March 1776
February was spent making preparations to conduct an attack on Boston. Washington had gotten word from his spies that General Howe, the Commanding General of the British Army, was making preparations to leave Boston and sail north to New York as soon as the weather was favorable. The British had grown tired of occupying Boston and the city held no advantage to them anymore. New York would be a fresh base of operation for the British, with a mostly loyalist population, where the British could regroup after 11 months of stalemate in Boston.
Washington's window of opportunity to force a decisive battle with the British was slipping away. If the British were allowed to evacuate Boston without conflict he would lose all hope of support from both the Continental Congress back in Philadelphia and the Continental Army. On the other hand, if Washington could take the British by surprise it was possible that he could trap the British completely and force a surrender - effectively ending the war. The Continentals needed to make sure the British couldn't leave.
Henry Knox and Brigadier General John Thomas were given orders by Washington to take some 4,000 men out of Cambridge to fortify the town of Roxbury, southeast of Boston Neck. Fisher and Rose went with them. Knox split the men into two forces once they arrived in Roxbury. Knox's forces organized work teams to cut trees and build portable gun emplacements called chandeliers to haul along with the artillery up to Dorchester Heights. The chandeliers would allow the Continentals to instantly create gun batteries along the heights without having to dig into the frozen and rocky ground up on the heights. Thomas' men dug in around Roxbury and created redoubts to hold back any British counterattack.
From atop Dorchester Heights Knox would have a commanding position. The entirety of Boston and its harbor lay within the range of his 18 and 24 pound guns. Yet Dorchester Heights was equally dangerous as it was rewarding to occupy. General Howe's army outnumbered the Continentals and the British had a full Navy to compliment its ground forces. If Howe chose to march out of Boston and engage the Continentals the men along the heights would be cut off and trapped. It was therefore Thomas' duty to prevent that from happening.
The Continentals worked for almost two weeks to prepare for the battle. During that time Fisher and Rose worked from Dorchester Heights to keep the winds calm. Crowe operated four miles north out of the ruins of Charlestown towards the same goal. Collectively they maintained a low profile and kept the British ships from sailing for New York.
Nicholas Fisher and Charlotte Rose had pledged to work with Crowe to calm
the weather and stop the British from leaving even though the two
magicians hadn't actually joined the Continental Army. They wanted to
help with the siege but they found it easier to go about their work without the
regulations of the military structure. Knox and Washington didn't mind,
they would take all the help they could get.
On March 4th the Continentals completed their work. Word was sent to Washington and his response was to prepare for battle immediately. There was no time to lose, everyday that went by there was a chance the British would set sail. However, there was another reason Washington wanted to press the attack as well. March 5th was the 6th anniversary of Boston Massacre and Washington was counting on the significance of that anniversary to rally his men. That evening, March 4th, Knox mobilized a force of 2,000 men to drag the artillery and chandeliers up to Dorchester Heights.
Early morning, March 5th, the British in Boston were shaken from their slumbers by the pounding of cannon fire. The Continentals fired upon the British from Cambridge as well as Dorchester Heights. The British fleet was pinned down and the army couldn't evacuate under heavy fire so they mounted a quick counterattack. They sent men in small transports across the harbor to silence the guns in Cambridge while the bulk of their forces marched out and across Boston Neck where General Thomas was waiting with just 2,000 men.
Fisher and Rose did their best to curtail the British advance but ultimately two magicians could not prevent the passage of an entire army. The British pushed out of Boston and threatened to press combat with the awaiting Continentals. Thomas tried to rally his men but they were severely outnumbered, completely exhausted from days of endless labor, and lacked bayonet or cannon to resist a charge from the superior British force.
All day long a storm had been building along the coast. After nearly two weeks of bottling up the weather the magicians had unknowingly created a meteorological powder keg that was primed to explode. As the British marched on the fortifications outside of Roxbury a large and roiling storm was churning off of the coast and pushing inland fast. Thomas' men began to break upon seeing the storm coupled with the British advance. Fisher and Rose retreated from Dorchester and arrived just in time to witness the collapse of Thomas' men. Fisher made to stand against the British and rally Thomas' broken army but alas he was unsuccessful. The magician could turn neither men nor storm.
Before long the storm swallowed everything. The British gave chase to Thomas' men through the storm until the snow was so thick they couldn't see more than a few feet ahead of themselves. Fisher and Rose retreated with Thomas' men, all the while hearing the beating drums of the British in tow. It was the storm that finally saved them. The storm was a true force of nature, an unintended consequence of magical intervention, and it conquered both armies that day. The British finally gave up, the sound of their drums faded as they pulled back to Boston. The Continentals fell back too. They made their way back to their camps to wait out the storm that had just saved their lives.
Better gaming through discussion
Friday, February 27, 2015
Thursday, February 19, 2015
05 - The Last Day of Magic
January-February 1776
From Albany the expedition set a course East crossing the entire length of Massachusetts, traversing the Berkshire Mountains, and finally arriving in Cambridge, just outside of Boston. It took the expedition 17 days to cross Massachusetts. All said and done the expedition took almost 10 weeks; Knox had only anticipated 4 weeks.
Knox arrived with 59 pieces of artillery and reported to the Commanding General George Washington at the Continental Army's headquarters, the Vassell House, where he was promoted from Colonel to General for his success on the expedition. The presence of Fisher and Rose were later requested by the Commanding General. Washington personally thank the two for their service and urged them to stay in Cambridge with the army to help boost morale, much as they had done on the expedition.
Fisher and Rose agreed to stay on with the army; at least until the siege was finished. Fisher's motivations for staying were emotionally and financially driven since Boston was his home and his business had been shuttered by the Port Act that had closed Boston harbor following the Boston Tea Party 13 months previous. However Rose's motivations were less straightforward. She was caught up in the excitement of Practical Magic and didn't want to leave Fisher, but she also saw another opportunity. If she could help the siege and the British could be defeated in one grand battle, the war would be over and her lover, John Andre, would be freed and they could be reunited.
Washington also mentioned that another magician by the name of Jonathon Crowe was also stationed in Cambridge assisting in the war effort. Washington thought it would be appropriate for the magician's of the Continental Army to get acquainted with one another. The name sounded familiar to the Fisher but he couldn't recall why.
Before Fisher and Rose left the Vassell house Rose made one small, yet bold request of General Washington. She asked that a letter from his office be sent to her Father back in New York to tell him of her safe arrival in Boston and also to tell him that she was under the care and protection of the Continental Army. Washington agreed. A letter would be drafted by Washington's aide-de-camp immediately, he promised to report of any return reply.
The next day Jonathon Crowe was invited to the meet with Fisher and Rose at the townhouse where Rose was lodging. Jonathon Crowe was almost half Fisher's age making him closer in age to Rose. He was an ordinary sort of man in every way except for a crooked nose that looked like it had been broken more times than a nose should. Fisher asked about Crowe's role thus far with the army and Crowe explained that he had been sent North along with Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold to capture several forts including Fort Ticonderoga. It turned out that Crowe took part in the capture of the artillery that would become Knox's Expedition. Additionally Crowe had playeda role in the capture of Fort St. John's where John Andre surrendered and was made a prisoner of war.
From Crowe, Fisher and Rose learned quickly how bad of shape the army was in. Many accounts indicated that the Continential Army was of similar size to that of the British force stationed in Boston, around 11,000 men, however as of late the army had dwindled to somewhere around 8,800 men - many of which were not even healthy enough for duty. Only through cunning subterfuge and rumor spreading had Washington kept the British kept fooled, preventing them from storming out of Boston and crushing the unprepared Continentals.
The army was not much of an army at all in fact. All of the men belonged to local militia, or minutemen, from all over the colonies. Each regiment was its own entity. They shared very little in common and most had never seen battle. The men were all stationed around Boston due to the fact that a small band of militia from Boston had chased the British back to Boston following the battles at Lexington and Concord in April and began a siege of the city. Two months later, in July, a handful of the gathered militia had repelled an attack by the British at Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill, inflicting heavy casualties but ultimately fleeing the battle field before the majority of the militia could even engage the enemy.
Crowe explained that without artillery, and without a clear objective, the army had sat idle for months on end without hope for a resolution of the siege. The Continental Congress had no money to extend pay, and most of the men weren't committed to full time soldiering. Men had to choose between this floundering war and their families at home. The choice for most was simple. Some men's contracts expired and couldn't be renewed, some men died of sickness, some men deserted; the army was shrinking fast and morale was terrible.
Fisher and Rose had had success before using magic to bolster the men on the expedition. They figured they could do it again here in Cambridge. They began to hatch a plan right then and there. Crowe didn't understand how magic could turn this army around but Fisher and Rose assured him that it could.
After their plan was formed they invited Knox to listen and offer suggestions. Knox was in favor of the plan with some minor adjustments, one being that some of the larger guns from Ticonderoga be brought along as a backup plan in case the magic failed. Satisfied with the plan Knox reported back to Washington for final approval. Approval was given and the magician's began spreading the word that a show was to be staged in the coming days.
The show was equal parts success and failure. The magicians underestimated how poor the armies morale really was, very few men turned out for the show. However, the magicians also underestimated the power of Knox's artillery. The show was simple: create a curtain of fog over the Boston Bay, then summon violent winds with which they could harass and destroy the British gun boats that were docked across the way. Knox was to provide cannon fire to ensure the attack was a success. Unfortunately the winds didn't cooperate and at first it seemed that all the magician's could do was incur the wrath of His Majesty's Navy.
Shortly after the show began a frigate cast off from the docks and made to turn face and fire upon the gathered Continentals. Fisher and Rose lost control of the situation and panic began to sweep the crowd. Crowe reacted quickly raising a heavy fog to obscure the frigate's line of sight. Meanwhile Knox had the cannons dial in on their target. In a daring last ditch effort Rose took control of the winds and sent them swirling around the frigate in the bay. The winds tore the sails from their rigging and the frigate stalled during its turn before it fire on the crowd. At the same time Knox ordered a volley of fire from the cannon and Crowe raised the fog like a curtain.
Several minutes passed as the winds died down and the fog cleared. When at last the crowd could see across the bay again they saw the frigate limping back to the dock with its sails in tatters and several large hull breaches. Although it wasn't what they planned the show served its purpose. The assembled men left with renewed confidence. The Continental Army had cannons, and with cannons they finally had the means with to make a direct assault on the British.
From Albany the expedition set a course East crossing the entire length of Massachusetts, traversing the Berkshire Mountains, and finally arriving in Cambridge, just outside of Boston. It took the expedition 17 days to cross Massachusetts. All said and done the expedition took almost 10 weeks; Knox had only anticipated 4 weeks.
Knox arrived with 59 pieces of artillery and reported to the Commanding General George Washington at the Continental Army's headquarters, the Vassell House, where he was promoted from Colonel to General for his success on the expedition. The presence of Fisher and Rose were later requested by the Commanding General. Washington personally thank the two for their service and urged them to stay in Cambridge with the army to help boost morale, much as they had done on the expedition.
Fisher and Rose agreed to stay on with the army; at least until the siege was finished. Fisher's motivations for staying were emotionally and financially driven since Boston was his home and his business had been shuttered by the Port Act that had closed Boston harbor following the Boston Tea Party 13 months previous. However Rose's motivations were less straightforward. She was caught up in the excitement of Practical Magic and didn't want to leave Fisher, but she also saw another opportunity. If she could help the siege and the British could be defeated in one grand battle, the war would be over and her lover, John Andre, would be freed and they could be reunited.
Washington also mentioned that another magician by the name of Jonathon Crowe was also stationed in Cambridge assisting in the war effort. Washington thought it would be appropriate for the magician's of the Continental Army to get acquainted with one another. The name sounded familiar to the Fisher but he couldn't recall why.
Before Fisher and Rose left the Vassell house Rose made one small, yet bold request of General Washington. She asked that a letter from his office be sent to her Father back in New York to tell him of her safe arrival in Boston and also to tell him that she was under the care and protection of the Continental Army. Washington agreed. A letter would be drafted by Washington's aide-de-camp immediately, he promised to report of any return reply.
The next day Jonathon Crowe was invited to the meet with Fisher and Rose at the townhouse where Rose was lodging. Jonathon Crowe was almost half Fisher's age making him closer in age to Rose. He was an ordinary sort of man in every way except for a crooked nose that looked like it had been broken more times than a nose should. Fisher asked about Crowe's role thus far with the army and Crowe explained that he had been sent North along with Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold to capture several forts including Fort Ticonderoga. It turned out that Crowe took part in the capture of the artillery that would become Knox's Expedition. Additionally Crowe had playeda role in the capture of Fort St. John's where John Andre surrendered and was made a prisoner of war.
From Crowe, Fisher and Rose learned quickly how bad of shape the army was in. Many accounts indicated that the Continential Army was of similar size to that of the British force stationed in Boston, around 11,000 men, however as of late the army had dwindled to somewhere around 8,800 men - many of which were not even healthy enough for duty. Only through cunning subterfuge and rumor spreading had Washington kept the British kept fooled, preventing them from storming out of Boston and crushing the unprepared Continentals.
The army was not much of an army at all in fact. All of the men belonged to local militia, or minutemen, from all over the colonies. Each regiment was its own entity. They shared very little in common and most had never seen battle. The men were all stationed around Boston due to the fact that a small band of militia from Boston had chased the British back to Boston following the battles at Lexington and Concord in April and began a siege of the city. Two months later, in July, a handful of the gathered militia had repelled an attack by the British at Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill, inflicting heavy casualties but ultimately fleeing the battle field before the majority of the militia could even engage the enemy.
Crowe explained that without artillery, and without a clear objective, the army had sat idle for months on end without hope for a resolution of the siege. The Continental Congress had no money to extend pay, and most of the men weren't committed to full time soldiering. Men had to choose between this floundering war and their families at home. The choice for most was simple. Some men's contracts expired and couldn't be renewed, some men died of sickness, some men deserted; the army was shrinking fast and morale was terrible.
Fisher and Rose had had success before using magic to bolster the men on the expedition. They figured they could do it again here in Cambridge. They began to hatch a plan right then and there. Crowe didn't understand how magic could turn this army around but Fisher and Rose assured him that it could.
After their plan was formed they invited Knox to listen and offer suggestions. Knox was in favor of the plan with some minor adjustments, one being that some of the larger guns from Ticonderoga be brought along as a backup plan in case the magic failed. Satisfied with the plan Knox reported back to Washington for final approval. Approval was given and the magician's began spreading the word that a show was to be staged in the coming days.
The show was equal parts success and failure. The magicians underestimated how poor the armies morale really was, very few men turned out for the show. However, the magicians also underestimated the power of Knox's artillery. The show was simple: create a curtain of fog over the Boston Bay, then summon violent winds with which they could harass and destroy the British gun boats that were docked across the way. Knox was to provide cannon fire to ensure the attack was a success. Unfortunately the winds didn't cooperate and at first it seemed that all the magician's could do was incur the wrath of His Majesty's Navy.
Shortly after the show began a frigate cast off from the docks and made to turn face and fire upon the gathered Continentals. Fisher and Rose lost control of the situation and panic began to sweep the crowd. Crowe reacted quickly raising a heavy fog to obscure the frigate's line of sight. Meanwhile Knox had the cannons dial in on their target. In a daring last ditch effort Rose took control of the winds and sent them swirling around the frigate in the bay. The winds tore the sails from their rigging and the frigate stalled during its turn before it fire on the crowd. At the same time Knox ordered a volley of fire from the cannon and Crowe raised the fog like a curtain.
Several minutes passed as the winds died down and the fog cleared. When at last the crowd could see across the bay again they saw the frigate limping back to the dock with its sails in tatters and several large hull breaches. Although it wasn't what they planned the show served its purpose. The assembled men left with renewed confidence. The Continental Army had cannons, and with cannons they finally had the means with to make a direct assault on the British.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
04 - The Last Day of Magic
January 1776
Nicholas Fisher, Charlotte Rose, and John Andre traveled ahead of the expedition train. They were headed to Albany - Andre's final stop with the expedition. The magician was told to turn Andre over to Philip Schuyler, the commanding General of the Northern Department, and then continue on to scout the crossing over the Hudson River.
Charlotte and Andre said brief and tearful goodbyes and then Andre was unceremoniously surrendered to Schuyler. Just before the magician parted Andre slipped him a note. Plans were made for Schuyler to escort Fisher and Rose to the two river crossings over the Hudson later that day but Schuyler was pulled away for other official business. During the down time Fisher pulled out the note from Andre. He read one line before realizing the note was intended for Charlotte; the note was given to Charlotte.
The note was a confessional. In it Andre explained his feelings for Charlotte and his wish to be reunited with her again once his freedom could be secured. He also explained how difficult it was to be parted from her due to the fact that he had experienced great heartbreak just a few years previous. Andre had been betrothed to the wealthy and beautiful Honara Sneyd but Honara broke off their marriage because her feelings for Andre changed. Andre was crushed. Having nothing to keep him in England he joined the army and shipped off to the colonies with the Royal Fusileers. Andre pleaded for Charlotte to not forget him and he vowed to come back to her.
Schuyler found time the next morning to bring Fisher and Rose to the crossings but by that time the expedition had caught up with them. The cannons were already being dragged across the river as Schuyler lead Fisher and Rose down to Half Moon Ferry. The crossing was going smooth but Schuyler believed that Sloss's Ferry, just a short ways away, was the safer of the two crossings due to shallower water. He brought Fisher and Rose over to Sloss's Ferry to persuade them to use the other ferry. Schuyler, Fisher, and Rose stood on horse back in the middle of the frozen river at Sloss's Ferry examining the site when they heard a sharp snap.
The noise echoed in the frigid air and off the river gorge walls as it made its way up the river. They river was cracking and splitting beneath the their feet. As they fled to the banks for safety they could hear shouts from the up the river where the expedition was crossing at Half Moon Ferry. The three rode their horses hard back to Half Moon Ferry. When they arrived they found the expedition in disarray; a large hole was visible in the river. The men explained that the river just gave way and swallowed up one of the heavier 18 pound guns. Fisher was relieved to hear that none of the men went down with the gun, but the men didn't share his sentiment; they were devastated by the loss of the valuable weapon.
The expedition was called off for the day and the artillery were dragged back to Albany. That evening the report was given to Knox. Knox too was devastated by the loss of the gun. Fisher and Schuyler were scolded for the debacle. The men stayed up that evening formulating how best to proceed. It was agreed that Sloss's Ferry was the better crossing but Knox wanted to be sure there would be no more loss of equipment. He insisted that Schuyler mobilize the residents of Albany to assist the magician in thickening the ice.
The next morning a small army of men, women, and children, along with the artillery train, all went down to Sloss's ferry. Fisher and Rose melted snow and ice for the citizens of Albany to carry in buckets to a reinforce a narrow strip of the Hudson. When the ice was sufficiently thickened Knox ordered the sleds to cross the river - lightest guns first, heaviest last. The crossing was a success. The citizens of Albany stuck around all afternoon as the sleds crossed over one by one. Spirits were high when the last sled pushed off to cross the Hudson. Fisher and Rose were given the honor of escorting the last sled across. The citizens cheered them on their way and Charlotte waved gallantly from the sled astride the largest 24 pound cannon. That was when tragedy stuck.
In a flash the ice gave way and the sled toppled and sunk into the frigid waters of the Hudson. Charlotte rolled to avoid being crushed by the cannon and escape the sled before it dragged her down with it. She couldn't move fast enough, the cannon rolled over her wrist. Charlotte escaped the sinking sled but her wrist was broken. Helpless, she kicked and slide away from sled as it slipped beneath the surface. Fisher came to her rescue instantly, scooping her up and carrying her to safety.
Knox's fears were realized and all their hard work seemed for naught. Again they lost one of their largest pieces of artillery. Fisher was still reeling from the catastrophe but something was gnawing at him, something wasn't right. Then it hit him. The ice failure wasn't natural, he could sense another magician's influence in the air. Fisher scanned the opposing river bank, looking into the faces of the shocked citizens of Albany when his eyes locked with another man. He found the culprit, another magician was present. He shouted to seize the man. Citizens sprung into action and the man was subdued quickly.
The next afternoon the captured magician was tried by a military court headed by Schuyler and found guilty of treason. He was sentenced to death by hanging. Less than 24 hours from the incident the man was hung. The expedition was put on hold. The doctors of Albany tended to Rose's wrist and Fisher stayed by her side even as he was told that the citizens of Albany were organizing a salvage party to retrieve the lost cannon from the bottom of the river. The salvage was successful and the 24 pound cannon was retrieved. At a large ceremony in the center of the city the cannon was ceremoniously loaded. Knox addressed the crowd and proclaimed that from that day forward the cannon would be known as the 'The Albany.' Then Knox fired the cannon. It was hard to say whether the boom of the cannon or the crowd was louder.
Nicholas Fisher, Charlotte Rose, and John Andre traveled ahead of the expedition train. They were headed to Albany - Andre's final stop with the expedition. The magician was told to turn Andre over to Philip Schuyler, the commanding General of the Northern Department, and then continue on to scout the crossing over the Hudson River.
Charlotte and Andre said brief and tearful goodbyes and then Andre was unceremoniously surrendered to Schuyler. Just before the magician parted Andre slipped him a note. Plans were made for Schuyler to escort Fisher and Rose to the two river crossings over the Hudson later that day but Schuyler was pulled away for other official business. During the down time Fisher pulled out the note from Andre. He read one line before realizing the note was intended for Charlotte; the note was given to Charlotte.
The note was a confessional. In it Andre explained his feelings for Charlotte and his wish to be reunited with her again once his freedom could be secured. He also explained how difficult it was to be parted from her due to the fact that he had experienced great heartbreak just a few years previous. Andre had been betrothed to the wealthy and beautiful Honara Sneyd but Honara broke off their marriage because her feelings for Andre changed. Andre was crushed. Having nothing to keep him in England he joined the army and shipped off to the colonies with the Royal Fusileers. Andre pleaded for Charlotte to not forget him and he vowed to come back to her.
Schuyler found time the next morning to bring Fisher and Rose to the crossings but by that time the expedition had caught up with them. The cannons were already being dragged across the river as Schuyler lead Fisher and Rose down to Half Moon Ferry. The crossing was going smooth but Schuyler believed that Sloss's Ferry, just a short ways away, was the safer of the two crossings due to shallower water. He brought Fisher and Rose over to Sloss's Ferry to persuade them to use the other ferry. Schuyler, Fisher, and Rose stood on horse back in the middle of the frozen river at Sloss's Ferry examining the site when they heard a sharp snap.
The noise echoed in the frigid air and off the river gorge walls as it made its way up the river. They river was cracking and splitting beneath the their feet. As they fled to the banks for safety they could hear shouts from the up the river where the expedition was crossing at Half Moon Ferry. The three rode their horses hard back to Half Moon Ferry. When they arrived they found the expedition in disarray; a large hole was visible in the river. The men explained that the river just gave way and swallowed up one of the heavier 18 pound guns. Fisher was relieved to hear that none of the men went down with the gun, but the men didn't share his sentiment; they were devastated by the loss of the valuable weapon.
The expedition was called off for the day and the artillery were dragged back to Albany. That evening the report was given to Knox. Knox too was devastated by the loss of the gun. Fisher and Schuyler were scolded for the debacle. The men stayed up that evening formulating how best to proceed. It was agreed that Sloss's Ferry was the better crossing but Knox wanted to be sure there would be no more loss of equipment. He insisted that Schuyler mobilize the residents of Albany to assist the magician in thickening the ice.
The next morning a small army of men, women, and children, along with the artillery train, all went down to Sloss's ferry. Fisher and Rose melted snow and ice for the citizens of Albany to carry in buckets to a reinforce a narrow strip of the Hudson. When the ice was sufficiently thickened Knox ordered the sleds to cross the river - lightest guns first, heaviest last. The crossing was a success. The citizens of Albany stuck around all afternoon as the sleds crossed over one by one. Spirits were high when the last sled pushed off to cross the Hudson. Fisher and Rose were given the honor of escorting the last sled across. The citizens cheered them on their way and Charlotte waved gallantly from the sled astride the largest 24 pound cannon. That was when tragedy stuck.
In a flash the ice gave way and the sled toppled and sunk into the frigid waters of the Hudson. Charlotte rolled to avoid being crushed by the cannon and escape the sled before it dragged her down with it. She couldn't move fast enough, the cannon rolled over her wrist. Charlotte escaped the sinking sled but her wrist was broken. Helpless, she kicked and slide away from sled as it slipped beneath the surface. Fisher came to her rescue instantly, scooping her up and carrying her to safety.
Knox's fears were realized and all their hard work seemed for naught. Again they lost one of their largest pieces of artillery. Fisher was still reeling from the catastrophe but something was gnawing at him, something wasn't right. Then it hit him. The ice failure wasn't natural, he could sense another magician's influence in the air. Fisher scanned the opposing river bank, looking into the faces of the shocked citizens of Albany when his eyes locked with another man. He found the culprit, another magician was present. He shouted to seize the man. Citizens sprung into action and the man was subdued quickly.
The next afternoon the captured magician was tried by a military court headed by Schuyler and found guilty of treason. He was sentenced to death by hanging. Less than 24 hours from the incident the man was hung. The expedition was put on hold. The doctors of Albany tended to Rose's wrist and Fisher stayed by her side even as he was told that the citizens of Albany were organizing a salvage party to retrieve the lost cannon from the bottom of the river. The salvage was successful and the 24 pound cannon was retrieved. At a large ceremony in the center of the city the cannon was ceremoniously loaded. Knox addressed the crowd and proclaimed that from that day forward the cannon would be known as the 'The Albany.' Then Knox fired the cannon. It was hard to say whether the boom of the cannon or the crowd was louder.
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