Woods Runner

The informational passage, “Treatment of Prisoners of War,” explains that supplies for captives were not provided by their captors until the 19th century.

Samuel’s parents meet Annie on the other side of the river and embrace her as their daughter. Matthew gives them a bundle of food to take with them on their journey to Philadelphia. Samuel’s father expresses their profound gratitude to these men who have helped them escape; Matthew says they should also help when they can and leaves to cross the river again, in case he can pick up any more escaped prisoners or refugees. Abner calls Samuel to the front of the wagon but tells the others to stay in the back. When they are alone, Abner impresses on him how difficult it will be to travel with his parents—but especially his father—in the conditions they’re in. He gives Samuel directions for reaching Philadelphia and tells him of a British defensive line along their journey. Samuel thanks Abner repeatedly but Abner tells him he’s said it enough and continues to give him instructions about the journey, including the wisdom that Samuel’s parents will try to “be your ma and pa” but that Samuel has to lead them all if they hope to survive (144).

Samuel leads his family into the woods, but his father quickly falls behind and struggles because he cannot maintain the pace. He slows but keeps them moving until they’re deep enough into the forest. There, he gives his father a pair of moccasins he’s made and instructs them to follow him silently for another two hours. They stop then so that his parents can quietly question him about what’s happened. They are shocked but admiring of what Samuel has endured and accomplished. Samuel fully embraces the leadership role, guiding their path and advising them on when and how to eat and drink. Samuel’s mother tells him he’s much changed but that she admires and appreciates the changes.

The final informational passage is titled “British Behavior” and discusses their “fire and sword” strategy of “destroying towns and warehouses,” burning crops, and plundering everything they came across.

They continue to move carefully through the wilderness between New York and Philadelphia. Samuel hunts for their meat and keeps them moving safely and steadily on their route. Samuel is especially cautious about roads; they wait for a while to be sure no one is coming upon them and then dart across one at a time. Even when these precautions, Samuel emerges onto a trail and stumbles upon a half-dozen British soldiers on horseback. One of the soldiers turns to bayonet him and Samuel shoots him, hitting him in the neck and killing him. Before he or his family have to fight the remaining officers, a group of American rebels steps in and kills the other soldiers. They tell the family that they were on a mission to reclaim some prisoners and learn about the situation in New York—Samuel’s mother and father can easily provide that intelligence. The family and the American soldiers set out together for Philadelphia.

The family settles in Philadelphia. Samuel’s mother and father open a school to “take in and teach some of the many children orphaned by the war” (159). Samuel has trouble adjusting and, after a few months in the city, decides that he will go back to the back trails to help others the way they were helped. Annie and his father protest, but Samuel’s mother asserts that he can make up his own mind and must do it if he feels strongly about it. He goes back to the war and joins Morgan’s Rifles, finding Coop and some of his people again. Though he does not join in the “firing,” he “hunted for meat, fixed equipment, helped the sick and wounded as best he could” (159). Coop dies in the war and Samuel leaves the battle. He returns to the untouched valley he had found on the day his settlement was attacked. Even though the war would go on for many, Samuel finds closure and peace back in the woods of his youth.