When Charles arrived in Boston, it was already April 1776. The entire novel website.
Since Boston was taken without firing a single shot, the city's buildings were not significantly damaged. Charles finally got to experience the charm of a port city from the Age of Exploration.
Unfortunately, what met his eyes was not the magnificent sight of a thousand sails standing side by side; the few scattered sailing ships made the harbor appear somewhat desolate.
In theory, the shipbuilding and naval power of the Thirteen Colonies in America were quite strong, but that was only reflected in merchant ships. Before the war with Britain began, America already possessed over six hundred merchant ships, and it was also the largest manufacturing hub for merchant ships at the time. Unfortunately, they had no experience in building warships. Even if they could build them, the entirety of America couldn't muster a few naval officers with experience in commanding warships.
Although the Continental Congress had decided to establish a navy and had made relevant arrangements, those few armed merchant ships were inferior to even broken merchant ships. No matter how numerous they were, they clearly couldn't secure America's maritime borders.
Therefore, the harbor he saw at this time only had a handful of dilapidated ships. American waters were completely blockaded by the British army, so the port couldn't operate in the short term, which greatly disappointed Charles, who was eager to bring in skilled workers and advanced machinery from Britain.
Knowing that the Continental Congress Representatives were coming, Continental army Commander-in-Chief Washington personally led his subordinates and foreign advisors to the entrance of the military camp to welcome Charles and his entourage.
The first time Charles saw this widely revered general, he felt a strong sense of familiarity. It wasn't just because of the one-dollar face he often saw before, but because there was something about him that didn't make people feel repulsed. His expression was gentle, but there was little smile on his face. His simple attire and straightforward movements made him seem like a very ordinary elder next door.
Standing one meter eighty-eight tall, with a few scars on his face left by smallpox, wearing a tricorn hat and a plain yellowish-green Continental army uniform, this middle-aged man, who looked much like an ordinary soldier, was George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the American Continental army.
"Hello, Your Excellency Godfrey, esteemed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental army!" Charles' greeting was a very American-style handshake.
"Hello, esteemed Continental Congress Representative!" General Washington's reply was also very formal and did not differ due to Charles' youth.
"Your Excellency Godfrey, congratulations on liberating Boston! Boston cheers for your actions, the Continental Congress cheers for your actions, and all of America cheers for your actions! The Continental Congress specifically ordered me to Boston to commend Your Excellency Godfrey and our brave Continental army soldiers."
"Thank you! That is the credit of all Continental army officers and soldiers." Washington's speech was indeed as concise as described in his biography.
However, there's a good saying: eloquence is silver, silence is gold. As a superior, his few words, on the contrary, drew more attention to each statement. As for eloquence, soldiers don't actually need it; victory on the battlefield is enough to explain everything about a soldier.
Of course, Charles, knowing history, understood that Washington's current reticence brought him many benefits. When he became president, his silent endurance, however, often made him taste the bitterness of suppression.
Not knowing that refuting is a way of venting, the poor old general, who was devoted to his country, eventually didn't serve as president not because he no longer wanted to serve his compatriots, but because he couldn't stand the attackers' gossip and preferred to return to Mount Vernon to live out his golden years in peace.
After the pleasantries, Charles, in front of the welcoming crowd, represented the Continental Congress and announced the conferment of the title "Liberator of Boston" upon General Washington. He then symbolically read out some commendations for officers and specifically expressed the Continental Congress' gratitude to several volunteer advisors from France and Prussia.
The American Revolutionary war, though described as a conflict between Americans and the British, actually saw America receive strong unofficial and official support from other powerful European nations.
France, needless to say, provided both popular and official backing. Even Prussia, while allowing mercenaries to aid Britain in its campaign of plunder in America, also permitted retired officers to serve as army instructors in the Continental army.
The Continental Congress and the Americans highly valued these foreigners, so they were specifically included in this commendation. As for the rewards for ordinary soldiers, that was left to Washington to manage.
Amidst the cheers of the officers and soldiers outside, Charles and his entourage, led by Washington and other generals, arrived at the reception hall.
"Your Excellency Godfrey, does the Continental Congress have any instructions for the next course of action?"
As soon as they sat down, Washington, without any pleasantries, directly asked Charles for the Continental Congress' orders.
Charles, of course, would not object to Washington's direct questioning. He simply smiled and replied:
"Your Excellency Godfrey, the Continental Congress has made no changes to granting Your Excellency Godfrey full command over specific military actions. However, regarding the actions to be taken next, the Continental Congress has only one suggestion: it hopes that after Your Excellency Godfrey has handled matters in Boston, he will be able to send troops to defend New York, to protect America's most prosperous city, and also America's facade."
There were not many British army troops stationed in New York, so the governor of New York, appointed by the British king, had already been driven to sea by the people of the Colonies. But as one of the wealthiest cities, defense by only a few militias was clearly insufficient.
Washington showed no surprise upon hearing this order. He simply nodded and continued:
"General Howe's retreat from Boston was much faster than I imagined, but this also meant his forces did not suffer significant losses. I am concerned that General Howe might lead his fleet to New York Harbor.
After occupying Boston, I immediately dispatched a portion of the army to reinforce New York's defenses. It is unquestionable that the British army will attack New York; the question is how the Continental Congress expects us, the Continental army, to defend New York?"
A smile appeared on Charles' face, knowing that Washington was asking about the extent to which New York should be defended.
Unfortunately, Charles' timid suggestion at the time was quickly drowned out by the opinions of other representatives. Now, hearing Washington ask how to defend, he could only say with a wry smile:
"Although I personally raised objections, the Continental Congress' final vote decided: defend New York City at all costs."
Hearing such an order, Washington couldn't help but frown slightly, and the generals beside him buzzed with murmurs. However, like the representatives in the Continental Congress, some agreed with defending to the death, while others opposed it.
After listening to the generals' remarks, Charles quickly concluded that few of these generals were truly military talents, because those who agreed merely said there was no need to fear the British army, while those who opposed essentially only spoke of the British army's great strength. No one considered the British Navy's landing advantage.
"Your Excellency Godfrey! The British army has naval superiority and can choose to land at any time, at any location. Most likely, they will appear on our undefended rear or flanks. New York City's coastal batteries are probably insufficient to defend New York comprehensively, so a British landing is inevitable.
Furthermore, our forces are insufficient, and similarly, we lack the ability to launch a quick counterattack after the British army lands. Once the British army establishes a foothold on land, it will be even more difficult for us to defeat them.
My personal opinion is that at that time, maintaining our army's fighting strength should be the priority. As long as we can inflict sufficient casualties on the British army, we can honorably withdraw from New York City." Charles, wanting to leave a good impression on Washington and also to remind the generals, couldn't help but voice his opinion.
He did not directly say that as soon as the British army landed, the Continental army could only suffer defeat, which was already being very considerate of the Continental army's reputation. As for whether Washington would understand his words, he was not worried. If Washington was someone who couldn't even understand such common sense, then he wouldn't have been able to lead the Continental army to victory in the war of Independence.
However, his remarks about an honorable withdrawal were clearly not suitable for public discussion, and someone immediately retorted:
"The British army's combat power is not strong. We haven't even fought yet, so how can we consider retreating already?"
"Exactly! For freedom, we swear to live and die with New York City."
If it weren't for Charles' status as a Continental Congress Representative, some radical soldiers might have even cursed Charles for being cowardly.
Fortunately, Washington, hearing his subordinates' words, immediately waved his hand and shouted:
"Gentlemen, you are speaking to an honorable Continental Congress Representative. Please mind your manners and your positions."
Then he turned to Charles and apologized:
"Your Excellency Godfrey! I am very sorry for the disrespect of my generals. I will abide by the Continental Congress' decision, and I personally genuinely find your opinion very insightful.
Please forgive my presumption, but I am very curious, how did you come to consider those aspects? That is, the time and spatial advantages of a naval attack. You know, many of my subordinates who have been fighting for years may not even know the military knowledge you just mentioned."
"Haha! Your Excellency Godfrey, you are too modest. I merely studied at the French Artillery Academy and know some military common sense. As for specific combat, I am not proficient," Charles said, both pleased and regretful.
He was pleased that he had successfully attracted the attention of Washington and others, but regretted that Washington ultimately decided to defend New York City to the death.
In fact, Washington had not received formal military education, but his two half-brothers, Lawrence and Augustine, were both from the regular army. Lawrence graduated from a regular British school and served in the royal Navy, while Augustine served as an officer in an infantry regiment commanded by a British admiral and participated in the war of Jenkins' Ear.
Although Washington himself did not have a formal military academy life, he was influenced by it from a young age, and coupled with many years of military experience later, he became a commander with very rich military theory and practical experience.
To know it is an impossible mission, yet have to obey orders and continue to execute it, this is what a soldier does.
Washington no longer wanted to discuss defense issues and instead inquired about the logistics and supplies.
The Continental army was not a standing national defense force; it was only a temporarily recruited army, and its source of troops was very unstable. There were retired soldiers, militiamen, and even ordinary citizens, and in the mid-to-late period, there were also a large number of foreign volunteers.
After the war of Independence began, revolutionaries from France, Prussia, Britain, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, and Hungary successively came to America to participate in the war against Britain. In particular, the French bourgeois revolutionary, Lafayette, personally funded the purchase and equipping of a ship, led some volunteers, and traveled across the ocean, arriving in America in June 1777.
He was granted the rank of Major General and served as Washington's aide-de-camp. However, apart from a few sporadic revolutionaries who were already helping the Continental army train, many were still en route, and more had not yet received the news, so the main body was still the original American militia and Americans who had served in the British army.
The Continental Congress stipulated that the service period for Americans was only one year. Many people were discharged and returned home after their service expired before they even had time for formal training, making it difficult to improve the combat effectiveness of the army.
The Continental army commanded by Washington had a maximum of over 20,000 people and a minimum of less than 4,000 people. Logistics support has always been an "old, big, and difficult" problem. The army had no fixed supply regulations to follow, and every time Washington requested replenishment of supplies, it was as difficult as begging the state assemblies.
He had also repeatedly suggested to the Continental Congress that a regular standing national defense force be established as soon as possible. However, radical members of the Continental Congress leadership, such as Samuel Adams and John Adams, firmly opposed the establishment of a powerful centralized government and opposed the establishment of a standing army.
They pursued democracy and freedom, believing that centralized politics and massive military spending would lead to dictatorship and autocracy, and feared that powerful figures like Washington would monopolize military power. Being a leader in America was actually very difficult.
After capturing Boston this time, many Continental army soldiers whose service terms had expired believed that the battle had been won and they could return home to live a stable life. Washington then wrote to the Continental Congress again, requesting that these soldiers be paid their overdue wages and that a standing army be established.
For the victors, the Continental Congress would naturally not lose face, so it was finally decided to appropriate funds for wages. Charles, who came to commend the troops, also brought a large amount of food and clothing as a reward for the army's victory. However, the issue of a standing army was still a huge controversy and was ultimately rejected.
After the formal meeting, Charles also attended the dinner hosted by Washington that evening to welcome the Continental Congress delegation. This time, he saw not only soldiers but also a large number of Boston gentry and prominent British merchants, and even radical revolutionaries.
Boston was the cradle of the American war of Independence. Although the first shot was fired in Lexington, the real struggle began with the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre. The most radical "Sons of Liberty" society regarded this place as a holy land of revolution.
Charles was not interested in those so-called revolutionaries. During the ball after the dinner, he tried his best to find those prominent British merchants in Boston.
Because he had been in America for so long, Charles had not had a single cup of tea.
Ever since the British imposed a tea tax, America began a large-scale boycott of tea. Before the Tea Party incident, there was a Boston Tea Party that often held gatherings and parades.
Tea lovers would rather give up drinking tea and switch to coffee and other substitutes, or declare a halt to tea drinking, and propose that anyone who hid, loaded, unloaded, sold, or bought tea for British merchants should be regarded as a public enemy. As for the Boston Tea Party and the subsequent massacre, the boycott of British tea has never been declared stopped.
And then, as America and Britain went to war, tea naturally became even scarcer. Now, tea throughout America is very rare. Charles didn't feel much when he first arrived, but when he was occasionally lonely, he would easily want to brew a cup of tea and smoke a cigarette.
Unfortunately, America has good tobacco, but no accompanying tea. Smoking without tea is very draining. In Philadelphia, he only heard of one place that had tea, but he didn't hear of any place selling tea leaves. This time, coming to the original main import area for tea, he naturally had the idea of buying some tea leaves.
At this time, America had officially gone to war with Britain, and British merchant ships could not enter. There was no longer any talk of "public enemy" for buying and selling tea, but it was obviously not suitable for public transactions. However, the tea Charles needed was quickly guaranteed during a conversation with some Boston British merchants who came over.
"Esteemed Continental Congress Representatives, we actually have some requests to convey to you." After guaranteeing the supply of tea, these British merchants immediately began to make demands.
"Oh? Haha! gentlemen, please rest assured, as long as they are legitimate requests, the Continental Congress is willing to help you unconditionally."
These British merchants were mainly engaged in maritime trade. Now, due to the British army's blockade, their interests were greatly harmed, and their purpose in lobbying Charles this time was very obvious.
"Your Excellency, the British army is now blockading the harbors. Any ship from our American Colonies is detained. We believe that the Continental Congress should strengthen naval construction and break the British army's blockade as soon as possible to give us a peaceful business environment."
"Now that the trade routes are cut off by the British army, many European goods cannot come in. Luxury consumables like tea are becoming increasingly scarce. If no action is taken, many things will run out of stock."
These British merchants were both pleading and enticing, doing their best to lobby Charles.
Charles listened carefully to all their suggestions, but his answers were more in a modern, official style, along the lines of "we will consider your opinions," and "the Continental Congress is already studying corresponding countermeasures."
At this time, the bureaucracy of American parliaments and governments was not yet heavy, but class distinctions were still quite obvious. Charles' calm but non-committal replies naturally made these prominent British merchants both pleased and nervous.
Many secretly sent over many rare items after the dinner, including ready-made tea and even a small bag of tea seeds. Charles estimated that this bag of tea seeds could grow dozens of tea trees, and in the future, picking and processing the tea might yield a few ounces of good tea.
Charles stayed in Boston for a few days. Besides spending a small amount of time doing business with Boston British merchants and buying some things that could not be bought in Philadelphia, he was busy building good relationships with the officers and soldiers of the Continental army.
Although he already knew that this Continental army would be disbanded immediately after the victory of the war of Independence, Charles believed that there should be a regular armed force after independence, and he also planned to persuade Washington, Jefferson, and others to support his opinion, so he was very actively befriending these excellent officers and soldiers. Today they were still soldiers, but after the victory of the war of Independence, they might very well be generals.
Charles majored in tourism in the 21st century, and he could talk eloquently. These Continental army soldiers, apart from some who joined for salary, many joined out of national need, leaving their families behind.
They were easily attracted by Charles' inflammatory speeches. However, due to Charles' age, they could not worship Charles as a spiritual mentor. At most, they felt that Charles was indeed a visionary and passionate young man, which eliminated the impact of his previous dignified retreat remarks.
When returning to Philadelphia, Washington personally rode a horse to send Charles and his party off.
These days, conversations and communications with Washington also took up a lot of Charles' time. If this respectable General had not been busy preparing to send troops to New York, the time they spent together might have been even longer.
"Charles, thank you again for your visit! And of course, thank you for the medicine you bought for the Continental army."
"Hehe... Well, that's my personal thanks to the Continental army." Charles laughed awkwardly.
This time, not many people in the Continental army were injured, but there were still casualties from previous sporadic skirmishes. The penicillin pills brought by Phil last time yielded very funny results. Most of the injured had no reaction, and those who did had more adverse reactions than positive ones.
This medicine was even called "Devil Little Pills" by the several soldiers whose conditions worsened. However, one person miraculously recovered quickly and was called "Lucky Little Pill" by the recovering soldiers.
Penicillin is most effective when administered intravenously. Charles certainly knew about intravenous injections, but he did not know that oral penicillin and his penicillin mold were different in nature. His pills actually worked as a dough ball.
Knowing the adverse effects, Charles did not dare to neglect and immediately bought another batch of medicine in Boston. Most of it was given to the Continental army, and a small portion was prepared to be taken back to Philadelphia, to let the chemist Kiel try to see if it could be manufactured or purified.
Charles naturally couldn't push his medicine too hard, realizing the effect wasn't what he expected. This medicine, whether in the 21st century or when it was first invented in the 20th century, couldn't be considered a truly effective drug.
Because the medicine wasn't very effective, Charles donated a large quantity of readily available market medicines to the Continental army. However, Washington immediately stated that even if it was a free donation, the price should be clearly negotiated and recorded as an official donation amount, counting towards the merits of the war against the British.
"General! I heard that you and Lady Martha also frequently donate food and supplies to the Continental army without counting them as merits?" Charles felt a bit embarrassed to use the medicine as a favor.
"This cannot be compared. Such a large-scale donation from you would definitely rank among the top donors in all of America! Moreover, you previously donated some of those small green pills. Food and other supplies can be bought anywhere, but the medicine you donated is very effective for a small number of wounded, and only you can produce it. It is much more precious than what I donate," Washington said very solemnly.
Charles, thinking those small green pills were useless, casually handed them over to the quartermaster to dispose of. However, the quartermaster believed that this medicine had at least cured one patient, and thus regarded Charles' action as a donation.
Hearing Washington say this, Charles realized that these pills, which he considered not to be real medicine, were actually regarded as normal medicine in this era. He had initially wanted to get rich through this medicine, so he always judged its effectiveness by 21st-century standards.
However, he completely forgot that it was still the 18th century, and the most popular treatment method in Europe at that time was bloodletting. Western medicine before this was mainly physiology, such as the anatomical physiology of Harvey and others. True pharmacology and clinical medicine were not established until the mid-19th century.
Even the extraction of medicines from plants didn't begin until the early 19th century, and the synthesis of aspirin wouldn't happen until the late 19th century. Many of the medicines used now, apart from some special ones, had effects similar to Charles' small green pills.
Charles' small pills were initially accepted like natives' shamanic medicine, a gamble for life—win, and you live; lose, and you die. When a soldier faced death, even something completely ineffective, many would be willing to believe in it, let alone a medicine that might have some effect.
In an era where even basic battlefield first aid was unclear, how could you expect doctors to have effective medicine? And most importantly, for a soldier, for a General, any medicine that could potentially save a soldier's life was invaluable. Washington's gratitude to Charles was not just for those few small pills.
Charles realized this and suddenly made a very impulsive decision.
"General! The effects of these small pills haven't been fully developed yet, but I will have people work hard to research and improve them. Before that, I hope this less effective medicine will be given to the wounded on a voluntary basis.
I estimate that in a few months, I will be able to formulate a more effective medicine, but my only condition for the new medicine is that all wounded from both warring parties who wish to take it can receive my medicine, and I will only charge one penny per dose!"
Hearing Charles' suggestion, Washington and the Generals' expressions brightened. At this time, the Continental army had not yet completely broken ties with the British army, and even during combat, the animosity was not very deep.
Hearing this suggestion to treat the wounded from both sides, they had no aversion, merely thinking that although Charles was young and passionate, he was indeed a broad-minded individual. As for the one-penny charge Charles mentioned to cover costs, they naturally assumed it was a symbolic fee, far from enough to cover the actual medical expenses.
"On behalf of all soldiers, I salute you, Charles!" Washington solemnly saluted Charles.
Behind him, the other officers and soldiers also saluted Charles in unison.
Although they were not injured at the moment, and it seemed unlikely they would be, Charles' benevolent act would still bring them immense help, so they sincerely and genuinely saluted Charles in gratitude.
Charles also accepted the salute calmly.
He found that after arriving in this era, whether influenced by the original personality of past Charles or not, he had become much more impulsive. For example, the decision he just made, thinking about it now, he knew it would be a big trouble.
Although there were benefits, at least it would bring him immense prestige, but those were intangible, while the troublesome work was something that needed to be started immediately. What pained Charles the most was that making penicillin to sell for money was the very first sum he wanted to earn, so why did he impulsively give it away for free this time?
His heart was filled with regret again, so he had to change the subject to distract himself.
"General! Now that the Battle of Boston has been won, the people of the Colonies should further consider their relationship with Britain. Before I came to Boston, there were already voices in the Continental Congress expressing a desire for independence.
Although the Continental Congress has not officially discussed this issue, nor has it sought your opinion, I personally would still presumptuously like to ask, what is your stance on this matter?"
"My stance?" Washington hesitated for a moment, not answering immediately.
Charles thought this was a very easy question to answer, so he was surprised that Washington still hesitated, and immediately felt a little nervous, wondering if Washington was actually against independence.
Seeing Charles' expression change slightly, Washington immediately smiled.
"Charles! If anyone else asked me, I would unequivocally say that for the benefit of the people of the Colonies, I support independence. Now that you ask me, I still believe we should be independent, but I also have some other things to say."
"Please speak freely, I will not repeat today's conversation to a third person," Charles whispered.
"Actually, it doesn't matter if others hear this. Because as a American, under the current circumstances, I undoubtedly support independence. But to be honest, for the sake of the soldiers, and in terms of the battlefield situation, I think the official announcement of independence is best made after a large-scale military victory.
Announcing independence immediately now will certainly make the British attack even more fiercely. Before, they would not harm civilians, but once we declare independence, I am afraid that both our soldiers and our civilians will have to endure the British army's retaliation, and allowing civilians to be affected by the war is absolutely unacceptable to me.
And to eliminate all this depends on the fighting of our Continental army, which invisibly adds enormous pressure on us!" Washington truly regarded Charles as a friend, speaking so much at once.
Charles even felt that Washington had just said everything that had been on his mind for days.
"Then why don't you oppose it? Considering military needs, the Continental Congress could postpone announcing independence," Charles asked doubtfully.
He had also noticed during this time that the people of the Colonies had very conflicting feelings towards Britain; they hated her, yet were unwilling to completely break with her. Many people, even while fighting Britain, would still refer to her as 'our Britain' or 'our British people.'
"Because independence is the need of three million Americans," Washington gave a very concise answer.
Seeing Charles stunned and not knowing what to say, Washington gently continued to explain:
"If we don't declare independence, we won't even know who we are fighting for, and who we are fighting against! You know, many soldiers talk about how many British army soldiers they defeated, and what happened to the British, but they fundamentally cannot distinguish who they are fighting against, and who they are fighting for.
Only by officially declaring independence and establishing our own country will we know what nationality we truly are! For this reason, no matter how difficult our war becomes, we must declare independence."
Charles nodded silently. Regardless of why America started fighting Britain, with the current internal situation of independence factions, neutral factions, and pro-British factions, it was impossible to concentrate forces to resist Britain. Only by truly declaring independence and breaking ties with Britain could they maximize their strength and fully confront Britain.
During these days, whether in Philadelphia or Boston, he had observed the people and events around him with a detached perspective. He didn't feel much enthusiasm for America's independence. When giving various radical and inflammatory speeches to the soldiers, it was entirely for his own self-interest that he catered to popular opinion and spoke of the path that had been proven correct in later generations.
At this moment, after hearing Washington's emotional words, combined with what he had seen and heard in recent days, he truly understood the heart of the Americans at this time—it was a very touching struggle.
Of course, understanding is one thing; it doesn't mean he would actively participate as an American. Due to practical reasons, he couldn't return to his own country, nor could he return to his original time and space, so he could only live in this country, in this time and space. However, he would not wholeheartedly devote himself to another country; a person can have two nationalities, but not two homelands.