The Glorious Cause - Jeff Shaara [143]
Howe seemed distracted, stared away, and Cornwallis felt uneasy, said, “Is that all, sir? What of General Burgoyne? How great a loss, sir?”
Howe seemed not to hear, and Cornwallis felt his impatience rising. Howe turned to an aide.
“The letter, Colonel, if you please.”
The aide retrieved a folded paper from a bag, and Howe held it up, said to Cornwallis, “The fates are on the side of General Burgoyne, even if the Gods of War are not. This unfortunate incident has cost General Burgoyne a thousand good men, irreplaceable in his present situation. And, in an annoying display of coincidence, I have also received this letter, sent to me by Lord Germain, dated back in May. Damnably slow ships. Lord Germain feels it is imperative that this army cooperate with General Burgoyne as our first priority. While he assures me that he supports my designs on capturing Philadelphia, we have been instructed to complete this mission, then make every effort to return to New York, in time to lend assistance to General Burgoyne.” Howe paused, stared away again, said, “I never considered Lord Germain to possess the talents of a seer. But clearly he had his doubts about General Burgoyne’s plan from the beginning. It is a mystery, then, why he approved that plan.” Howe looked at the paper without reading it. “It is almost as though this was never intended to reach me before we sailed.”
Grey moved closer now, said, “General Howe, we cannot withdraw now. We have come too far . . .”
Howe exploded now, his voice punching the air, “Of course we do not withdraw! We are on this ground with purpose, and that purpose is to occupy the rebel capital! From everything we have heard, Mr. Washington is making ready to prevent that from happening. This is exactly what I had hoped, exactly the means I had laid out for winning this war!”
Cornwallis saw a frown on Grey’s face, and understood that Grey was deferring to him, the only man who was senior enough to make an argument with Howe. Cornwallis said, “Sir, I agree that Philadelphia is still our goal. May I ask, sir, if Lord Germain’s orders allow us the discretion of completing our mission?”
“Oh, we will complete our mission, General. Only then will we give serious consideration to General Burgoyne’s situation. The general has placed himself in jeopardy at his own responsibility. Assist him. Lord Germain should have known better.” Howe looked past Cornwallis, toward the field where the soldiers were drying their belts, tending to their equipment. “Prepare your men, General Cornwallis. We must resume the march.”
Howe moved away now, and Grey lingered, moved close to Cornwallis, said nothing for a long moment. Cornwallis turned to his staff, said, “General Howe was clear in his orders. Inform the regimental commanders. Prepare the men to march.”
The staff obeyed, moved quickly away, and Grey said in a low voice, “Lord Germain is not required to know better. We are to follow his orders.”
Cornwallis shifted in his saddle, the dampness still scraping him.
“Lord Germain is not here, Charles. A great deal can happen in a few weeks. If General Howe can win this war, John Burgoyne will not require anyone’s assistance. The contest will be done, regardless of who Lord Germain wishes to place in favor.”
“So, is that what this is about, after all? I had hoped this command could rise above such bickering. Must this be some sort of tawdry race? All glory to the man most pleasing to Lord Germain? Is not the king best served by obedience to his orders?”
“I am not privileged to know what pleases my king, Charles. It is not my place, or yours, to judge the actions or the motives of General Howe. It is our place to obey him. And right