My dearest Serinity, I must tell you now in my solitude of my study the story of your birth while it remains fresh and accurate in all its gruesom details fresh in my mind. You are a meer three years old now, you have been adoring your new doll and your mother has been singing you to bed. I can hear her sweet voice now echoing in my ears singing the song she sang right before she went into labor. Hollysbroke Creek runs between the small hamlets of Westerson and Morristown, the two towns have a strange and curious history that I shall explain in breif detail. During the American revolution they were first founded and the loyalties were devided there and then. Each supported a different side, Morristown was pro America and Westerson was pro England, but after the war their rivalries were settled and had a mutal if begrudging respect for eachother. In latter years after the wars agains Japan, the horrible clashing of armies in afganastan the two towns had reenactments. when the soldires would return home they would be treated to a mock battle of the revolutionary war era and this was at battlefield park. Now the men of Westerson, where I was from, would have supported the British and all would have gone well that faal day you were born, but nothing ever goes well on a day that the fog of war is that thick. Yes my little princess this is the story of your birth and it is the story of the only battle your old man was ever apart of, the only time I ever tasted war, and I pray God it was the last.
We had gone to the reenactment that day as normal, I wanted to be anywhere your mother was, even if that was in the middle of a silly old reenactment. The men who were with me were all my friends and for the most part they had elected me to be their lieutenant. I remember the actuall battle and being worried for a moment when we first saw the enemy. The way your mother would sing could make any field of action calm down with serinity and make any man no matter how stony face sobb like a babe. Yes she did miss her calling, but the battle had gone well and we were all talking after words about our march back. It was customary for us to march back to Westerson in our companies and camp out along Hollysbroke Creek before returning home. During the march your mother sang to us and I spoke with my friends in the ranks. We were making small talk when we reached our place of camp and began to settle in for the night. Your mother expressed concerns that her father might know she and I spent the night together some moneths back, but that did not matter a thing to me. I was a foolish young man in love with her beauty and kindness and never in my life could I foresee what was going to happen that dreadful horrible night.
Sitting by the fire we sang bonny old songs from the time period that we were reenacting. Your mother was the star of the show as she danced and sang, the other officers in the brigade included my friend Henry Rodgers who was our captain, and Captain Victoria Brighton, our high school history teacher nammed Colonel Lucas Kessel, and our General who was your grandfather, god rest his soul. Our merryment was interupted when your mother stopped singing and said "Im not an expert, but do these battles happen at night?"
Her father laughed, "No hun, no one to watch us at night."
She pointed to the far side of the creek, "Well tell that to them."
Approaching us was the army we had fought earlier that day, they were same in number and seemingly had not left uniform all day. A messanger was sent forth, the man was a young man and requested that all officers gather with his commanding general for a conference. The conference was to decide if we would have another battle, now, they felt insulted over some matter of honor and insited that we have a rematch. we laughed at them and accepted. It did not take long for us to reform into our ranks and mount our coloums once again, three hundred was our number and we were proud of it. Our colors were brought to the front and our men formed as we did at battlefield park. Your mother and the band struck up scotland the brave to sing us off. I was at the head of my company in the middle of the line as my friend Henry Rodgers was on the right, and Victoria Brighton was on the left with her men. We began marching with the two men, your grandfather leading us on horseback as well as Colonel Kessel leading on hoseback. We were having a jolly good laugh of it as well, and then helll broke loose on us. We reached the bank of the creek and began our scuttle over the slightly full waters with our spirits high and song in our ears. As Scotland the brave ended your mother began singing Heart of Oak and we all let out three cheers as we helped each other over the banks and your grandfather in his slapping good uniform made a charge at the shortest distance between the waters and leapt over it. This caused us to cheer one more time for we all adored and admired him for his life and acacomplishments. We were all well out of the creek now and reformed with our colors flying proudly and I must admit we were proud ourselves. Now we could see the enemy clearly on the other side, they were loading their muskets and we let out three loud cheers. Never in my life had I seen such a thing as I did that day when we formed up and began trotting towards the foe. We now heard your mother sing The British Greniders as we made our final charge, your grandfather yelled "Fix Bayonets, at the quick step charge!"
That was the last thing he ever said for a hail of bullets fell into us, he flew back on his horse into the ranks and a dozen of our three hundred were killed in a instant. The music never halted while we did halt and I saw Colonel Kessel hold his arm with red streaming down his white uniform. "Those bastards are using real amunition, well boys looks like we need to use real amo ourselves! Load and file into ranks!" Some of us ran, I wish I had run with them now that I look back on this moment, but the ones who were not too scared or hurt reformed their lines, brave Captain Victoria commanded that moment for it was she who grabbed the fallen colors, and hoisted them up over her head.
"Who will follow me my brave boys?" She yelled, and then she was answered with a resounding cheer The men formed and began loading as we watched the enemy charge us on the banks of the creek. Your mother and the band was on the other side and her singing was what kept me where I was. Your mother and the band had moved forward to stand at our sides and was singing, what happened to her now she told me, that her water broke. I am ashamed to say my little serinity that the action of battle During the tumolt of combat your mother fainted, I saw her fall and in my anger assumed that a stray bullet had gotten her. I leapt out in front of my men and charged with recklass abandoned for my own saftey and saw Captain Victoria Brighton and Henry Rodgers doing the same. We lead our men forward and clashed. The foe was strong that day but we were as well. Colonel Kessel fell, and the screams and horrible sounds that were coming from your mother only assured me that she was truly dying. I got a man dressed in an American uniform by the arm who was trying to escape and I hacked his arm off. The american forces began to retreat leaving us in a bloody mess, there was a fight going on far to the side of the bank, this is where a detachment of Americans had taken the body of Captain Victoria Brighton, they had hacked her to death, and now ere trying to throw her into the creek bed. They threw her and we slaughtered them, in a single standing and I am damn proud of it. We killed them were they stood and then we went down into the mud and muck to try and retrieve her body.
As I walked back to Captain Henry Rodgers we were met by one of the musicians who said "Sir Your girlfriend, she is in labor.!"
I was needed at the front, Captain Rodgers said "Look we know they are going to come back, and if we dont think of something they will slaughter us all. So go back and tell her it will be ok, I will form the men into a triangle formation around Libby and the other singers. We will stand there and when they attack we will be in formation."
I did as he told me to, Your mother had gone into labor without knowing she was pregnant and I had to stay by her side as much as I could. She was sobbing more over the death of her friend Captain Victoria rather then her own pain. I was so happy though to see her I simply embraced her and kissed her as her sister Kathrine took her legs and helped your mother push you into this world. In the smell of gunsmoke and gunpoweder my daughter Serinity you were born. The men began to form around us, it was simply ranks and files of two one kneeling and one standing, only formed up in a triangle with Captain Rodgers, myslef, and your mother giving birth in the middle. I heard the americans charge and I watched your mother give as much strength as those brave men fighting gave, as much strength as Victoria Brighton gave at the end. I held her legs apart and comforted her, or tried to and then you emerged my darling. Oh how your mother was pleased and me with my hands stained red with her blood did I pull you into this world and I used my saber to cut your umbilical cord. There at the battle of Hollysbroke Creek I saw you, the tiny little thing you were emerge from your mother Some of the men had water in canteens and they were handing it to your mother to cool off with, and to help clean her up. Now the second attack was well underway and the enemy forces were being fought back in a simple maylay. My friend Captain Rodgers was impaled three times and I leapt into the fray killing as many as God would grant me. The fighting soon ended when the american forces were captured and forced to give up their weapons.
I shall not bore you with the aftermath and the offical inquaries that followed the battle my daughter for you already know them by now, but then you should know the story of your birth and the death of my good friends. You should be proud that you carry the middle name of proud Vicctoria who fell that day. I must go now my darling child and be with you and your lovely mother. Hopefully by the time you read this you will be a young woman yourself and understand what it means.
