Dreams of Glory by Thomas Fleming Page A

president of the college is a strong critic of it.”
    â€œThe president of Yale?” Washington said. He shook his head in his slow, reflective way. “You Yankees will drive me to distraction with your notions, yet, Stallworth. You want officers to fight a five-year war for paltry pay; you see military dictators sprouting like weeds every time a general makes a few demands. You expect men to be angels, Stallworth.”

    â€œOr devils,” Stallworth said with a wry smile.
    â€œTo get back to Chandler. It hardly seems logical for a man who denounces slavery to murder a black, then demand an investigation of the crime.”
    â€œUnless we’re dealing with a very subtle, very devilish mind, General. Remember we caught the Reverend Lockwood telling Beckford there were men in New England who were ready to make a separate peace. I got further confirmation of this trend tonight, from Grey. He says Bowler, the chief justice of Rhode Island, has begun crying quits. What if Chandler plans to use Caesar’s murder to set the New England and New Jersey regiments at the throats of the rest of the army? Playing the idealistic parson could be the ultimate deception.”
    â€œIf that was—or is—his plan, he should have chosen a more likable victim. From what you’ve told me, Muzzey was about as charming as a rattlesnake.”
    â€œThe truth isn’t important in such matters, General. Chandler may be planning to cry up Muzzey as the perfect example of the bondage of the enlisted men that he likes to talk about.”
    Washington shook his head, still unconvinced. “Could a Yale man have so little conscience?” he said, smiling.
    â€œAnything is possible, from what I hear goes on at Yale these days. There aren’t two students in the place who believe in God. When they’re not writing plays or acting in them, they’re drinking and whoring like Charleston rakes. Do we have men watching this fellow Chandler?”
    â€œDay and night.”
    â€œGood. What about Congressman Stapleton?”
    â€œWe detained him in camp for a few days by asking him to help us in the pro forma inquiry we conducted into Muzzey’s death. I had someone go through his baggage while the inquiry was in session but we found nothing.”
    â€œDo you know him well?”
    â€œNo. I met his father years ago, when I visited New York. A direct, outspoken man, with a very distinguished record in the
French wars. He was no enthusiast for independence. But, then, neither was I.”
    â€œWe’ll open a dossier on you immediately, General,” Stallworth said with a flicker of a smile. “Stapleton’s brother is one of our agents. That’s in the congressman’s favor.”
    â€œHe’s the portrait painter, who poses as a neutral?”
    â€œCorrect. But one patriot in a family guarantees nothing, these days. I sometimes think half the people in New Jersey have a relative living on the King’s shilling in New York.”
    Washington nodded glumly. “I had my doubts about letting the congressman visit Mrs. Kuyper. But I wasn’t prepared to take him into our confidence.”
    â€œOf course not,” Stallworth said. “Let’s see how he conducts himself with that charming lady. It may tell us a good deal about him.”
    â€œDid you pick up anything else in your travels that might shed some light on this mystery?”
    â€œSomething big is brewing, that’s all we can find out. There’s a lot of talk about a ‘capital stroke’ that will end the war. Muzzey’s murder may have been connected to it. If Beckford found out he was a double agent, looking for information to sell us, he’d kill him without a qualm.”
    The General shook his head. “I’m afraid you’ve let the deaths of those other agents incline you to overestimate Beckford’s bloodthirstiness. He’s as likely as we are to let a