By Amanda R.

April 10, 1776 To my dearest sister, I have missed you so much but I hope that you are content in your new home in Philadelphia. Iām sorry that I havenāt written in so long but I have finally decided to take advantage of the new stable post office set up between our two cities, Philadelphia and New York.

Things have changed greatly since you left New York. This city lagged far behind other cities throughout the colonies in responding to the atrocities forced on us by the British. Many of our city's inhabitants were willing to serve the foul British because of money. The merchants were greedy for the money that they got from selling goods on commission to British firms or money from supplying the military establishment in our city. Now, though, finally the people have begun to realize the perfidy of Great Britain and there is more and more of a movement to finally throw them out of our fair land. The followers of that controlling, oppressive country have mainly fled New York and we patriots are stepping forward to prepare the way for the colonial victory in the coming conflict. Many hope for some reunion between our "mother" country and us but I will only feel satisfied when they are shamed and thrown off our land. Iām sure you heard of the battle over Liberty Pole, some eleven years ago now. It was my first opportunity to fight with other Americans and Iām sure that it was one of the incidents that brought us to where we are today. April 11, 1765 will be a day remembered in New York. It was the day when the British tried to crush our spirit by destroying our Liberty Pole, the symbol of our unity against the invaders and we gathered together to fight them off. While we were only armed with rocks and bricks and the British soldiers were armed with bayonets, we showed them who had control of this land! While many of our people were wounded that day and Iām sure many more of us will be hurt and die in the coming years, we have shown our willingness for the protection of our homes. It is that willingness to fight for what is ours that will make the coming days victorious for us. In the March of 1775, the Sons of Liberty, myself included, gathered at Liberty Point and marched down through the city showing our might. The turnout to support us warmed my heart and I know that we will succeed in banishing the invaders from our continent.

I have been working very hard the past weeks preparing the city for a British invasion that we are sure to see any day. There are gangs of laborers all over the city erecting barricades, digging trenches and putting up breastworks so that if the invaders make it into the city proper we will be able to fight them off. General Charles Lee was sent in January and he has been securing the East River, putting up forts on both banks from the Battery to Hell Gate. There are interlocking entrenchments between Wallabout Bay and Gowanus Creek, protecting Brooklyn Heights that Lee believes will be important soon. We will be ready for them! Please write back soon with news. From your brother, the patriot, Nicholas

April 14, 1776 To my sister, Amazing things have happened since I last wrote! While the foul invaders have not arrived at the gates of our city, someone far more welcome has! The general himself, George Washington rode into the city on April 13! I have heard that John Adams commented to General Washington that New York seemed a "kind of key to the whole continent." Our general, in his infinite wisdom, agreed with this statement and marched here to make a stand. I do not know if you, my sister, understand the importance of your childhood home in the war so I will tell you. New York is one of the most important ports on this continent and a major connection between the north and the south. If the invaders take control of New York and, through New York, the Hudson River there wonāt be any connection between the two sides and we might lose.

Now that the general is here everyone is working to fortify the city. Washington is worried about defending Manhattan as it is an island and we have no real navy. The city has again been covered with batteries, barricades, trenches and forts. Leeās line has been extended one mile south and east of the Brooklyn Heights. We have also gone to lengths to protect Brooklyn Heights, as the general believes that it has a strong command of the Upper Bay and the foul British dogs might try to use that against us. I suspect that our general gives those creatures too much credit; I do not believe they are intelligent enough to threaten us properly.

It is hard to explain to you, my sister, the feeling that is welling up inside me when I think of General Washington and the coming conflict. I think of when we were children living here, in New York and how I considered myself a good British citizen and I cannot understand how I felt then. Now I am filled with such zeal and I am joyous to finally have the opportunity to fight back against all those unfair taxes and laws levied against us in the past years. The British unfairness has choked me for years and I now have the release I need. The perpetrators of the crimes against our homeland are finally going to be stopped and we will no longer have to bow down to their vile flag.

Volunteers have been entering the city, flocking to General Washingtonās flag. It seems I am not the only one to feel this patriotism rising in my heart. We have almost 20,000 men here now, a goodly force to repel invasion. Many people are from the other colonies and many of them are a very strange lot. They wear very strange clothes such as the men from Pennsylvania, where you are, wear multi-colored uniforms and the men from New Jersey wear short red coats and striped trousers. They are very funny looking but if they can fight then I will not laugh at them. More than 200 cannon have been brought in and set up along the barricades. As I ended my last letter to you, my sister, we will be ready for them! A devout American, Nicholas

June 20, 1776 Sister, Betrayal! Governor Tryon, hiding with his British friends in the harbor but recently hatched a foul plan to stop us Americans. He created a conspiracy of hundreds of "Loyalists" in the city who were to kill or capture our leaders, seize our supplies or try to incite our troops to mutiny. Ha! To think that any of us would betray our country. And yet two of our people did betray us and they can very close to killing our general! Two of Washingtonās own bodyguards were bribed to kill him. How could they sell their souls for money! Luckily a third bodyguard pretended to accede to their request of betrayal and revealed their foul plot.

Private Thomas Hickey, the bodyguard, tried to slip poison into the generalās food but we caught him. He was tried and further disgraced himself by refusing to tell us the names of his co-conspirators. He was led to Bowery Lane and hanged in a crowd of 20,000. I was there to witness his death. It is astonishing to think that the first execution by our American army was this man. I had thought it would be someone of power or influence in the British army, maybe it would even have been a high ranking British officer. I had not thought that we would have to execute someone who had been one of our own and who turned his back on us. We will win this cause because what we are doing is right and just and we have unity. It hurts me that that unity may already be threatened. The mayor, a well known follower of the British devils, is thought to be involved in the plot, though we could get no proof an so Washington is keeping him in jail and out of more dangerous mischief. I can only hope that the British fiends have not spread their tentacles too far into our midst and we have stopped the attempts on General Washingtonās life.

I will try to keep you informed on the war here, sister, if you will do the same for me in Philadelphia. God bless. From one patriot to another, Nicholas

July 3, 1776 Sister dear, Four days ago at daybreak our New York harbor filled with masts, over a hundred ships. The moment that we had been anticipating and dreading has arrived- the British dogs are here! Over the past few days more and more ships have arrived, Howeās fleet find followed by Parkerās fleet. Today I can look out my window and there are nearly 500 boats at anchor. A total of 32,000 men (the estimates made by our men) are floating outside my home right now.

I have heard that the British have failed to recruit men to fight against us at home and so have turned to hiring foreign mercenaries. Ha Ha! And then Russia and Holland turned down George when he tried to get those mercenaries from them. He has had to turn to insignificant princes in Germany to get men to fight his war. Our men are fired with the passion of justice and the truth and "King" George believes that he can defeat us with bought Hessians. I spit at them! There are something like 9,000 of them massed at our gates now and they will see how easily we cut them down! I will write soon, my sister. Nicholas

July 10, 1776 Sister, The Declaration of Independence was read yesterday in the center of New York to all the troops! What was it like in Philadelphia? Did you hear it immediately after the Second Continental Congress wrote it or did they wait? Did you hear it read? It was glorious here! All the regiments in the city were on the parade grounds- bayonets pointing over their shoulders and their uniforms strait and clean. Washington sat astride his horse looking so regal as the words were read.

That evening a group of us gathered together and marched down Broadway The air was joyous and we all wanted to do something to commemorate that glorious day and so we went to Bowling Green and did a wonderful thing! We ripped down that horrible statue of the man who is no longer our king, George III, and melted the horrible thing down. General Washington issued an official reprimand but I know that he cannot be angry at us for supplying him with two tons of lead for the making of more than 42,000 bullets.

On a less happy note, the invaders have landed on Staten Island and are destroying it. They tear down fences, drink until their brains ooze out their ears and drunkenly roam throughout the countryside, ravishing any and all women that they run across. They have still not attacked us but we know that they must send us word soon. They cannot stay on Staten Island forever. Your brother, Nicholas

August 20, 1776 Sister dearest, We have received the first message from the dogs barking at our doorstep. A man that the British call an officer but that I call a mongrel was sent under a flag of truce with a letter for Mr. Washington. We responded, "Sir, we have no person here in our army with that address." We, of course, have a General Washington in our army but he didnāt ask for the general. The other soldiers and I spent quite a bit of time laughing at the stupidity of the invaders.

Eventually though they realized why we were refusing to speak to them and tried to meet with General Washington. They had more success the second time. Our general met with a lieutenant colonel of the British army and they offered to try to make peace with us Americans. Washington refused to treat with the British, believing, rightly so, that they arenāt to be trusted· but I must say that Admiral and General Howe seem decent enough fellows· for barbarian invaders. It is not many a man who would sue for peace, especially when they are so sure of their victory. And they seem willing to treat us as equals in intelligence, unlike, as I must admit, I treat them much of the time.

I hope the English do something soon; peace treaties are very unlike them and it worries me. I tell them to bring on the troops and we will fight them for our independence. Nicholas

August 31, 1776 My dearest sister, I ended my last letter wishing that the British would do something and they have, many things in fact. On the 22nd the invading fiends finally moved to Brooklyn. We were caught unawares and so the invaders were able to transfer 15,000 of their troops to Long Island before noon that day. 5,000 Hessians reinforced them three days later.

General Washington decided to split the American forces, sending 7,000 men to Brooklyn and keeping 12,000 in Manhattan. I wrote you before about how hard it is to defend Manhattan as it is entirely surrounded by water and so protecting Brooklyn and Long Island is very important. The men sent were very few compared to the 20,000 British currently on Long Island and Iām not ashamed to say that I was worried about the ability of our men. Many of them were only young militia, barely trained. My fears were justified when, on the 27th the British moved up the least defended of the passes into Brooklyn. Only five men were left there to guard it. Washington himself came out to direct the men.

Our men fought bravely and strongly that day but they were faced with overwhelming numbers, superior weapons, discipline and, I suppose, superior strategy and experience. Our general is a great one but he had never directed a stand-up battle before and he really was unprepared for the British. Our men were forced to retreat and we were only able to do so because of a very brave Maryland battalion that held off the British just long enough for us to retreat. Six hundred and forty-eight of their men died. In the entire battle only 400 British died; they entirely outmaneuvered us. We retreated to Brooklyn Heights and Howe failed to take advantage of our disadvantage and so lost his chance to destroy us. It seems even seasoned generals make mistakes! In the night we all got onto boats and slipped away to Manhattan, leaving Brooklyn behind. The last man to leave was the general himself. Ah, such honor in one man; Iām honored to serve under him.

A few days ago I was outraged to discover that the people in Long Island welcomed the British with open arms. They supported them, supplied them with food, in every way made their stay here better. In the past few days, though, I am beginning to understand their decision. Though I myself would never turn my back on my general and country the farmers are having trouble with the American money; they canāt get what they need. I forgive them for turning to the enemy for their gold though I do not agree with their decision. I think, my sister, that I am becoming weary of this war even before it has started. Please send me news from Philadelphia. Seeing your words lifts my spirits greatly. Your tired brother, Nicholas

September 17, 1776 Dearest sister, It seems that we are losing the war, at least on this front. But let me start at the beginning. First, an almost entirely irrelevant story, but it struck me as interesting and so I thought to tell you of it. One of the highly educated men who are fighting for the American cause, David Bushnell designed and brought to the general a machine that can travel underwater with people inside. Our general agreed to give him the money and men needed to build this strange contraption (against my better judgment; I thought it was a bad idea.) This craft was built and called "The Turtle" because of its funny shape. Washington decided to use this turtle, which actually seemed to work, to blow up a British warship in the harbor.

Washington and Bushnell's plan failed because the copper plating on the warship was reinforced with iron. Lee, the man directing the turtle, had to flee before his air ran out but his compass wasnāt working so he had to constantly surface and risk detection. The British noticed him, though, so Lee decided to blow up the barge with the British on it. He loosed the gunpowder magazine that he had planned to use to destroy the warship but the British saw it and got away. The magazine exploded in the water and though it did no harm to the British, it did, for a time, greatly life the spirits of the men here. We felt that we had shown the invaders that we are not the complacent farmers that they were expecting; we are ingenious, intelligent, dedicated fighters and that this is our home!

Things turned much more tragic after that. We received another message wishing for peace from the invaders. John Adams, Edward Rutledge, and Benjamin Franklin were sent to meet with the British and to see if they really wanted peace. Howe met with them in New Jersey. I have heard that he was very nice to our men, serving them good food and wine and speaking on how much he liked and respected us. It was reported, however, that Howe had no power to meet our demands and that if we gave in it would be only to be back where we started. And so they left empty-handed. I have to again revise my opinion of the invaders, I suppose. This Howe fellow seems a decent sort and he seems inclined to treat fairly with us yet the British donāt seem to understand that we want to be respected as a country would be and not as a colony. For that reason, we will fight on and we donāt care who we must go over to accomplish our goals.

Washington met with the Continental Congress after this meeting and made a dire decision. Our army decided to adopt a scorched earth policy and make a last stand for New York, the plan was to burn our city to the ground. Luckily Washington later decided not to put our beloved city to the torch. On the 15th five British warships moved into position and 4,000 man on eighty-five flatboats attacked. They bombed our trenches with eighty guns for two hours and then they loaded all their men into boats and crossed the East River. They landed at Kipās Bay and jumped onto shore. True, I might be feeling more agreeable to the British after their attempts at peace, but my heart sank inside me to see these invaders foul American soul with their feet. Our general was wonderful in the battle, fighting dozens of the invaders single-handedly while our poorly trained militia ran away. The general was furious. I even heard him shout, "Are these the men with whom I am to defend America?" I straightened my back as I heard him say that and I sought to fight my best; I even grabbed the bridle of our General Washingtonās horse when he was almost overcome by Hessians and pulled him away to Harlem. We were defeated utterly and we all fell back to Harlem Heights hoping to regroup. We lost three hundred men and sixty-six guns to the invaders. It is only luck that stopped more destruction. As we retreated up the eastern side of Manhattan the British moved up the west. They could have destroyed us then only they were unaware of our presence and we were able to reach Harlem in safety. The British camped in McGowanās Pass, the only road from lower Manhattan to Harlem they have built a redoubt on one of two small steep hills.

Late that evening Aaron Burr brought another 5,000 men to us in Harlem. He had gathered the men left at the tip of Manhattan and snuck around the British in the night. I admire Burrās courage for we all felt much stronger with the new men. Camaraderie can fill in when we are lacking in internal strength. I must say that I didnāt really like Burr that much, personally. He seemed just a little too slimy and proud for my taste. But I know when to ignore personal opinion and judge someone only on their fighting skills and it seems I will have to treat Burr that way. With the addition of those men we felt ready to fight again. We gathered to face the British in the morning and when they saw us they blew their horns. But they did not blow a signal to attack, instead the called a call of hunters who have killed their prey! The outrage! The humiliation! We were all furious and out for blood that morning. A large portion of the army faced the invading British but when they attacked, they feinted back and the rest of the army, which had circled around the flanks of the British, attacked. Our blood was up though and we could not stop ourselves from attacking in force. We were engaged with them for two hours until they had retreated twice. General Washington decided not to follow them as they could bring in reinforcements and overtake us so we fell back to Harlem Heights again. We were joyous that night for though we had not gained any ground we had beaten a much stronger force. It just goes to show you that when an Americans blood is up mountains will bow to us! Joy has spread through the camp like wildfire as we realize that we may have poorer weapons and supplies and less men and less training but we are united together to push back these invaders! Liberty will soon be in our grasp!! But I would like to say a few words for Captain Knowlton and Major Andrew Leitch. They were both well-respected officers in the army and they fell protecting their homes. They will be remembered.

I cannot rest like the others, though. I snuck back into the city proper late yesterday to watch things and make sure that everything went well for our army. Iām staying here for now and I will try to get letters to you. There is not so much communication between the American and British held cities but I will do what I can to send word to you of my situation. I miss you, my sister and hope you are safe. Nicholas

September 30, 1776 To my faraway sister, Fire has destroyed a quarter of my city. On September 20th a fire broke out in a tavern called The Fighting Cocks, on a wharf near Whitehall Slip. A gale spread the fire all over the lower city. In total five hundred buildings were destroyed including Trinity Church. Iām sorry to tell you that as I remember how much you loved it there when you were a child. A poet here said that the crying of the people running from the flames "joined to the roaring of the flame, the crash of falling houses and the widespread ruin formed a scene of horror great beyond description." I was near St. Patricks at the time and I joined a bucket brigade and we barely saved it, so thatās a least one landmark not destroyed. The city was in chaos the next day as the fire did not stop until midmorning. The New York Gazette and the Weekly Mercury proclaimed, "The fire raged with inconceivable violence, and in its destructive progress swept away all the buildings between Broad Street and the North River, almost as high as the city Hall; and thence all the houses between Broadway and the North River, as far as Kingās College, a few only excepted, long before the main fire reached Trinity Church that large, ancient, and venerable edifice was in flames. After raging about ten hours, the fire was extinguished." Homeless men and women scavenged the streets in hunger while mobs, believing that it was arson that caused the fire, killed several people who had matches. The British overlords brought in two hundred people for questioning and accidentally captured Nathan Hale. He was not the arsonist that they were looking for, but someone much more important- a spy for our side. I had met him when he was a captain in our army and had even helped him get into the city but I had separated myself from him in the hope that if one of us was captured we wouldnāt give away the other. He had been a Yale educated schoolteacher and an officer from Connecticut. He disguised himself as a Dutch schoolteacher. I blame myself now for his capture. If I had been there I might have been able to help him avoid the Brits. The rumor on the streets is that Howe wanted to just keep him as a war prisoner but as he was not in uniform he had to be executed. I distrust that Howe was against killing Hale but he does seem not very bloodthirsty. Hale was permitted to write letters to both his brother and a fellow officer, but, and this infuriates me, he was not permitted to meet with a clergyman. That right, I feel, should not have been taken from him. On the 22nd Hale was taken to the Artillery Park and hanged. He said to the monk brought in for his confession that "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country." He died nobly and I hope that if I am to die I can do it as nobly.

I will probably not be able to write you for a while; I have heard rumors of another attack on our army and that makes it harder to send messages but I will try. I miss you. Nicholas

November 18, 1776 Sister, The year is almost over and it has not been a good one. On October 28th our army was crushed in the Battle of White Plains, as you probably know already. The British are constantly bringing in new soldiers to fight us and we simply cannot stand up to their numbers. Two days ago Fort Washington fell, our generals last stronghold, protecting New York. Huge numbers of armaments and equipment were lost and hundreds of prisoners were taken. The Americans captured have been brought in for the past two days and are still coming. They are all placed in ships on the East River, churches or sugarhouses. The ones in the ships are having the worst time as the man in charge of taking food from the British and distributing it to the prisoners is doing fine on the first step but is having trouble with the second. The British are generally good in taking care of prisoners of war but greed has gotten in the way in this case. So the men are trapped in horrible, tiny, filthy quarters and they are often not fed. I imagine that the death rates there are huge.

Our city has been changing. The British followers are flooding back into the city; they believe that they will be safe here. When the British conquered us in the Battle of New York only 3,000 people were left behind; now the population is almost 33,000. The newcomers are not just civilians. There are new Hessians and soldiers coming in, followed by prostitutes and other army followers. With all these new people coming in there have been major food, shelter, clean water and clothes shortages. A shantytown has risen where the major burning in the fire was. I try to stay furious at these invaders who have taken over our town as if they owned it but when I see a child crying in the street I cannot help but pity him. I more often than not give away what little food I am getting. You must think me so changed, giving away my food to the families of the men I hate. Our city has become a center of graft, smuggling and black marketing as people are willing to pay anything to get what they want and these days the only way to get what they want is illegally. Your hard working brother, Nicholas

December 12, 1778 My sister, Iām sorry that it has been more than two years since I last wrote to you. I have had to spend all my time holding myself together and I havenāt had the time or opportunity to write you. I hear snatches of the war outside these walls, a battle here, a battle there, but I get no general idea other than that it is going hard. You would not think that if you were here with me. New York has become quite the social center. Playhouses have become incredibly popular. The British have taken over all the theaters, founded a Garrison Dramatic Club and they present amateur theatricals. It is almost ludicrous to think of the men dying every day while watching these fancy dandies. Prince William Henry, the third son of George III, even visited to have some fun. To have fun! In a war zone!

We everyday people are having a lot of trouble. Another fire this year destroyed three hundred homes. The British rich hold charity drives for the poor, and I sneak to the prisons of the Americans. They are dying in huge numbers, without food or doctors. The Provost Marshal William Cunningham, whom I wrote you of before, is still not feeding the prisoners mostly. I blame the British for not doing something to stop him but I no longer blame them for all the terrors here. I work in a manufactory nights sometimes to get a little more money and cover my being in New York. I work alongside Loyalists who are poorer than I am and they care not for this war, only for staying alive. I am disgusted by the prancing of the officers while others die but I think Iāve learned that I must judge everyone by themselves and not by their race. Please write soon, if you can, Nicholas

October 31,1781 Sister, I have heard wonderful news! Is it true that the war is actually over?! I am joyous that we have won, of course but I am joyous also that this hell is finally over. As soon as our army reaches here I hope to join you in Philadelphia. I love New York but I think that at this point I could really do with being away from it. Please respond my sister, Nicholas

December 8, 1783 My sister, Free at last! On November 25 the Americans finally came home and evacuated the British. Fifteen thousand Tories were moved out of the city in the preceding weeks and I was forced to say goodbye to some very close friends, men who had hid and sheltered me over the past years.

I gathered on the streets to watch General Washington as he reentered the city that I saw him leave. He was surrounded by filthy, weather-beaten American soldiers and at the sight of them I felt my heart rise. This was what I had endured for; this is what I had fought for. I waved farewell to the men who were no longer invaders and on that day I welcomed home our warriors.

Four days ago I again saw General Washington, this time at Fraunces Tavern, where he gave his farewell speech. My sister, you should have heard him "With a heart full of love and gratitude I now take my leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be a prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable." It was beautiful, sister, and I am not ashamed to cry. After his speech I went up to him and shook his hand. I looked him in the eye and said, "General, I have been fighting for you since the beginning." And now it is time for me to leave this home and go on to another. I hope to be in Philadelphia in about a week. I hope to see you soon. I wish to travel around this new country of ours before returning to New York, to see how everything turned out. It looks to be exciting. Your brother, Nicholas