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Description
January, 1778: New York City

Oi barmaid! A pint 'a ale, if you please!

Now don't ya look at me like that, madam! Wot? Ain't ye papists suppost'a be looser with the stuff than us churchmen? Or else me minister back home's been lyin' to me this whole time... Besides, after the things I've seen, ye'll understand just why I be needin' it!

Ah, thankee love.

Anyhow, ye'll be wantin' ta know of the ambush, aye? 'Twas the only survivor, I was...nasty business, very nasty...pardon, madam. Me nerves been shot ever since. 'Twas but a week ago, and me detachment and I were to escort a convoy headed for the front with some fresh supplies. Damn cold it was, nigh froze me bollocks off. Pardon, madam; been too long out with the men.

As I were sayin' we were escorting supplies to the gen'ral out there. Now we'd all heard tell o' that demon Frenchman who supposedly came over with that damned Lafayette. 'Twas a deadly force, they said; strikin' without no warning or nothin', wipin' out whole battalions on 'is lonenome, etin' the blood an' flesh an' 'arts o' the dead, all. Even Washington's a-scared o' 'im they say, but he keep 'im 'round 'cause he knows how 'ta kill. God's truth, madam, we seen 'im; we seen 'im right proper...

'Twas when we were about 'ta cross over inta Pennsylvania. I was near the rear of the column, marchin' an' chattin' with me mate Robbie, just a-chewin' the fat like we always do 'ta pass the time. All of a sudden; the men near the front 'o the column start a-shoutin' an' shootin'. 'Tis an ambush, I think, and get me rifle at the ready. I run o'er in front 'o the waggon, and they're all dead, blood everywhere wit nary a trace of an attacker.

'Twas then we men at the rear were gettin' all scared-like, pointin' our rifles every which way; 'twas no way, o' knowin' which way this attacker was. I saw a bit o' movement off to me left, a mere flicker of white 'an red between the barren, snow-covered trees.

Beg your pardon, madam...'tis difficult 'ta go on...aye, 'tis...

Just gimme a moment 'ta stop shudderin' so.

There...See, 'tis good for somethin' this ale. Ye'd do well 'ta try some yerself after ya hear what ya might hafta face.

'E got poor Robbie clean through the neck. Took 'is 'ead clean off 'e did. Slashed open the leftannant easy as cuttin' a slab a beef. Blood was everywhere. I dropped me rifle 'an ran like 'ell, but I didn't get far. 'Fore I knew it, 'twas facedown in the snow, a tremendous weight on me back, a strong, booted food 'twas holdin' me in place.

Oh madam! I still 'ave the worst dreams 'bout it! Sorry, sorry, me poor nerves are actin' up again...

So I'm rolled over 'an I see the most terrible sight 'a towrin' o'er me. 'Twas that very Frenchman and no other. 'E took that entire convoy and all me unit all by his loneson 'e did. 'Twas a quite tall man, a good six foot or so.

'Twas very elegant-lookin' with a thin, sculpted-like face. 'E wore the trappins of a Frech officer an' carried two knives, which were a-drippin' with blood. Then ya know what 'e did? In full sight 'o me an' all? 'E walked over to the leftennant, carved open 'is chest, an' ate 'is 'art! Honest 'ta Gawd madam! 'is bleedin' 'eart! So 'e looked over at me, 'is mouth all bloody, an 'is chin a-drippin. 'Twas as if I were a-starin' at a fiend from 'ell itself!

'E says 'ta me, 'e says...Oh, I cannot, madam, I cannot! I see 'im a loomin' o'er me, an Robbie's bloody 'ead...'an...'an...

Ah, thankee, madam, yer too kind. Aye; 'twill prevent more 'o this I'm sure...Thankee. Aye, please do so, 'ta every saint ya know, I don't give two shites, who'er can 'elp. I'm past all 'o that anyhow and 'twas never that pious.

But as I was sayin', 'e tells me 'e'll let me live so that I might take a message to old Cornwallis 'an the others. That 'e'd slaughter any sort 'o force ye'd send after 'im. 'E continued to eat the dead, munchin' on their flesh 'an drinkin' their blood all savage-like. 'E seems to forget 'twas me standin' there. I made a break for it 'an somehow managed to make it back 'ere.

I told the tale 'ta my superiors and they 'ere quite innerested, ya understand. Then, they tell me 'ta tell you so as ya can keep an eye out for 'im in case them rebels also use 'im for spyin' an the like. They tell me 'yer one 'o their best spies. Well, ye'd best hope 'e don't catch 'ya unawares. Aye...

Thankee at any rate, 'twould mean a lot. Nice 'ta get this off me chest again. God bless 'ya too, madam.

Description
January, 1778: New York City

Oi barmaid! A pint 'a ale, if you please!

Now don't ya look at me like that, madam! Wot? Ain't ye papists suppost'a be looser with the stuff than us churchmen? Or else me minister back home's been lyin' to me this whole time... Besides, after the things I've seen, ye'll understand just why I be needin' it!

Ah, thankee love.

Anyhow, ye'll be wantin' ta know of the ambush, aye? 'Twas the only survivor, I was...nasty business, very nasty...pardon, madam. Me nerves been shot ever since. 'Twas but a week ago, and me detachment and I were to escort a convoy headed for the front with some fresh supplies. Damn cold it was, nigh froze me bollocks off. Pardon, madam; been too long out with the men.

As I were sayin' we were escorting supplies to the gen'ral out there. Now we'd all heard tell o' that demon Frenchman who supposedly came over with that damned Lafayette. 'Twas a deadly force, they said; strikin' without no warning or nothin', wipin' out whole battalions on 'is lonenome, etin' the blood an' flesh an' 'arts o' the dead, all. Even Washington's a-scared o' 'im they say, but he keep 'im 'round 'cause he knows how 'ta kill. God's truth, madam, we seen 'im; we seen 'im right proper...

'Twas when we were about 'ta cross over inta Pennsylvania. I was near the rear of the column, marchin' an' chattin' with me mate Robbie, just a-chewin' the fat like we always do 'ta pass the time. All of a sudden; the men near the front 'o the column start a-shoutin' an' shootin'. 'Tis an ambush, I think, and get me rifle at the ready. I run o'er in front 'o the waggon, and they're all dead, blood everywhere wit nary a trace of an attacker.

'Twas then we men at the rear were gettin' all scared-like, pointin' our rifles every which way; 'twas no way, o' knowin' which way this attacker was. I saw a bit o' movement off to me left, a mere flicker of white 'an red between the barren, snow-covered trees.

Beg your pardon, madam...'tis difficult 'ta go on...aye, 'tis...

Just gimme a moment 'ta stop shudderin' so.

There...See, 'tis good for somethin' this ale. Ye'd do well 'ta try some yerself after ya hear what ya might hafta face.

'E got poor Robbie clean through the neck. Took 'is 'ead clean off 'e did. Slashed open the leftannant easy as cuttin' a slab a beef. Blood was everywhere. I dropped me rifle 'an ran like 'ell, but I didn't get far. 'Fore I knew it, 'twas facedown in the snow, a tremendous weight on me back, a strong, booted food 'twas holdin' me in place.

Oh madam! I still 'ave the worst dreams 'bout it! Sorry, sorry, me poor nerves are actin' up again...

So I'm rolled over 'an I see the most terrible sight 'a towrin' o'er me. 'Twas that very Frenchman and no other. 'E took that entire convoy and all me unit all by his loneson 'e did. 'Twas a quite tall man, a good six foot or so.

'Twas very elegant-lookin' with a thin, sculpted-like face. 'E wore the trappins of a Frech officer an' carried two knives, which were a-drippin' with blood. Then ya know what 'e did? In full sight 'o me an' all? 'E walked over to the leftennant, carved open 'is chest, an' ate 'is 'art! Honest 'ta Gawd madam! 'is bleedin' 'eart! So 'e looked over at me, 'is mouth all bloody, an 'is chin a-drippin. 'Twas as if I were a-starin' at a fiend from 'ell itself!

'E says 'ta me, 'e says...Oh, I cannot, madam, I cannot! I see 'im a loomin' o'er me, an Robbie's bloody 'ead...'an...'an...

Ah, thankee, madam, yer too kind. Aye; 'twill prevent more 'o this I'm sure...Thankee. Aye, please do so, 'ta every saint ya know, I don't give two shites, who'er can 'elp. I'm past all 'o that anyhow and 'twas never that pious.

But as I was sayin', 'e tells me 'e'll let me live so that I might take a message to old Cornwallis 'an the others. That 'e'd slaughter any sort 'o force ye'd send after 'im. 'E continued to eat the dead, munchin' on their flesh 'an drinkin' their blood all savage-like. 'E seems to forget 'twas me standin' there. I made a break for it 'an somehow managed to make it back 'ere.

I told the tale 'ta my superiors and they 'ere quite innerested, ya understand. Then, they tell me 'ta tell you so as ya can keep an eye out for 'im in case them rebels also use 'im for spyin' an the like. They tell me 'yer one 'o their best spies. Well, ye'd best hope 'e don't catch 'ya unawares. Aye...

Thankee at any rate, 'twould mean a lot. Nice 'ta get this off me chest again. God bless 'ya too, madam.