Buttons for General Washington:

    John Darragh was a spy for the American army during the time of the
Revolutionary War.  John father would take and put a message on the buttons of John’s
coat, and John would then go to General Washington’s camp where his brother Charles
could read the message.  John’s mother had just sewed on the last button to John’s coat
and he was to go to Washington’s camp.  John had a very dangerous mission because if
he was caught he would be put in prison or worse.  John mother sent him out, but warned
him to stay away from the British soldiers.   John was walking down the street and ran
into Samuel Baker whose family supported the British.  He told John that the Americans
would never win and John said they would.  The two boys ended up in a little fight.
Samuel hit John in the stomach and then walked away.   John had to stop at the British
guardpost next.  The guard had to check people who were going in and out to make sure
they were not spies.  John gave the guard a pass to go visit his aunt and he was allowed to
leave the town.  The guard reminded him that they did hang spies!  When John was out of
the town he had to hid behind some trees because he heard horses.  It was some British
soldiers.  John watched them pass and touched his buttons for luck, but one was missing.
John realized that he must have lost it while fighting with Samuel.  John headed back to
town.  He reached the guardpost and found that the guard had his button.  He told the
guard thank you for finding his button and then he left.  It was already late now and he
needed to hurry and reach General Washington’s camp.  He took a short cut through the
woods, which is mother had warned him not to do.  Suddenly John was grabbed by a
man and taken to a camp.  Luckily when they arrived at the camp, it was an American
camp and John knew he would be safe.  The man took John to a tent and told the soldier
that he was a spy.  John saw a tall man and the man asked him who he was a spy for, John
said General Washington’s army.  John ask the man to see his brother Charles.  Charles
came to the tent and took John coat.  He began to read the message, but John protested
because only General Washington was to hear the message.  To John surprise the man
was General Washington!  John got to shake Washington’s hand and General Washington
said that he was a “brave patriot”.

The 18 Penny Goose:

     Letty Wright and her family had to hurry up and get everything into their wagon and go
over the mountain because the British soldiers were coming towards their home.  Letty
had a flock of geese which were her pets, especially the gander named Solomon.  Letty
could not take the geese with her so she was trying to make them hide, but they would
not.  Letty's Ma told her to hurry because if they did not leave soon, they would be in
danger.  Letty quickly ran into the house and wrote a note to the British soldiers asking
them to not eat the geese, especially Solomon. They quickly went over the mountain to
stay with Pa's friends, and Letty wondered if she would ever see Solomon again.  Letty
family stayed with their friends for three nights. Letty wished everynight that Solomon
would be ok.  On the third day an American soldiers said that they had chased the British
away and they could go home.  When they arrived home, the house was torn up but their
was a letter for Letty from the soldiers.  They had left a penny a piece for the geese that
they had ate and they did not harm Solomon!

George the Drummer Boy:

     George was a drummer boy for the British, “king’s”, army.  George was stationed in
Boston and he tried to be friendly to the people there.  The people in Boston did not like
George because they did not like the taxes that the king had put on them.  A spy had told
George’s commander that some people were hiding gunpowder in Concord.  The
commander decided that  he would send out his troops to capture the powder, but the
plans were a secret in order to surprise the people.  The commander picked two
companies and told them that they were going to have special training.  George went to
talk to his friend Fred about this matter.  George asked Fred what this meant, Fred said
that he did not know, and that in the army you do not ask questions.  The soldiers had to
fix some of the boats.  A few nights later, they were awaken and put on the boats. They
went to Charlestown, there they waded in to the shore and then waited several hours in
the cold. George saw two lights in the Church and asked Fred what it was, but Fred did
not know, he said it was probably a signal.  At last the men were told that they were
going to Concord to capture the powder.  When the sun finally was up, John could see the
town of Lexington and he saw the minutemen running on the green.  There were eighty
minutemen, all with guns! The Captain told them not to shoot.  Then a shot was fired
from some where and the battle began.  When it was over, eight of the minutemen were
dead.  In Concord there were more minutemen.  George did not want to be there.  All of
the gunpowder had been taken out of Concord and hidden somewhere else.  Next George
saw some of the men sitting fires and asked Fred why they were doing that.  Fred said
that they could not come all that way without doing something.  The  minutemen thought
that the town was being burned.  The minutemen come after the British soldiers and the
soldiers ran. The minutemen were shooting from everywhere and George’s friend Fred
was hit in the arm.  In Lexington they meet some more British soldiers that had cannons
which helped to keep the minutemen back so they could escape.  The British soldiers
made it back to Charlestown and was headed back to Boston.  They never realized that
this had been the start of the Revolutionary War!

Sam the Minuteman:

      Sam Brown was a young boy who lived on a farm in Lexington, Massachusetts (which
is near Boston) at the time when America belonged to England.  Sam and his father did
the outside work, like farming, while Sam’s mother worked inside.  The family had
everything they needed.  Once when they were in Boston, Sam had seen the British
soldiers that were sent here to keep order.  The people did not like the soldiers and they
called them  “Lobster backs” because of their red coats.  One night in spring, Sam was
awaken by the sound of the church bell.  Sam heard voices and he heard how frightened
his mother sounded.  Sam knew there must be some trouble.  Sam’s father was a
minuteman.  Sam was told to get his gun because the British had left Boston and were
coming toward them.  Sam got his gun and followed his father out into the dark.  Sam
was afraid.  When they reached the meeting house, the minutemen were told to line up.
Sam saw his friend John Allen and asked him what was going on.  John Allen said that
the British were coming for the guns and powder in Concord.  When it was daylight the
men were getting more relaxed, but suddenly they heard the marching feet of the British
soldiers and they could see them coming over the hill.   The captain of the minutemen
told them to back away because there were too many soldier.  Then some where there was
a bang, the troops began to shoot at each other.  John Allen was shot in the leg.  When the
British captain got them back in order and they marched off, eight of the minutemen were
dead.  Sam and his father helped John’s father get him back home.  Sam was very upset.
When they got back home, Sam asked how could the soldiers do that and he said that he
would shoot them all. Sam’s father told him to be quiet, but he might  have a chance, on
the other hand Sam’s mother said he was not to leave the house again.  The bells began to
ring again, Sam grabbed his gun and ran out the door with his father behind him.  They
fired at the soldiers from behind rooks and trees.  More British soldiers came from
Boston and some of the soldiers burned some houses.  Finally the British soldiers headed
back to Boston. In the rain Sam and his father headed home.  Sam was tired and went to
bed no knowing that this had been the start of the Revolutionary War!

Boston Coffee Party:

     Sarah Homans and her younger sister lived in Boston during the time of the
American Revolution.  One day, Sarah’s mother ask her to go and get some sugar so that
she could get could make some jam with the berries.  Sarah and her sister Emma went to
all of the Merchants’ shops to buy sugar, but because of the hard times there was no
sugar.  Finally they reached Merchant  Thomas’ shop which mother had told them not to
go there because he overcharges.  Since they needed the sugar, Sarah went in to the shop.
Merchant Thomas said that he would sell the sugar he had for seven shillings per pound.
Sarah complained because everyone else charged five, but she got her money out because
they needed the sugar for the jam.  Just then Mrs. Arnolds walked in and Merchant
Thomas sold the sugar to her for eight shillings a pound.  Sarah said that was not fair, but
he did not pay her any attention.  Sarah ran home and told mother who was mad, but said
that they would just not make the jam.
     Sarah’s mother and the other ladies were sewing shirts for the soldiers a few days
later.  Mrs. Homans told the ladies that Merchant Thomas was overcharging for the sugar.
The ladies said that they should tell everyone not to buy anything from him. Aunt Harriet
said that he was storing forty barrels of coffee in his warehouse in order to charge more
for it when the other shops ran out. Sarah said that the women should have a party.  Not a
fun party, but one like the men had with the English tea.  The next day the women got
their pots and pans and head for Merchant Thomas’ shop.  They demanded that Merchant
Thomas give them the keys to his warehouse and he would not listen to them.  Finally
they shoved him into a wheelbarrow and pushed him down the cobblestone street until he
gave up and gave the women his keys!