At the present time General Washington and his staff are meeting at the Neely farmhouse below Coryell's Ferry to discuss how to save the army. Many soldier enlistments will be up at the end of the year and we stand to lose our army and our fight for freedom from British rule. The General and his men at this time are deciding their next course of action.
Quartered at the Neeley farmhouse are General William Alexander (aka Lord Stirling), Captain William Washington (a cousin of General Washington), Lieutenant James Monroe (a Virginia Lawyer), and Captain James Moore of the New York Artillery. Captain Moore is stricken with camp fever and is not expected to last the night. The doctor has informed us that in addition to Captain Moore he has approximately 20 other soldiers critically ill or dying from starvation. Such is the plight of our army. Many are ill-clad and nearly naked. The army is in dire need of food, clothing, and blankets.
There has been quite a bit of activity in the vicinity of McConkey's ferry approximately 3 miles further south of the farm house. About 2400 soldiers are camped here.
The Delaware River is strangely quiet. The Durham boats are no longer hauling goods up and down the river. No ferries are running. We found these two Durham boats hidden at Knowles Cove near the ferry landing.
Yes, something is definitely in the wind here, folks. The weather is chilly and damp with occasional snow flurries. The river is starting to freeze. If Washington and his staff do not reach a decision tonight, we are doomed.
Stay tuned....
