Saratoga by David Garland Page B

combat."
    "You're forgetting what Ticonderoga
means
to us," said Proudfoot,standing up to reinforce his point. "It's our talisman. It has a powerful hold on the American mind. As long as this fortress survives, it will give hope and encouragement to our army. Let it fall or, even worse, hand it over to the enemy as a gift, and we inflict the most terrible wound on ourselves. That would be unforgivable."
    "We stay," St. Clair announced. "We defend the fort and trust in our own men to hold it. I expect you to abide by that decision, James."
    "Of course, sir."
    "Then let's have no more discussion of the matter."
    "If you wish," said Wilkinson, clearly disappointed. "All I ask you to bear in mind is one thing. Retreating from a position that you cannot expect to hold is not the action of a weak commander. It may sometimes be an indication of his strength."
    "I accept that."
    "Then remember the name of George Washington."
    "I always do," said St. Clair loyally, "but, in the circumstances, I must also keep another name in mind—that of Ezekiel Proudfoot. He'll tell the truth about what happens here."
    "Oh, I will," Proudfoot vowed. "You can be certain of that."
    Since he had carried out the reconnaissance of Mount Defiance, it was left to Jamie Skoyles to escort General Phillips, Brigadier Simon Fraser, and a detachment of light infantry to the spot. Skirting the fort so that they would not be seen by any of the sentries, the party arrived at the foot of the mountain. They studied the rocky incline of the southeastern face. William Phillips needed less than a minute to reach his decision.
    "We can do it," he said confidently.
    "Are you sure, sir?" asked Skoyles.
    "Didn't you say that you saw a goat up there, Captain?"
    "He was as close to me as you are."
    "Then I have no qualms at all about the enterprise," said Phillips. "Where a goat can go, a man can go, and where a man can go, he can drag a gun."
    "It will take a lot more than one man, General."
    "It will take hundreds, but we'll get a couple of twelve-pounders up theresomehow." He stared up at the summit. "The ascent is almost perpendicular here. However did you manage to climb it, Skoyles?
    "Very slowly, sir."
    Fraser chuckled. "Don't blame you, Jamie."
    "You'll find it slightly easier on the northern face," advised Skoyles, "but that would put us within sight of the enemy."
    "It's a risk we'll have to take," said Phillips, turning to Fraser. "We need to build a road to the summit, Brigadier. We must use every possible expedition to get cannon to the top."
    "We will," Fraser promised. "I'll have an abatis constructed on the top. That's work for axmen."
    "They'll be kept busy clearing the side of the mountain," noted Skoyles, "and the approach from the camp. If you want oxen to drag guns up there, the road will have to be wide enough."
    "Sixteen feet at least," Phillips confirmed.
    "I don't foresee a problem," said Fraser.
    Skoyles did. "They'll have to work under fire, sir."
    "They're soldiers. It's what they expect to do."
    "Yes," Phillips added. "Better that we lose a few men now than a large number in a long and bloody siege."
    "Provided that the enemy don't see us hauling artillery up there," warned Skoyles. "That would give the game away."
    "Surprise is everything," Fraser agreed.
    Phillips rubbed his hands together. "And won't they be surprised when we start firing!" he said chirpily. "We'll be able to pick them off at will from up there. This is all due to you, Captain."
    "And to that goat," said Skoyles.
    Work on the road began immediately. Experienced woodsmen with sharpened axes began to clear a way through the undergrowth, working long hours in sweltering heat and supported by British troops pressed into service. Skoyles estimated that, in all, the road would need to be some three leagues long, and he admired the speed with which the men labored. There were early casualties. As soon as they began to build a track up the northern side of Mount Defiance, they came