serve without pay. Congress appoints him as a

major general in the Continental Army. Lafayette will become one of Gen. Washington's most trusted aides. I felt somewhat jealous but I was not sure of what. Was it the way his life seemed perfect or his desire to serve I somewhat wish I had something like that. A Desire, a Passion.

August 16 A victory! I am trying to sound as excited as possible but I simply can not. Not while my family and dearest friends are off somewhere far away if today was not a victory would I have ever seen them again? Luckily however General Stark led us to a victorious win against the British at Bennington. I have looked at the faces of the other lads I see in some a face of satisfaction while with others I feel a kind of empathy link I see their longing faces and can relate to their worries and in the faces of the younger lads I see a sort of fear, despair, sadness.

September 11 I looked back on some of my past entries today. Last time I wrote about our victory today I tell a tale about our loss. Today the British had a victory over us at the battle of Brandywine, Pennsylvania. The generals seemed furious. They were all in our current headquarters they seemed to discuss all day I had nothing better to do so I simply stared at the old shack they called a “headquarters”. The light coming from the window shone against the tent where I “slept” I imagine they argued the day through.

September 16 Today we Battled in Pennsylvania or we were going to but there was a rain-out. There is not much to speak about since I pass my days speaking rarely but protecting my life. I have been sleeping less because I am constantly awoken by nightmares or false alarms. Some of the other lads are beginning to look half-dead and I am starting to lose my sanity. I wish there was something something to take the pain away and remove this war from my front.

September 21 What happened today can only be classified as one thing. A massacre. After all the withdrawing General Washington decided to change his plans but it only led to getting attacked ourselves though the plan was to harass the British but it is apparent that did not work out exactly as planned.

September 26 Today we received recognition that the British soldiers commanded under General Howe have occupied Philadelphia. I am not sure if that is a threat or not, I am not to knowledgeable of the way this war works. I do not understand how it can make people happy to take the lives of others. My mother always told me it was wrong to hurt others without reason my father always called me a wimp. But is

this enough of a reason to take a life? Apparently to some.

October 4 I have come to realize this is a celebration for the savage I feel worse every day. I yearn for this to end. Today we were driven out of Germantown. I suppose it better than staying and risking our lives once more. It feels as if though the point of war is just to die. I am starting to question my religious aspects. I pray every night and my prayers do not pull through I suppose the others have been praying as well. Maybe all the pleadings are not getting through I have started thinking about running away again. I probably will not. I keep thinking there is not much time left. I feel despaired.

October 22 We were previously informed yesterday about a Hessian attack at Fort Mercer, NJ so we kept away from that area, marching it made us take a long detour and wasted some time. Time we later found out was incorrectly used up, for the attack was repulsed and they never went through that area. Somehow I was somewhat angry that even though no one was injured it was still a win for the British because they changed our pace. Was I beginning to think like one of the others the ones who wanted but kill the British in cold blood, the ones who mocked the loyalists, The Savages.

November 16 Today we had a victory over the British. One which felt like the first in a long time. Normally I would walk around or run avoiding he fighting but today I killed a man, I took a life. The life of someone with a family probably waiting for him back home. But as I felt the sharp

tool I held in my hand enter the body of the British man and as I watched the red of his blood and the red of his coat mix, I felt a sadistic contentment.

December 5-7 Not much has happened these few days so I am not going to write much. I wonder why I write things down at all sometimes maybe I do it to keep my sanity. We caused the British to repulse from Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania. A reason to celebrate I suppose. But I still remember the kind of ecstasy I felt when I killed that man.

December 19 We have retired to winter quarter at Valley Forge. It is warmer here than I expected. I believed it was to be a sorry excuse for somewhere to sleep during the winter but it was quite comfortable. My Service is almost ended and I have decided not to write as much anymore if I write at all. I can not wait to go home.