Excerpt from Book 3 "Miles Knight:The Saboteur"

Chapter

2

General’s Orders

‘Captain Knight’

Brigadier General John Mead arrived on horseback the next day about noon. He was escorted by 4 mounted Cavalrymen; 1 in front of him, 2 at his sides and 1 behind him. Miles thought how splendid they looked in their uniforms with their gleaming sabres clinking and hanging from their belts

Miles and Bigg greeted him as he dismounted and stood before them. They could hardly believe how much John Mead had changed in appearance and manner. If they hadn’t known better they would have thought the fine looking officer before them had been a military man all his life. His bearing and deportment were impressive even as he smiled and reached to shake hands with them.

“How are you Miles and Bigg? I am happy to see you again.”

General Mead dismissed his protection detail and asked Bigg to show them where to make camp. Bigg escorted them down to the horse barn and on out to an area adjacent to Miles’ Unit 7 where they were accommodated the same as Unit 7. As the General’s men arrived at their bivouac area they were welcomed and assisted by the Blackguard Unit 7 members.

General Mead was shown to his room in Miles’ home. After freshening up he returned to the main room of the house adjacent to the kitchen where Miles served him a hot cup of coffee. John and Miles hugged each other. Miles stood back and eyed the General up and down saying, “Ah father, tis a stellar lookin’ General ya are!”

John thanked Miles and began to fill him in about things back on the Mead Plantation. Miles was relieved to know that Evelyn Mead had fully recovered from her dreadful experience with melancholy or low spirit, a few years earlier.

Of course John wanted to know the latest about his daughter Mary and his grandsons Jackie and James back at Shiloh Plantation in Georgia.

“Well father, Mary sends her love and wants ya to know that she is involved in nearly every aspect of our large plantation. She has taught all of our black servants and their children how to read and write. I can tell you proudly that our darlin’ Mary is capable of runnin’ the whole bl00min’ place without me. Why she has even learned about Indian fightin’ styles and how to make the weapons they use.”

John asked, “Is she happy son? And how does she manage to take care of 2 children along with all the other things she is involved with?” “Aye sir she’s happy and she’s a brilliant minded woman as ya know, so she manages her time like a General would. We have 2 black servants Liz and Diane who adore the 2 boys, even spoilin’ them a bit too much. Mary’s a wonder ta me father; she reminds me so much of you, what with her military type mindset. I sometimes think she would make a fine officer in the Continental Army.

John followed with, “Well thank you son, I can’t express just how proud I am of you and Mary. You’ve done exceedingly well with this farm I bequeathed to you and now you’ve gone over and above that by purchasing another plantation. You make a formidable couple as you seem to work together in perfect harmony. I thank the Lord for the day you came into our lives son.” “Sir, we trust the Lord in all things and give him the credit for the bounty in our lives, but had ya not purchased that contract of mine back in ’67, I hate to think how difficult my life would’da been and I certainly would not have such a darlin’ wife and fine children. My cup runneth over.”

There was a knock at the door and Miles opened it to find Amber smiling shyly and ready to enter with a small serving cart loaded with a meal of hot cornbread, sliced ham, greens, yams and a pitcher of cider. The men stood back from the table and allowed Amber to place the food there, still steaming hot and smelling lovely. She said, “If you fine gentlemen need anythang else jes let me know.” Miles replied, “Tis a fine meal you’ve prepared, I believe we just need to bless it and eat … thank ya Miz Amber.”

General Mead and Captain Knight, after eating a good meal, cleared the table and proceeded to get into the military talks about the impending war.

John laid out a crude military map of the 13 colonies for references he would use to give Miles an overview of the happenings in all known areas of action.

Pointing out their approximate location there at the Knight Plantation John stated, “Alright Miles, we are here near Gastonia and here is Augusta from whence you came, for reference purposes. Miles you may have noticed many of the moods of the public. I imagine they show a lot of personal emotion, confusion and different opinions regarding the British occupiers where you have lived in Georgia. But there is consternation throughout the colonies.

Some folks are loyal to England and see nothing wrong with it, while others feel deep resentment due to the exasperating, debilitating taxes being imposed by the crown. Even the various Indian tribes are confused; with some siding with the British, some fighting for the Patriots, and still others hating all Europeans who have come to North America and swindled, lied and bullied their way into Indian lands and rights. One can certainly see their side of the argument.

Where there is confusion and lack of communication between the populace and the leadership of any upstart government then the coming together on a united front to defeat a tyrannical ruler like Great Britain is made almost impossible. Here in North Carolina there has been a concerted effort by the Continental Congress to keep the people informed about the happenings in North Carolina and throughout 12 of the 13 colonies; Georgia not yet prominently against the British.”

“We, in leadership positions in and out of the military, know that North Carolinians are on the cusp of overcoming the Southern Loyalist living among us. Our intelligence agents have learned that Royal Governor Josiah Martin ordered General Donald MacDonald and Lt. Colonel Donald McLeod to capture Brunswick Town. The British intend to recruit and muster as many southern loyalist militiamen as they can, to defeat our patriot fighters in the Wilmington area under Colonel James Moore. Colonel Moore’s Whigs or Patriots are even more determined to stop any movement by the British to retake North Carolina.

Your first mission will therefore require that you and your Unit 7 Blackguards proceed posthaste to contact Colonels James Moore, Alexander Lillington or Richard Caswell who are posted in the area of the Cape Fear River and Rock Creek. You will ascertain from Colonel Moore or his staff the possible routes the British could take to attack Moore’s positions. Colonel Moore has begun to set up blockades at different points of access to his defenses; the probable battle sites. Before you leave here in January I will have sent a secret dispatch to you via military runner. You will then know who your intelligence contacts will be in the areas of possible attacks. We feel, based on our spy agents’ reports, that it will probably take the Loyalists at least a month or more to recruit enough militiamen to go against the strong forces of Colonel Moore’s Patriots.”

“Miles I know who you are. I know your intelligence, your discretion, your leadership skills, your valor and your passion for justice and fair treatment. I therefore trust you implicitly as I charge you with the responsibility of representing the Patriot cause by disrupting any and all prosecutions that our enemy intends to bring against our precious ideals and military battles for independence from the tyrannical English Government.

All things being equal you are here and now authorized to pursue any actions you deem necessary to stall or stop the British efforts to succeed in forestalling future of total independence and freedom.”

Midmorning of the next day Miles invited General Mead and all who were interested, to observe the fighting skills of the Unit 7 Blackguards, former uneducated slaves, as they demonstrated their unique form of empty-hands, personal fighting:

Led by Sargent Milo Knight, the first demonstration involved the implementation of the ‘Blackfist’; a form of empty-hands fighting devised by the Black Shiloh Defense Force. This would be a friendly demonstration only, so Miles stepped onto the grassy area where his Unit 7 stood. A broadly smiling Captain Miles Knight walked and talked, following the circled audience and saying, “Ladies and Gentlemen, these black warriors have developed a uniquely ‘Blackguard’ style of fighting and we thought it would be entertainin’ to ya, but we require volunteers from among the audience; men who believe themselves to be able to whip most any man in hand to hand fighting. We promise not to hurt you … well, perhaps only your pride.”

There was muted laughter and a lot of turning to look at each other as the men in the audience wondered who would go first. Finally 3 of the General’s protection unit stepped forward, as did one other strapping young black man from the work force at Knight Plantation.

A 25 foot circle was scraped into the grass, marking the fighting area. Sargent Milo Knight stepped into the center of the ring and called for the first volunteer to come and defeat him with whatever style of fist-a-cuffs the challenger cared to use.

As Sargent Milo Knight looked on, a huge black man stepped forth into the ring, took off his shirt, and took a fighting stance, crouching slightly with bent knees. The man looked to be nothing but solid sinew and bulky muscles from his neck down to his ankles. His glistening skin could not hide the fine definition of sculpted muscles in his neck, shoulders, chest and stomach. Even the covered leg muscles showed that underneath the material of his pants the massive mounds of power in his thighs threatened to push through the fabric.

Milo stepped forward and shook hands with the magnificent specimen of a man and said, “What is yo name mistuh?” “Name is Ruben, Ruben Cola, and I believe I can whup ya Sargent,” The man said with a brood white smile. Milo followed with, “Well that’s just fine Mr. Cola, I admit you appear to be able to hurt an enemy real bad, but I still will allow you to strike first and I will try to keep you from hurting me.” Then he too smiled and took his stance by standing still with his legs slightly parted and his arms hanging loosely at his sides.

The combatants circled slowly, facing each other with eyes wide open, attentive to every possible move the opponent might make. Then Cola saw an opportunity to hit the left jaw of Milo and maybe knock him out cold, so he drew back his mighty right arm and stepped into an awesome looking round house punch.

One could hear some of the women in the crowd gasp as they thought surely Milo would go down hard with a broken jaw.

But Milo easily sidestepped the monstrous fist as it passed within a whisker of his face. He simultaneously eased himself underneath Rueben’s outstretched arm, squatted and using his own strong legs, immediately sprang upward with locked elbows and open palm heels, stiff-arming his hands into Rueben’s right armpit and under his shoulder. The action took advantage of Cola being outstretched in his strike and slightly off balance. When Milo sprang from underneath it lifted the magnificent man off his feet, up and to the left where he hit the ground on his back with a loud thud and an audible gasp and groan.

Ruben tried to roll his ponderous body over so that he could stand again but got only to his hands and knees, paused and gulped air into his lungs. Milo did not follow up with the normal immediate foot-strike to break the man’s exposed ribs but simply stood and waited for his opponent to rise again.

When he finally recovered his breathing Ruben stood up, wiped away the saliva from his chin and crouched for another attempt to conquer Milo. He drew back his big right arm and fist again as if to strike, but instead feinted and lowered his upper body, charging toward Milo’s waist area. Milo was once again ready and as Ruben bulled forward, Milo turned to his right and using Ruben’s own momentum, pushed down hard on the man’s back, causing him to hit the ground with whomp! His face skidded, uprooting the grass. It ended with Ruben’s face bruised and his hard hit nose bleeding profusely.

That was it for the first challenger because Rueben Cola was exhausted, battered and bleeding without Milo having hit him one single time. Milo walked over and helped Ruben to his feet and held Ruben’s arm up high, asking the crowd to applaud the game challenger. Ruben shook his head and laughed as he and Milo engaged in a manly hug. Everyone applauded.

The next demonstration was by Private Moses Knight of the Blackguard. Moses announced that this empty hands demonstration gives the challenger the advantage of a knife as his weapon. Sargent Noble, one of General Mead’s detail stepped forward with a battle knife in hand, waiting for the start of the match. He and Moses shook hands and called for the start. As both men circled, Sargent Noble juked back and forth with faux slashes and lunges, using the knife. Moses did not respond but kept his eyes focused on Noble’s eyes … finally Noble made his move with a wide slash from his right to his left aiming for Moses’ neck area. Moses avoided the knife and quickly but calmly moved into the right side of the body of his attacker, avoided a recoil strike by blocking Nobles’ right arm above the elbow while simultaneously grasping the right wrist that held the knife, wrenching Nobles’ arm down and away from their bodies. Moses then placed his foot behind the right foot of Nobles and forced him to the ground on his back. He quickly straddled the man’s waist twisting his wrist and causing the challenger to aim at his own heart with the knife still in his hand … Thus Noble surrendered, knowing he would have been doomed to die at his own hand.

As Sargent Noble lay on his back looking up at Moses, he had a resigned grin on his face as he shook his head in resignation of a superior technique by a superbly trained specialist. Moses extended his hand to help Nobles to his feet and they both hugged with big smiles.

Captain Miles Knight and General John Mead stepped into the fighters circle and John spoke aloud to everyone, “Captain Knight I offer my congratulations for this exceptional demonstration of self-defense and attack. I commend you for teaching these methods to your Unit.” Miles smiled and responded, “Thank ya General but the credit goes to these black warriors themselves because they worked hard and with great imagination on their own. They recalled some of the fighting methods from their African ancestors in the Mandinka Tribe, and then worked out many other moves through trial and error. Sargent Milo and these men devised this type of warfare totally without my knowledge.” Shaking his head in wonder the General mused, “Would that there could be some way for your Blackfists to teach these techniques to our entire Continental Army and Militias. Well done men!”

General Mead inducted Miles and his Blackguard Unit 7 before he left to return to Philadelphia … Signed and Sealed.