The drummer beat reveille well before day light this morning. And for a change, no one threatened to put him into his drum. We were on the road within an hour after the drum roll. Everyone is anxious to get home! No one had un-packed much last night. Some of the troops didn't even set up their tents. Fortunately, the weather is still warm.

We marched hard all day. At times, we teamsters had to trot our teams just to keep up with the troops. Now we are camped a little over five miles from home. Every piece of metal is being shined, everyone is brushing uniforms to remove the dust. The teamsters set up close to the stream in the pasture where we are camped, and all of our wagons have been scrubbed till they gleam. I have cleaned the forge, sorted and arranged all of the iron stock, and all of my tools are neatly arranged in my tool box. Robert has been doing the same thing.

We will get up early again tomorrow morning. The colonel says that we will slow march without the drums until we are at the edge of town. Then the drums will roll, the fifes will play and we will parade through town to the pasture where we mustered. There we will set up camp, and then be released to see our families. He has suggested that we stay near the camp for an hour or so, to show our families how we live when we are away from home. The regimental sergeant major called all of the sergeants aside and talked to us about an idea he had. We liked the idea so he will talk to the colonel and we will have a surprise for our officers and our families!

Robert and I have agreed to set up our wagon, just as it is in camp. We will open our tool boxes, arrange tools on our work tables, and I will set up the forge, anvil and vise, ready to light the fire. I've already checked every thing twice, but I believe I will do it again. I want my family to be proud of me. It seems almost strange to say "my family." But Master John, Mistress Prudence and my lovely Dorothea are as much my family as my mother and father were. In some ways, perhaps even more.

What a day this has been! The Colonel had ordered that the drums not be used to awaken us this morning. The guards woke the cooks up at their normal times. Then they awakened the officers who in turn woke the sergeants and the sergeants woke the troops. I didn't have to wake the teamsters, our guards woke us up when they woke up Cookie. We all got busy immediately. We washed, shaved and dressed. Most of us left our tunic and accouterments off until we had harnessed the teams and loaded the last bits into the wagons. Then we ate the breakfast that Cookie had ready for us. We waited until the last minute to finish dressing, we wanted to be as sharp as possible for the parade.

Finally, all was in readiness. The colonel told us that we would march in SILENCE until we were on the outskirts of town. Then he would halt the column for a very short time. Just long enough for us to dress our ranks. At his signal, the drums would roll, the fife's would play and on the fourth beat of the drum, we would march!

Even though today was my turn to drive, Robert decreed that THIS day I would NOT drive. And the other teamsters not only agreed with him, but ORDERED that our wagon should lead the wagon train, when we should have been fourth in line. I was instructed that I would sit beside my driver, musket between my knees and act like a proper sergeant. I had to laugh at them, they were so serious. But I decided that since they were so serious, I should do as they "asked."

We arrived in town about an hour after sunrise. At the first roll of the drums, people started coming from their houses and looking from their windows. Then the cheers started. I have never seen our people so joyful! I kept my face straight ahead as was proper, but my eyes were wandering.

I saw Master and Mistress standing at their gate with Dorothea, and I heard Master John say, "Look ladies, our Will has been made a Sergeant!"

When I heard him say "our Will," I almost cried, I was so proud. I had to bite my lip to control myself.

I saw Dorothea start to run toward the wagon, but Master John caught her by the arm, saying "NO! Not while they are in formation." But they all three walked as close as was safe beside us. Many other families were doing the same thing.

When we arrived at the muster ground, the gate was open. The colonel and his staff moved to the sides of the gate. The first sergeant of Company A (who also serves as the regimental sergeant major) moved to the colonel's position. The senior sergeant under him moved to the company commanders position for their company. As each company got to the gate, its officers stepped to the side. When the officers stepped aside, the first sergeant of each company moved to the company commander's position. As our wagon passed through the gate, I stood up on the wagon seat so that all of the drivers could see me. As the last wagon went through the gate, the officers stepped in front of the gate and formed a living barricade. When I saw for sure which way the troops were going to move, I signaled the drivers that we would circle around behind the troops. Robert turned our wagon and the rest followed. When we were centered behind the troops, we formed our circle. Then we kept the circle moving until our wagon was centered on the troops and I signaled the halt.

All of the drivers dismounted and un-hitched. We turned the teams into the circle, and ran the picket line around the inside of the wagons. Then we set up the wagon displays. The drivers of the company wagons had all talked together so that their displays would be as much alike as possible. Cookie immediately started setting up his area in front of our wagon. A couple of the teamsters came to help him with his table and "fly" as his canvas cover is called.

Robert and I dropped our tables from the sides of the wagon, opened our tool boxes, removed a few tools and arranged them neatly on our tables. Then I went back, lowered the tailgate, and pulled the forge out to where I normally work with it. I had no more than gotten the tailgate down when one of the teamsters grabbed my stump and put it in the same location with relation to the forge as I normally do. I reached for the anvil, and another teamster shouldered me out of the way saying, "I'll get that, sergeant. You stay clean."

While we were doing all of this, the troops were setting up their tents. As each group finished, they formed up in front of their area. The teamsters had decided to form up as a two squads in front of Robert's and my wagon.

When all was in readiness, the sergeant major looked the encampment over carefully and gave the command, "Regiment, DISMISSED!"

Not a man moved! The sergeant major nodded once, turned and asked the officers, "Sirs, please to open the gates!" The officers moved aside and allowed the town folk to enter.

That was the end of military decorum. I'm not sure who got to me first. But suddenly I was being hugged by two women and Master John was pounding me on the back. Then Mistress turned loose and Dorothea held me even tighter. I was a little embarrassed by all of the display, it was rather un-seemly. But as I looked around I saw that we were not the only family in arms.

Dorothea was laughing and crying at the same time. Mistress was also, and although Master John was not crying his eyes were suspiciously wet. Mine were too, for that matter.

Master John reached out and touched the sash around my waist. Then he looked at me and said, "Well done, son, very well done indeed!"

I had to hide my face in Dorothea's hair until I could get control of myself. When I had control, I looked at him and said, "Thank you, Father." Then I DID see a tear trickle down his cheek!

I finally got Dorothea to turn loose of me so I could show them the few changes that we had made in the wagon. I couldn't help but notice that Robert's new hammer was prominently displayed in the center of his table. Master John reached over and picked it up, looked at the touchmark on the head, hefted it in his hand a couple of times, then looked at me and just nodded. But it was a proud nod and I was a proud blacksmith. Then he carefully returned it to exactly where it had been.

All the troops were showing their families their tents and equipment. The other teamsters were showing their wagons to their families. I could not help but hear several comment, "Sergeant Will made the hinges and brackets, and Robert Carpenter made the storage boxes for us." When I heard one particularly loud comment, I looked at Robert and he was grinning as much as I was.

We were ready to leave when Colonel Callahan came over. I called the troops to attention and saluted. He returned my salute, smiled and said, "Give the men at ease, Sergeant! I want to show Master Schmidt and Master Carpenter my wagon." I gave the command to the troops but I almost wanted to hide.

Dorothea was having none of that. She was holding on to my arm anyway, and she almost dragged me along, following the colonel. Robert was trying to hang back too, but his mother wouldn't let him.

Colonel Callahan showed off his wagon like a child with a new toy. His teamster had opened the tailgate and raised the seat of the wagon to show the pavilion stored under there. I noticed Dorothea looking at some of the little scrolls I had done on the hinges of the cabinets and the desk, and tracing them with her finger. And I think I heard her whisper something about "SOME day."

We strolled through the company area, looking at the way everything was so neatly arranged. Master John told Colonel Callahan, "Sir, you have spent some time doing some good training. Our regiment is far better turned out than I expected."

Colonel Callahan replied, "I thank you Master John, but most of the training has been done by the sergeants. Sergeant Dunagen has done his share too. His teamsters are as well or better trained than any of the men in this regiment."

That got my arm an extra tight squeeze from Dorothea. I thanked the colonel and asked his permission to go home. He granted me permission, and we left. But I stopped by my wagon and got my musket from the seat. I would not leave that behind.

Some of the un-married men who were not from the immediate town had volunteered to remain on guard for the night and leave for their homes the next morning. One of the teamsters was in the group, so I did not have to worry about the wagons.

We walked home almost in silence, though Master John asked a couple of questions about how we arranged things, and how the "duty" had been at Boston. As we approached the church, I asked if we might stop for a minute. I had seen Father O'Reilly in the door of the church when we marched past, but he had not come to the muster ground.

Of course, the family agreed, and when we got to the church door, Father was there. He smiled and said, "Welcome home, Will. It is good to see you."

I looked for a place to put my musket, and Master John said, "I'll hold it and wait out here, if you wish, Will."

But Father said, "Of course not. Bring it inside. You stand in defense of our freedom of worship, and your weapon is not in-appropriate."

I went to the altar rail for a moment of silent prayer. Master and Mistress did also. Dorothea didn't let go of my arm until we knelt. And Father O'Reilly knelt with us. When I finished my prayers, I whispered to Dorothea that I would like to talk to Father. As I stood up I caught Father's eye and motioned with my head toward the rear of the church. He immediately stood and walked back up the aisle with me. When we got near the back, I asked if I could see him tomorrow. He said that of course I could and asked if I needed to go to confession. I answered that wasn't what I wanted to talk to him about, that could wait until Saturday night.

He grinned and said, "Good for you. Come by anytime."