Brief

It is 1781, and the American Revolution has no end in sight. Wealthy Ira Fletcher must decide what is truly valuable as he struggles to protect his home and his granddaughter in the chaos of war. Billy Morgan must overcome a foolish lie, and his own weakness, to become a heroic leader.

What We Liked

- This is a good journey story and discovery of one's self. Characters are put into positions where they must challenge their own way of thinking. There is also the potential for a love story here but would need to be fleshed out further.
- Key points: Decent story laid out but needs more depth; Plenty of room for character discovery; Multiple characters falling in love; Battle scenes throughout; Engaging parallel storylines occurring.

Synopsis

The year is 1781 and the battle between the Royal Army on behalf of the British Crown versus the Continental Army fighting under General Washington is in full swing. Private Billy Morgan, 20, sits on the front lines of what will become an intense bloody battle that will change the young man’s life forever.

When the battle ensues, Billy knows he is on his own. Billy gathers himself and leads a charge on the enemy, immediately garnering the respect of his peers. This is not lost on the commander in charge, General Daniel Morgan who hand delivers a fresh assignment for the young man in addition to a battlefield promotion to Lieutenant. His new mission is to deliver supplies gathered from the dead forty miles away to Fletcher’s Mill. Billy knows this will be a difficult journey as danger lies around every corner.

Ira Fletcher, who inherited the family business owns Fletcher’s Mill. Ira leaves much of the operations to his trusted and controversially freed slave Zeke. But Zeke has been secretly providing aid to the continental forces by storing and shipping supplies from the property. Unannounced, a small Royal Army contingent arrives at the mill demanding all provisions be surrendered over. This causes a disturbance and Ira is certain there will be repercussions to pay.

On the way to Fletcher’s Mill, Billy and his men encounter several life-threatening skirmishes. After overcoming multiple obstacles they arrive at the destination and immediately prepare for the battle, as the British are right on the trail. When the heavily reinforced British troops arrive at Fletcher’s Mill there is a deadly battle. Ira and Billy team up and have to rescue Elizabeth, Ira’s granddaughter. When they are close to being overrun by the British, Ira has no choice but to blow the entire mill. The Fletchers and Billy barely escape with their lives. With his mission complete, Billy wants nothing more than to stay hand-in-hand with Elizabeth.

About The Author

David Caringer was born in Chicago in 1957. He grew up with two older brothers and a younger sister. Their father was a minister. Their mother was a sweet and saintly lady of the church. He finished High School in 1975 and joined the US Army to become an infantry paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. Far from home and family, he turned quickly away from his strong moral upbringing and became involved in the hedonistic lifestyle of sex drugs and rock & roll that was prevalent in the post-Vietnam army of the 1970's. This time was full of true humor and stark terror. Living a desperate double life, he was involved in grand adventures and senseless tragedies over a period of nearly thirty years. He was educated more fully on the street than in the numerous military and civilian schools he attended. His professional resume includes paratrooper, police officer, army officer, private investigator, Chaplain, and more. His tragic lifestyle of rebellion against all that he learned as a child provides a dark description of a man full of rage, loneliness, and selfish pride. Thankfully, his story does not end there. In January of 2003, during a time of desperate trouble, he finally came to the end of himself and found redemption in and through Jesus Christ.