- [first lines]
- Abraham Woodhull: [to his year-old son] How are you doin', Sprout? Come here. It's you, aaah! Are you going to walk for me? Are you going to walk for your dad? Let's try walkin' again. There you go. All right, there you go. Aren't you a big boy. There... See, it's easy. Look at you! Keep goin'. Keep goin'!
- Mary Woodhull: Sure you want him to walk so soon?
- Abraham Woodhull: Well, he's almost a year old.
- Mary Woodhull: Sooner he learns to walk, the sooner he learns to march.
- Opening crawli: Autumn 1776: Insurgents have declared war against the Crown. Following a successful naval landing, His Majesty's Army has forced Washington's rebels into the wilderness. New York City serves as military base of operations for the British. The Loyalists of nearby Long Island keep a vigilant watch out for sympathizers, and spies...