Allison; Taking Control

Chapter 12

He at last gave up thinking about it during those early morning hours, finally realizing that he needed to take advantage of whatever little time remained before morning to try and sleep at least a little. He climbed back into bed, just as the cold began to encroach upon the room since a fire was no longer burning in the hearth. He shut his eyes and did everything he could to keep his overactive mind from working against his will - but it proved to be of no avail. It seemed he would never be able to take the advice of the quasi-omnipotent, all-knowing Mr. “H” no matter how hard he tried.

“Lieutenant Allison , I presume?” the naval officer called down from the saddle as he pulled the horse up short on the cobblestones.

“Indeed I am.”

The man dismounted and walked briskly into the pale glow of the lamplight where Allison could see his face. He touched his hat. “Lieutenant Henry Caldwell, sir.” After rendering the salute, he immediately gestured toward a group of porters who were riding up the street behind him on a small wagon. “These men will see to your belongings and your sea chest. Your temporary lodgings are just up the street in the same inn as my own.”

Caldwell turned toward the wagon which had stopped in front of the building and pointed out Allison ’s sea chest to two of the men who were just now climbing down from their seat. A third man jumped down from the back and sauntered up to Caldwell. He handed the reins of his horse to the man and the beast was walked away.

Allison gave a barely imperceptible but deeply heartfelt sigh of relief. Things, at last, were beginning to feel familiar!

The remainder of his journey had thankfully proceeded to its terminus without incident. After breakfast, owing to no effort on his own part, he found another coachman out in front of the inn waiting to transport him and his belongings - albeit disappointingly in the same uncomfortable carriage. The sight of the Delaware had produced in him a great wish for riverine travel, not only because of his natural and obvious affinity for all things nautical, but because he swore his bones could barely take any more punishment in that damned coach.

Discomfort notwithstanding, Allison did in fact get to the State House in Philadelphia on time, if not a bit early. The only drawback to the day’s journey had been recommencement of the rains which had started about three hours before getting to the city. Yet again they had blown rudely into the open windows of his carriage and were even now continuing to fall lightly as he waited in front of the Hall. The coachman had dropped him and his sea chest there near the main entrance and with a tip of his tricorne hat, he told Allison he had business elsewhere before promptly driving off. Allison suspected that his ‘business’ involved heading to a nearby tavern or ale-house, but he gave it no mind and waited patiently after the carriage left. At the time of Lieutenant Caldwell’s equestrian arrival, Allison could see by the large clock at the west end of the building that he had been there, getting drizzled upon, for about half an hour.

“Begging your pardon sir,” Caldwell said turning back to Allison , “but would you be averse to walking that short distance to the inn despite the rain? I am at liberty to discuss with you certain details about your new orders and there is something Admiral Lord Haig wants me to make you aware of immediately. I felt that a walk would give me good occasion to do just that.”

It was a strange request, but Allison thought nothing of it. He was already quite damp from the trip and from his wait, so a few more minutes in the rain would matter little. He was also glad to walk since he had spent so long sitting on that coach’s cursed hard wooden seats. It was only then, as he acquiesced, that the mention of Admiral Haig fully registered with him.

Haig... Haig had to be “H”, of course! So, why on earth would a flag officer want or need to communicate directly with him – much less meet him in person? As the two men walked along the street, his mind quickly started to overflow with questions for his fellow officer, but Caldwell managed to speak first.

“Well, sir, hopefully your trip from New York was without incident?”

“There were a few sticking-points, but in the end I seem to have made it here unscathed,” replied Allison as matter-of-factly as he could, though he was certainly not telling anything close to the whole story. He remembered what he had been told in the letters about not freely discussing his instructions with others. For some reason, even though Caldwell was clearly mentioned in one of the letters, he felt a bit of economy with actual facts at this juncture lent itself to proper discretion. His adventures over the past few days had left him sure of very little at this point in time.

“I see, sir.” Caldwell rejoined.

He had gathered, almost immediately, from the overtly respectful tone Caldwell had taken with him that it was Allison who was the senior officer and that Caldwell had been able to determine this beforehand. No doubt this was rather easily done due to him possibly being an aide or attaché on the Admiral’s staff. Regardless, from the slight smile Caldwell was wearing, Allison deduced that it gave him a measured degree of pleasure to be the one delivering said news and details, bad weather notwithstanding. As the already-loaded wagon now passed them by and the sound of the horses’ hooves clip-clopping on the cobblestones gradually faded away with the distance, Allison determined that his own questions could wait. Patiently, he allowed his companion to continue on with what the Admiral bid him say.

“Regarding the orders you will shortly receive, sir, I can tell you one thing straightaway. You will be requested and required to take command of one of His Majesty’s ships of war.”

The words left Allison thunderstruck. Command! Him? How on Earth could this possibly be true! He was a commoner and a colonial. He was a man with little to no important connections. He knew that his commission, though earned by virtue of passing his examination, had been delayed for a long time for just such reasons! He had performed his duties well and bravely, it was true, but he hardly thought something like a promotion to command of his own vessel would be so near at hand given all of those facts. Certainly he was glad to have it finally confirmed that his transfer was in no way a negative event, but this! How did he manage to attract the lofty attention of the Admiralty for this appointment?

It was at least a few seconds before he realized that he had stopped walking and was staring blankly up the dimly lit street as he processed the highly unexpected news. He saw that Caldwell had now stopped as well, three or four steps ahead, and had turned to face him, that smile of his still showing quite prominently.

“Command you say?” Allison finally managed to utter in what he almost immediately realized had come out in an uncharacteristically dull-witted tone.

“Indeed, sir” Caldwell replied, not appearing to notice. “You will take command of His Majesty’s ship of war Philadelphia, which it so happens is berthed here at the docks of its namesake.”

Allison was finally able to take a few more steps up the street, but he stopped when he drew even with Caldwell. Tired and rain-sodden, now even somewhat befuddled by this latest revelation, he feared he looked a sorry excuse for a naval officer at that moment. The rain was falling a bit harder now and a steady drip was falling from the front of his hat. He was beginning to feel something of a chill and he couldn’t help but slump a little as his fatigue steadily grew. He threw his head back and stared straight up into the falling drops before bringing it back level to eye his companion.

“I must say, Caldwell, this is more than unexpected.”

“The Admiral thought it might be,” he answered, “which is why he also thought giving you a chance to take it all in before meeting with him would be appropriate.”

Allison couldn’t remember any of the original questions he had formulated only a few minutes ago, so all-encompassing was this news. They began to walk again, with the inn now just in sight ahead of them.

“When shall I meet with His Lordship?”

“Why, immediately sir. Vice Admiral of the Red, Lord Alan Haig, awaits us in the common room this very moment.”

Allison felt as if he could have fallen to his knees right then and there! He was an absolute mess, having been subjected to steady rain and travel dust, not to mention the fact that he was sleep-deprived and tiring fast. The last thing he felt ready and able to do was maintain an air of dignity, propriety and military bearing in front of a man who was a senior admiral and a nobleman! But there was nothing to be done. He must summon all his powers of concentration and try not to look too concerned about the less than immaculate appearance of his uniform. He would have to give Lord Haig the benefit of his full attention, for such a man would demand nothing less no matter how tired he was. As he tried to steel himself against the ineffable advance of his weariness, their destination came into full view.

The inn was a three-storied structure built of grey stone situated close to the center of the city in a fine neighborhood of paved streets, stately row houses and fine shops which doubtlessly catered to many of the area’s well-to-do patrons. There was just enough ambient light emitted by the flickering lanterns nearby to show smoke lazily wafting from the building’s chimneys indicating that warm fires burned in the hearths within. Allison began to think about the welcoming warmth the sight of that smoke promised as he and Caldwell waited for a slow-moving chaise to pass in front of them before crossing the street and moving around to the inn’s entrance which faced the cross-street. There could be no doubt that a senior naval officer waited within, for there flanking the door were two scarlet-coated marine sentries who snapped to attention at the sight of officers approaching. There were more marines stationed on other sides of the building. The scene looked a bit out of place in front of a civilian establishment, but it made sense to Allison that a person as important as the Admiral would not travel around the city without someone guarding his person. Caldwell moved quickly ahead, opened one of the heavy oaken double doors and stood aside while politely gesturing Allison to precede him through.