186 Independence Day
For Wednesday, the "Fourth of July," Day 186 of the 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge
Around midnight, September 20, 1777, 1200 British soldiers crashed fences and launched a surprise bayonet attack on sleeping American revolutionary troops encamped near Malvern, Pennsylvania. This Battle of Paoli was one of the Revolutionary War's bloodiest.
Hardly a battle: it was a massacre.
Over 200 American soldiers were wounded in the "Paoli Massacre," wave after wave--the serial walls of bayonets--pouring into the camp, hollering theri most terrifying wartime rallying cries, the "Yells of Hell."
"Huzza!"
Each “Huzza!” sounded like incoming Valkyries, flying gods of vengeance evoking waves of panic over the men who were catatonic in surprise, shock, and awe.
The 53 Americans, all killed by bayonet, and the seven British soldiers killed, arrived together in THE PLACE WHERE ALL QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED.
"Who wins?" an American asked.
"You do," answered the Proctor.
"America--independent?" asked a British soldier.
"Yes," answered the Proctor.
"What happens then?" asked another Brit.
"America and Britain become the strongest of allies with a deep friendship unmatched by any two nations on Earth."
The Americans and the British looked at each other.
"Friends with them?" an American said sarcastically.
"Hey, Yank," a British soldier interjected, "I'm quite the dead man myself."
"Yeah, but you cowards started it. Surprise attack."
"Who started it? You did! July 4, last year. A Declaration of Independence. Remember?"
"Had to," explained the American. "We wanted a country where no man's above the law."
"Even a king? My man, it's our King! I get it, but certainly Royal Immunity for official acts must prevail in a monarchy."
"Above the law? No one!" insisted the American. "Not even the President of our great, free country!"
"Well," stammered the Proctor, "one day your Supreme Court will rule your President is. For official acts...called 'Presidential Immunity.'"
"What are 'official acts?'" another American asked. "Oh, and we'll be great friends with the Brits?"
"Yes, for the second part of your question. For the first part, it depends."
"What about our King?"
"No, your King won't be above the law for anything."
The troops were ushered into the next section of the continuum, WHERE HEROES DIED IN VAIN, SECTION "OFFICIAL ACTS." This section was for revelations bigger than those for any living men.
__________
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
For Wednesday, July 4, Day 186 of the 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge
366 WORDS (without A/N)
Title-accompaniment photo was AI-generated but the threat to democracy was not!
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ABOUT THIS STORY:
On June 30, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. United States (2024) that presidents have absolute immunity for official acts. They did not define "official acts," however. So...why exactly did we rebel against King George in 1776?
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There are currently three surviving Vocal writers still participating in the insane 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge:
• L.C. Schäfer, challenge originator
• Rachel Deeming
• Gerard DiLeo (some other guy)
Read them. Support them. Pray for them. And watch them fear November 5.
About the Creator
Gerard DiLeo
Retired, not tired. In Life Phase II: Living and writing from a decommissioned church in Hull, MA. (Phase I was New Orleans and everything that entails. Hippocampus, behave!
https://www.amazon.com/Gerard-DiLeo/e/B00JE6LL2W/
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Comments (6)
Dead right!
Well-wrought! And an excellent point! Absolute power corrupts. Absolutely. I suspect that the diffusion of such power in the future will depend not on bloody revolutions, which, as you have noted here, seem to be vain attempts, but on the cultivation of a selective point of view that can assimilate complexity independent of the propaganda machinations of the self-appointed elite, an evolution of the mind which will allow the individual to finally separate the self from the herd and arrest the fatal inevitability of such mass atrocity. I contend that no one dies in vain. We've been moving towad this for a long while. “Have you heard that it was good to gain the day? I say also it is good to fall... battles are lost in the same spirit in which they are won.” -Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass
Makes me wonder what's in store. Loved your story!
Your narrative captures the historical significance of the Battle of Paoli while also touching on deeper themes of sacrifice and national identity, thank you for sharing this compelling account that sheds light on a lesser-known aspect of the Revolutionary War, wonderful work!
Really enjoyed this - I have a feeling you’re right. Some dark days ahead for sure.
I, of course, loved this. Gerard! But it’s a sad day, and a sad commentary, that even the Supreme Court wants a king to rule over us. It’s a pity that so many of our fellow Americans seemingly want the same thing.