Chapter 1630 - 1536

Chapter 1630: Chapter 1536

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The weather is getting colder.

In the early morning, Dane was collecting river crossing fees from a group of gold seekers — just as Yadley had predicted, more and more people were heading to Louisiana, and this time he even stopped two full carts of people.

Newman hurriedly arrived and signaled to his two partners: "Hey, I heard the French attacked Memphis a few days ago."

Yadley happily whistled: "Looks like the war will last a long time."

Dane slightly frowned: "Did they cross the Alabama River?"

Newman shook his head: "I heard from Holes Town that the French showed up from the Tennessee River side."

Dane exclaimed in surprise: "How is that possible?"

The Tennessee River is to the east of Memphis, belonging to the heartland of the United States.

"Who knows?" Newman shrugged, "But I guess the gold seekers who were originally heading to Memphis should come to us."

Dane squinted his eyes: "I remember that sergeant who came to inspect mentioned that all our troops are around Adams Fort."

"Seems like it."

Dane suddenly shouted: "We have to leave here!"

"Why? Business has been good lately."

Dane looked at the two: "If Memphis is occupied by the French and Tennessee doesn’t have enough troops, the military will definitely recruit more soldiers to stabilize the situation."

"What’s that got to do with us?"

"Of course it does. Because we are the easiest soldiers to recruit!"

Yadley shook his head: "They have no right to do that."

"No, they do. They can claim the attack on Memphis was by Spanish spies... "

Newman was silent for a moment but still reluctantly said: "Let’s work for one more week, no, three days. Then we’ll leave. Look, we just made 20 dollars that time."

Dane couldn’t win over his two companions, or perhaps he also wanted to earn a bit more deep down, so he nodded and said: "Agreed, just three days, then we’ll slip away immediately!"

It turned out that greed was another name for suffering.

The next afternoon, the three were taken away by the conscription team.

Dane, carrying a newly issued flintlock gun, walked with his head down among hundreds of soldiers in varied attire, on the road to Jackson Town.

He had just overheard the company commander saying the French occupied Memphis in just three hours — there were less than two hundred defenders at the time.

They, as sheriffs and smuggling teams, although trained as militia, if they were to fight against that terrifying Count of Baton Rouge, it was like chicks provoking an eagle.

He glared angrily at Newman, lowered his voice and said: "Damn it, we need to find an opportunity to escape."

Just then, a few officers, escorted by guards, rode past them.

The Lieutenant Colonel in front tightly gripped his whip and said: "That damn bastard actually pushed all the responsibility onto me!"

Well, in Wilkinson’s report to Congress, he said the Mackenzie Infantry Regiment, the closest to Memphis, was completely unaware of the French Army’s sneak attack, which led to this defeat.

Jesus testified, Mackenzie was sent to block gold seekers!

The Major beside him said solemnly: "Sir Colonel, we’re probably unable to stop the French... "

Including the sheriffs and smuggling team Mackenzie temporarily recruited, they only had 2,200 "soldiers" total, and news from Memphis said the French Army had seven or eight thousand people.

Well, when the news reaches Washington, Napoleon’s army will likely grow to over ten thousand.

Mackenzie gritted his teeth and said: "Delay for two days in Jackson Town, then we’ll retreat to Nashville.

"Fortunately, the situation in Florida is very favorable, General Hampton will come to reinforce soon. By then, we might even form an encirclement against the French."

The Major was surprised and said: "I heard Frederick was just captured last week, has the battle in Florida ended so quickly?"

Mackenzie nodded: "The Spanish army fled early, and the French provided no reinforcements, Lieutenant Colonel Johnston’s cavalry has already reached Tallahassee. It seems now, Napoleon placed all his bets on the sneak attack on Memphis."

Tallahassee is close to Pensacola, which means even West Florida is about to be occupied.

Mackenzie continued: "As long as Wilkinson controls the Yazoo River line, the French can only operate in western Tennessee."

The Major was still worried: "If the French continue eastward, for instance, towards Huntsville... "

Vicksburg, US Army Headquarters.

Wilkinson looked at the map grimly: "Napoleon is certainly planning to raid Huntsville."

This place name has become a nightmare for American officers. Not long ago, news that the French Army had crossed Cumberland Pass dominated headlines in all American newspapers. And Huntsville is the barrier in front of this pass.

Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Burr reminded: "General, we also need to guard against the French continuing south."

Wilkinson nodded: "If Napoleon’s main force is in the north, then Baton Rouge’s defense won’t be too strong.

"Tomorrow, you lead 5 regiments to attack the southern bank of the Alabama River, trying to lure Napoleon into reinforcing.

"Furthermore, order Hampton to speed up and ensure he arrives in Huntsville before the French Army!"

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John Adams was the great-grandson of Puritan immigrants John and Priscilla Alden, and his grandmother was Hannah Bass (1667~1705). The first of Adams’s ancestors to come to the colonies was his great-grandfather Henry Adams, a farmer and maltster. In 1640, he left Somerset County in England with his wife Edith Square Adams and their nine children to settle in Braintree, Massachusetts.[3] Adams’s father was named John Adams, a farmer and shoemaker. As a prominent community member, he made various contributions in Braintree, serving as a militia lieutenant, town committee member, sheriff, tax collector, and church deacon. His father’s example led Adams to set ambitious goals at a young age.

John Adams was born on October 30, 1735 (new calendar) in the family home in Braintree, Massachusetts. John’s childhood in Braintree was carefree. He made toy boats himself. He liked flying kites, playing hoops, marbles, ring toss, wrestling, and swimming. Adams wasn’t tall, about 5 feet 6 inches (168cm). He was short and stout when young, and round and plump in middle age. He had sharp blue eyes and fine brown hair. In 1751, John entered Harvard College. At that time, student rankings were not based on academic performance but on family social status, and although Adams’ family was respectable it was of low status, thus ranking him 15th among the 24 students of the class of 1755, slightly below average. In 1755, he graduated from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts degree; afterwards, he studied law under James Putnam in Worcester, Massachusetts, and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar Association in November 1758.