He spoke quietly, “We have a little more than 100 miles and five days to get to Gen. Washington’s Headquarters. Let the men rest until sunrise. Allow them to get some food and assemble at 8 o’clock so I can talk to the entire unit. Have them bring all their gear and sit down, facing south so the sun will not be in their eyes nor mine. You will stand behind them; do not sit. I want them to see you have their backs. Now, get some rest.”

Tuesday, August 1st, 1775: The troops were there as ordered. This time he spoke in a tone that could be heard by all: “You have done well. We are almost where we are wanted. The next few days will be easy compared to the many miles behind us. But from this day forward you must be on alert.

“Every night—starting tonight, we will set up camp in a perimeter, with the wagons and horses in the center. We will have no fewer than four men at a time on watch in four-hour shifts from sunset to sunrise—that means eight men per night since it’s summer. When the days get shorter, we will increase the number of watches.

“Beginning tonight we will have a challenge and password that will change every night. If a person approaching our camp fails to give the proper password when you shout the challenge, tell him to ‘halt’ and blow one blast on the whistle I gave you when we left Virginia. If there is an attack, the signal for everyone to turn to will be three blasts on the whistle. When we get where we are going, there will be many more rules on things like field sanitation, and many more soldiers. I, and your officers standing behind you, insist on you obeying them. Are there any questions?”

There was only one: “Cap’n, sir. Where are we going?”

The Captain smiled and said, “We’re going to join General Washington in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We’re going there to help him defeat our enemies, free our country, liberate our families, and create a new country. When we’re done with that, we will go home to our loving families, and you will have made world history.”

We stopped for the night south of Dudley, Massachusetts. At dark, wagons were inside a perimeter of canvas tents, the first watch was set as ordered and every man knew the challenge: Apple; and the password: Butter.

Wednesday, August 2nd, 1775: We passed through Dudley and held up for the night west of Framingham where we observed a supply train of quartermaster wagons headed south. Lt. Humphrey asked one of the mounted officers where they were heading and he replied “We’re Rhode Island Militia. We’re going home but we’ll be back if you need us.”

At dark, the routine was apparently already becoming, routine. Wagons inside the perimeter; watch set; challenge: Virginia; password: Creeper.