Free Sal and Amanda Take Morgan's Victory March to the Battle of Cowpens by Mary Ann Solesbee Page A

listened in silence.
    â€œI’m really sorry I lied to everyone and took the letter. I pinky swore with Sam that we would never tell anyone about going to the house. He doesn’t know about the letter, so please don’t blame him.”
    Grammy sat silently.
    â€œYou believe me, don’t you, Grammy?” Ben asked.
    Grammy just gazed into the fire and didn’t answer.
    Ben hurried on, “And General Morgan told me that when the time was right I should come to his aid and tell the truth he shared with me that night.”
    â€œAnd what truth is that, Ben?” Grammy asked.
    â€œThat we all are scared about stuff and it takes everyone ‘spiriting each other up’ to do the hard stuff,” Ben answered.
    Ben wanted to tell Grammy about Sal and Amanda spiriting him up, but he knew he would never see them again if he did. He thought maybe he had said enough for one night.
    â€œIt took a lot of courage to tell me this, Ben. I believe you are telling the truth. Sometimes it’s not necessary to tell everything you know to everybody . Let’s just keep the part about Daniel Morgan’s spirit to ourselves, OK?”
    â€œOh, thanks, Grammy. And I know I deserve punishment, so I will take it like a man. Just like General Morgan took all those lashes on his back.”
    â€œWe won’t be giving out lashes, but I will deal with you and your cousin later. Right now I better hustle and call your Uncle Charles in Cheraw to see if he can stop this dreadful demolition. Let’s not wake the others.”
    Grammy got on her phone and told a very short but compelling version of Ben’s story to his uncle.
    â€œBen, your uncle is going to see what he can do. We should know something tomorrow. You go on back to bed. The die is cast. You did what you had to do. The outcome is in the hands of fate just like at the Battle of Cowpens,” Grammy said dramatically.
    Ben crawled back into his tent and his sleeping bag. Sal roused up and said, “Wasn’t as bad as you thought, huh?”
    Amanda added with a smile, “General Morgan would be pleased.”
    Â Â 

Chapter 9
    The Speech
    The next morning, Ben jumped up as soon as Grammy called. Jen and his cousins teased one another about who was going to flake out and not get the Morgan’s Flying Army Medal, but Ben was lost in his own thoughts.
    The rest of the march passed like a blur for Ben. When they stopped for a patriotic church service that morning, he prayed fervently that his uncle could stop the demolition and find the letter.
    The troops were tired but happy as they mustered just outside the gate to the battlefield to make their grand entrance. The female reenactors went inside and joined the crowd on the sidelines.
    The men took their positions to come marching in. General Morgan was on his horse, and some of the soldiers were on horses behind him. Most of the men carried their muskets and marched in formation.
    Ben and Sam joined several other drummer boys at the front of the line. They began to play their marching cadence. General Morgan rode in, and then the other officers. The troops fell in line behind them.
    The drummers signaled for them to stop, and the park cannons fired. Then, the infantrymen raised their rifles and fired three rounds in unison. The spectators were awed by the booms and blasts!
    The drum cadence started again, and the parade marched up to the platform where the dignitaries were sitting.
    National Park Ranger George Greene rose and said, “It is time to award our Morgan’s Flying Army Medals!”
    He called the march completers by name. They came to the podium, and the medals were placed around their necks. The cousins beamed with pride as they looked at one another. This would be a day they would never forget.
    â€œNow, it is time for the Daughters of the American Revolution, Daniel Morgan Chapter, to reveal the winner of the speech contest,” Ranger Greene announced.