Excerpt

Most of the inhabitants of Virginia's northern Shenandoah Valley have always considered it to be as close to God's country as any spot on earth. If this be so, then Frederick County, long famous for its beautiful pastoral setting, is His favorite parcel.

In 1755, a year before the French and Indian War officially began, Lord William Carrington left Derbyshire, England for the town of Winchester, nestled within the county, to personally manage his vast acreage and other holdings.

Once settled in, he was able to turn his attention to his most important responsibility-assuring the continuation of his son Geoffrey's fine education. At first, finding a qualified tutor so far away from a large city proved to be a challenge; however, after some difficulty, he was able to engage a well qualified person by the name of John Rutledge. Mr. Rutledge had taught for ten years in a New England private academy.

Sam Cole, Lord Carrington's long time groundskeeper, was also blessed with a son. As soon as Bret had gained some experience with basic hand tools, Sam sought to develop his sense of responsibility by seeing to it that he performed his share of the lighter chores.

In spite of the difference in their stations, the two boys soon grew to be close friends. Unfortunately, the region provided little opportunity for formal schooling, and the elder Cole couldn't afford private instruction for his son.

Sensing Bret's frustration, Geoffrey, age 10, took it upon himself to share portions of the program of study his tutor had laid out for him. Mr. Rutledge's program, though based primarily on the classical approach to education, also included a smattering of European philosophy.

Surprisingly, Bret, who was two years older than Geoffrey, showed a keen interest in the subject matter. In return, he taught Geoffrey much of what he knew about mechanics and about firearms, including the advantages of hunting with a rifle instead of the less accurate musket.

They were always together, often engaging in friendly competition. Despite this, it wasn't long before they began to notice the charms of Sally McConnell, one of the local girls. Just how much of this could have been attributed to genuine attraction or to another excuse to compete is purely conjecture.

Be that as it may, they eagerly accepted her into the fold. From the start her friendly manner and tomboyish ways pleased the boys no end. Moreover, each of them felt certain that the light in her eyes shown for him, and him alone.

They tried to outclass each other at every turn, as young males have been known to do since time immemorial. But alas, things don't always work out as planned. Several weeks into the relationship Sally informed her admirers that their friendship meant the world to her; but she considered herself too young to think about linking up with any one boy. Although momentarily crushed, they soon came to accept her notion. Ah, how resilient we are in our youth!

From the beginning Sally and the boys never lacked for interesting things to do. One of their favorite activities involved an almost daily inspection of a new log and earth fort under construction on the North Common, adjacent to the Great Wagon Road to Philadelphia. The work was under the supervision of Colonel George Washington, commander of the Virginia Regiment of militia. Fort Loudoun was named in honor of John Campbell, the fourth Earl of Loudoun, who was the titular governor of Virginia, as well as the leader of all British military forces on the continent.

Robert Dinwiddie, the lieutenant-governor, had ordered Colonel Washington to establish his headquarters in Winchester, the main center of activity in the region. In March of 1756, Virginia's legislative assembly, the House of Burgesses, authorized the governor to commission the building of a fort within the town limits. When completed, the fort would provide a place of refuge for the inhabitants of Frederick County and the surrounding area in times of danger. It would also serve as a command center from which troops, arms, ammunition, and other necessities could be supplied to the chain of forts stretching across Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Geoffrey had always shown a level of maturity beyond his years. His scholarly bent extended to a deep interest in his family's history; it seemed there was never a time when a Carrington wasn't in His Majesty's service, either as a public official or as an officer in the armed forces. Among his most cherished memories were the hours he had spent listening to his father expound on the bravery and loyalty of the Carrington clan.

Although his ultimate goal was to earn a professorship at a prestigious university in the colonies, Geoffrey also felt an obligation to continue the family tradition of service. Thus, he planned to devote some years to gaining experience in the military before dedicating his life to the academic world. Accordingly, he never missed a chance to chat with the fort's soldiers or civilian contractors who were willing to make time for him. When he returned home following each visit, he would write down what he had learned about the layout and construction of the fort, as well as its artillery complement.

As for Bret, he had a dream of his own. On seeing evidence of his skill in the form of pencil sketches he'd done with only his passion to guide him, his mother vowed to expose him to whatever examples of professional artwork existed around town, especially in the more elegant homes.

This was made possible because of her reputation as a fine cook. Often sought by wealthy residents to prepare her dishes for their dinner parties and other special occasions, she was usually permitted to bring Bret along with her. In addition, he would benefit from the art treasures that the Carrington mansion had to offer, whenever Geoffrey was able to sneak him in.