James

James tells the story of James Armistead Lafayette, an enslaved man whose intelligence work during the American Revolution proved essential to the defeat of the British at Yorktown.

The play opens in 1824, as the aging Marquis de Lafayette returns to America and publicly honors James before a celebratory crowd—an acknowledgment that fractures time and pulls the audience back into the war years. What follows is the unseen history behind that moment.

Enslaved in Virginia, James is recruited by American intelligence to infiltrate the British army under the guise of a runaway slave. Serving first under Benedict Arnold and later Lord Cornwallis, James moves freely between enemy camps, collecting and delivering information while navigating constant suspicion, surveillance, and the ever-present threat of exposure. His sharp intelligence and disciplined restraint make him indispensable—but also increasingly isolated.

As the war intensifies, James becomes central to a complex web of deception designed to keep Cornwallis trapped at Yorktown. False intelligence, fabricated orders, and strategic misinformation convince the British command they are outnumbered and unable to escape by sea. James’s work helps ensure the success of the siege—but at profound personal cost, including the loss of those who believed British service would bring them freedom.

When the war ends, victory does not deliver liberty. James returns to bondage, forced to petition for his freedom in a legislature that debates his worth rather than his humanity. Only through the intervention of Lafayette does James finally secure emancipation—years after the nation he helped found declared itself free.

The play returns to 1824, where Lafayette’s public embrace contrasts sharply with James’s quiet presence. Though free at last, James stands in the shadow of a liberty that arrived late and incomplete.

James is a restrained, intimate examination of power, survival, and the moral contradictions at theheart of American independence—asking not who won the Revolution, but who paid for it.

JAMES ARMISTEAD – Enslaved man, late teens to early twenties at the outset; intelligent, observant, controlled. Possesses an exceptional memory. Literate, though he conceals this. His arc is one of quiet agency.

WILLIAM ARMISTEAD – Virginia landowner and Patriot supplier; James’s owner. Practical, confident, ideologically committed to independence without examining its limits.

ELIJAH – Elderly enslaved man on the Armistead plantation. Cautious, weathered, deeply aware of consequence; a quiet guardian of survival knowledge.

LIAM – Enslaved man from a neighboring plantation; roughly James’s age. Sharper-tongued, restless, desperate. Later joins the British under promises of freedom.

GENERAL MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE – French aristocrat, idealist, Major General in the Continental Army. Earnest, morally awake.

GENERAL ANTHONY WAYNE – Second-in-command to Lafayette during the Virginia campaign. Brash, aggressive, tactically brilliant.

CAPTAIN DU CHESNOY – French officer; Lafayette’s aide-de-camp and chief mapmaker. Meticulous, reserved, precise.

BENEDICT ARNOLD – American traitor turned British officer. Charismatic, embittered, dangerous.

COLONEL JOHN GRAVES SIMCOE – British Army officer, early 30s. Commander of the Queen’s Rangers. Disciplined, analytical, relentlessly observant. James’s most formidable adversary.

MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM PHILLIPS– A polished, British officer and accomplished artilleryman, William Phillips exudes imperial confidence and casual condescension.

GENERAL LORD CHARLES CORNWALLIS – British general; confident, orderly, convinced of imperial authority.

GEORGE WASHINGTON – Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Brief presence.

CALDWELL – Virginia planter and militia-aligned patriot, late 40s to early 50s. Owner of Liam.

THE OLDER WOMAN – Farmer’s wife, early 60s. Observant, practical, quietly courageous.

THE OLDER MAN – Farmer, late 60s. Speaks rarely; measures constantly.

THE COURIER – Continental intelligence runner, late 20s to mid-30s. Efficient, alert, disciplined.

ENSEMBLE – Crowd / Townspeople / Overseer/ Soldiers / Enslaved Workers / Aides / Rangers / Pickets / Officers / Clerks / Camp Workers, etc.

SETTING
Virginia during the final years of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1787), with a framing scene in 1824. As British forces occupy key points along the James River, including Portsmouth and Yorktown, the war is increasingly decided by intelligence, geography, and local knowledge rather than open battle.

PRODUCTION NOTE
The play utilizes a framing device. Act I, Scene 1 and Act V, Scene 4 occupy the same moment in 1824, surrounding the linear narrative of 1775–1787.

“O! ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth!”
— Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776

“In every human Breast, God has implanted a Principle, which we call Love of Freedom.”
— Phyllis Wheatley, 1773

Yorktown, Virginia. 1824. A public street prepared for celebration. Before lights: distant crowd noise. A drum rolls once. A bell rings. Lights up on a CROWD gathered for ceremony. JAMES ARMISTEAD LAFAYETTE (older) stands among them.

CROWD (chanting). Lafayette! Lafayette! Vive Lafayette!

(LAFAYETTE enters, acknowledging the crowd. JAMES does not move.)

LAFAYETTE (quietly). James.

(JAMES inclines his head. LAFAYETTE embraces him. The CROWD reacts—surprise, applause, discomfort. Lights shift as the past begins to emerge.)

LAFAYETTE. This man— (he steadies himself) —this man gave us victory at Yorktown!

BLACKOUT

Virginia. Before the war. Early morning. Plantation yard.
A bell rings. Lights up on JAMES (younger), working.

OVERSEER. You’re late. Fence line first. Then the south field. If you’re still standing, the barn. (exits)

ELIJAH (Low). They’re saying there’s trouble in Boston. Ships. Taxes. All that.

JAMES. That’s north.

ELIJAH. Everything starts north.

JAMES. Doesn’t end here.

ELIJAH. Nothing ever ends here.

(ELIJAH moves on. WILLIAM ARMISTEAD enters.)

ARMISTEAD. You’ll be traveling with me next week. You’ll listen. You’ll remember. You’ll speak when spoken to. There’s business. Military.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

(ARMISTEAD exits. Lights fade.)

 

Virginia. 1775. Afternoon. Boundary edge between plantations. Lights up. JAMES waits with folded linens. LIAM enters with a satchel.

LIAM. Your place is busy today.

JAMES. Only when there’s nothing to do.

LIAM. My master’s been reading proclamations out loud. British ones.

JAMES. About what?

LIAM. They saying any man held in bondage who runs to the Crown and serves walks free.

JAMES. That’s their war talking.

LIAM. They also talking about Liberty.

JAMES. I’ve heard white men say it.

LIAM. They’re fighting for it.

JAMES. They’re fighting over it.

LIAM. You don’t want it?

JAMES. Liberty may come. But when it does—it won’t come looking for us. We’ll stand in the shadow of it. Close enough to feel it pass. Not close enough to claim it.

VOICE (Offstage). Liam!

LIAM. I’m not waiting for it to reach me.

(LIAM exits. JAMES remains. Lights fade.)

ACT I

SCENE 4​

Virginia. Pre-1781. Late afternoon. Service corridor outside the main house.
Lights up. JAMES stands outside a partially open door with a crate. ARMISTEAD and CALDWELL speak inside, unaware.

ARMISTEAD (O.S.). I can spare wagons. Two, maybe three—if the roads hold.

CALDWELL (O.S.). They’ll need flour more than powder. Men march better when they eat.

ARMISTEAD (O.S.). I’ve already sent word to Williamsburg. They’ll route supplies through me.

CALDWELL (O.S.). That’s a risk.

ARMISTEAD (O.S.). Everything is, now.

CALDWELL (O.S.). You traveling yourself?

ARMISTEAD (O.S.). I’ll go. Someone has to answer for what arrives—and what doesn’t.

CALDWELL (O.S.). You trust these officers?

ARMISTEAD (O.S.). I trust paper less than men. And men less than habit. I’ll bring my boy. He remembers what he’s told and doesn’t trouble himself with talk.

CALDWELL (O.S.). That one?

ARMISTEAD (O.S.). That one.

(ELIJAH appears behind JAMES.)

ELIJAH (low, firm). You’re standing in the wrong place. If you’re gonna listen to white folks’ business, you’re gonna need to be a lot more careful than that.

JAMES. I wasn’t—

ELIJAH. I know what you wasn’t doing. That’s why I’m talking to you now. Listening gets you places. Gets you buried too. What they say when they don’t see you is what they mean.

(ARMISTEAD exits the room.)
ARMISTEAD. We leave tomorrow. Travel light.

ACT I

Scene 5​

Virginia. Pre-1781. Morning. On the road. Wagon in motion. Lights up. WILLIAM ARMISTEAD drives. JAMES rides behind.

ARMISTEAD. We’ll be stopping first at the depot near Williamsburg. That’s where they’re sorting what’s promised from what’s already gone.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

ARMISTEAD. Pay attention to names. Men say one thing, write another. I’ll handle the talking—you just remember who says what.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

ARMISTEAD. They call it liberty, what we’re fighting for. You hear that word everywhere now. Used to mean land. Now it means the right to keep it. Parliament’s got its hand in every pocket but its own. A man ought to benefit from his labor. That’s only fair.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

ARMISTEAD. That’s why this matters. Supplies don’t move themselves. Armies don’t eat speeches. Notice who complains the loudest. They’re usually the ones skimming.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

ARMISTEAD. Strange thing is—once men start talking about freedom, they don’t know when to stop. Everybody wants a say. Everybody wants to be heard. That’s why order matters. Liberty without order’s just noise.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

ARMISTEAD. You do your part, James, and this’ll all settle right.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

 

Virginia. Summer 1781. Requisition room. Maps, ledgers, crates.)
ARMISTEAD confers with CONTINENTAL OFFICERS, QUARTERMASTER, clerks. JAMES stands aside, listening.

QUARTERMASTER. If the flour doesn’t arrive by week’s end, the men will go hungry.

ARMISTEAD. It will arrive. I’ve already spoken to the miller.

OFFICER. And the wagons?

ARMISTEAD. Borrowed. Promised. I’ll answer for them.

(GENERAL MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE enters. The room adjusts to him.)

OFFICER. General Lafayette.

(Introductions. LAFAYETTE’s attention settles on JAMES.)

OFFICER (continuing). This is William Armistead. He’s been overseeing supply through this district.

LAFAYETTE (smiling). Then I am very glad to meet you, sir.

(Meeting continues. JAMES remains still. LAFAYETTE watches JAMES watching the room, and smiles.)

Later. Outside near a supply wagon. JAMES works on the wheel and harness. LAFAYETTE approaches.

LAFAYETTE (O.S.). You tend it carefully.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

LAFAYETTE. If this fails, nothing else moves. You were inside?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

LAFAYETTE. You listened?

JAMES. I was told to remain.

LAFAYETTE (smiling). So was I. Most men who are told to remain… disappear.

JAMES. I didn’t think it was my place. Sir.

LAFAYETTE. And yet you knew exactly where everyone stood. You follow maps?

JAMES. I follow people. Sir.

LAFAYETTE. That is far more dangerous. Do you understand why we are here?

JAMES. To fight the British.

LAFAYETTE. Yes. But before that?

JAMES. So men may govern themselves.

LAFAYETTE. Exactly. Liberty. In France, we speak of it as if it is a fire. Something that spreads. Something that cannot be contained.

JAMES. Fire spreads where it’s allowed.

LAFAYETTE. You don’t believe it travels on its own.

JAMES. No, sir.

LAFAYETTE. Why?

JAMES. I don’t know why, sir. It’s just the way it seems.

LAFAYETTE. You are young.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

LAFAYETTE. So am I. That is why I believe it must change. Not later. Not slowly. Now. Men older than us have made their peace with limits. I have not. Have you?

JAMES. I’ve learned to live inside them.

LAFAYETTE. And yet you shouldn’t have to. I inherited land in the West Indies. Plantations. I’ve… considered what ought to be done about that. What must be done. But consideration and action are not the same thing, are they?

JAMES. No, sir.

LAFAYETTE. I tell myself the moment must be right. That I must secure my position here first. That gradual change is wiser than sudden upheaval. All the things reasonable men say when they wish to delay what they know is just.

(He looks at JAMES directly.)

LAFAYETTE. Then you understand something my officers do not. That liberty spoken aloud is not the same as liberty lived. What is your name?

JAMES. James, Sir.

LAFAYETTE. James. If this war ends as I hope it will… men will say many things about who won it. Few will know who truly listened. Good evening, James.

(LAFAYETTE exits. JAMES returns to the wagon.)

 

Evening. A small, dim space. ELIJAH repairs a satchel. JAMES paces.

ELIJAH. You’re wearing the floor thin. Means your mind’s already gone somewhere your feet ain’t yet. I seen that look before.

JAMES. General Lafayette.

ELIJAH. Young man rides like he’s chasing tomorrow.

JAMES. He talks about freedom like it belongs to everyone.

ELIJAH. That so?

JAMES. He don’t say it to me. Not straight. But it’s there. He believes it.

ELIJAH. Belief’s a powerful thing. So is hunger. What is it you’re asking me, James?

JAMES. I’m thinking of enlisting.

ELIJAH. Under the Frenchman.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

ELIJAH. You know what that means.

JAMES. I know what staying means.

ELIJAH. War don’t hand out freedom easy.

JAMES. Neither does waiting.

ELIJAH. What would you do? If I had more life left in me… I’d ask to go myself. A man don’t get many chances to step toward his own name. Sometimes all you can do is move, and trust the road to explain itself later.

JAMES. I won’t be free.

ELIJAH. No. But you’ll be nearer it than you are now.

JAMES. Then I have to ask him.

ELIJAH. Yes. You do.

Morning. ARMISTEAD‘s quarters (papers on table). JAMES enters.

ARMISTEAD. Well?

JAMES. Sir.

ARMISTEAD. Out with it.

JAMES. I’d like permission to enlist in the Continental Army. Under General Lafayette.

ARMISTEAD. You? You know Caldwell’s boy Liam took off, went to the British.

JAMES. No, sir.

ARMISTEAD. Lafayette’s star is rising. Young, well-connected. French backing doesn’t hurt. Men like that don’t stay young forever. You’d be close to him?

JAMES. If he had use of me, sir.

ARMISTEAD. Oh, he will. Every officer needs someone who listens and doesn’t speak out of turn. A valet, perhaps. That would place you near enough to hear things—movements, intentions, opportunities. Of course, you’d still be my property.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

ARMISTEAD. But think of the advantage. Insight into future contracts. Supply routes. Military needs. Very well. You have my permission. You’ll conduct yourself properly. You’ll remember who you belong to.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

ARMISTEAD. See that you make yourself useful.

(JAMES exits.)

 

Summer 1781. Continental encampment outside LAFAYETTE‘s tent. Enlistment line. Inside: maps on a table. LAFAYETTE, WAYNE, DU CHESNOY. LAFAYETTE sees JAMES in line.

LAFAYETTE. Remove that man from the line. Bring him here.

(JAMES is brought in.)

WAYNE. What’s the meaning of this, General?

LAFAYETTE. Introductions first. General Anthony Wayne. Command of light infantry. Capitaine du Chesnoy—my aide-de-camp. Maps. Reconnaissance. And this is James.

WAYNE. A slave?

LAFAYETTE. Yes.

WAYNE. What’s he doing in the enlistment line?

LAFAYETTE. That is what I intend to learn. Do you recall this man, General?

WAYNE. I do not.

LAFAYETTE. Do you recall the logistical meeting with Armistead?

WAYNE. I do.

LAFAYETTE. Tell us what you heard, James.

JAMES (hesitates). Salt pork—two hundred barrels short. Flour delayed at the Pamunkey crossing. Wagons requisitioned but horses unfit. Powder to be rerouted—night movement only—and a concern raised about river soundings near York.

WAYNE (turns to DU CHESNOY). Is that in your report?

DU CHESNOY (checking). Yes. Precisely.

WAYNE. Remarkable. But an ignorant slave brings us intelligence? Will he write it down for us in a note?

LAFAYETTE. Your papers.

(JAMES hands them over. LAFAYETTE reads.)

LAFAYETTE. These are not in order. Nowhere does your master give you permission.
Why did you bring me false papers?

JAMES. No Sir. It says— (he points) “Permission is granted for the bearer—” (he freezes.)

WAYNE. He can read.

LAFAYETTE (quietly, to JAMES). You read well.

WAYNE. This changes matters.

LAFAYETTE. It clarifies them. He will not enlist. He will serve.

WAYNE. As what?

LAFAYETTE. As my valet.

WAYNE. You’ll parade him through camp?

LAFAYETTE. Exactly. Seen by all. Questioned by none.

DU CHESNOY. Freedom of movement.

LAFAYETTE. Between lines. Between conversations. Where a uniform draws eyes—he will draw none.

WAYNE. And when he’s caught?

LAFAYETTE. This is not an order. You volunteer. Or you return to the line and the papers decide your fate. If you choose this, you choose danger. You choose silence. You choose to move without protection or promise. But you will choose.

JAMES. I volunteer.

WAYNE. God help us.

DU CHESNOY. Or perhaps he already has.

LAFAYETTE. Then let us begin.

 

Night. Lafayette’s headquarters. Map on table. LAFAYETTE, WAYNE, DU CHESNOY, JAMES.

DU CHESNOY. You will ride south at first light with a small escort. They take you as far as this crossing. Here, you dismount. You continue on foot to this stand of trees. A man will be waiting.

JAMES. A soldier?

DU CHESNOY. A courier.

WAYNE. You will never know his name.

DU CHESNOY. Nor he yours.

LAFAYETTE. If either of you are taken, neither can give the other.

DU CHESNOY. From there, Portsmouth. Arnold’s camp lies along the river. British patrols are irregular. Confident. They expect runaways.

WAYNE. They advertise for them.

(WAYNE drops ragged clothes on the table.)

WAYNE. If you’re going to pose as a runaway, you’ll need these. You will be searched. You will be questioned. You will be threatened. You will be believed.

DU CHESNOY. You will not write anything. Not routes. Not names. Not numbers.

LAFAYETTE. If you are found with writing, you are a spy. If you are found without it, you are what they expect.

JAMES. And if I’m asked what I know?

LAFAYETTE. You know nothing.

WAYNE. You hear everything.

DU CHESNOY. If you must remember, remember with your body. Steps. Sounds. The way men stand when they lie.

WAYNE. If you are caught crossing back—
LAFAYETTE. —There will be no rescue.

(WAYNE and DU CHESNOY exit. LAFAYETTE remains with JAMES.)

LAFAYETTE. When you leave this room, you will not be James Armistead. You will not be my valet. You will not belong to anyone who can claim you. I cannot promise you protection. I cannot promise recognition. I cannot promise that if you succeed, it will be remembered. I can promise this—what you do will matter. You still choose this?

JAMES. Yes.

LAFAYETTE. Why?

JAMES. Because I can.

LAFAYETTE. Then go.

(LAFAYETTE exits as JAMES changes into the ragged clothes.)

 

Late night. Edge of woods. JAMES waits by trees. JAMES whistles a simple tune. The tune is whistled back. The COURIER steps out.

COURIER. You’re late.

JAMES. I came as I could.

COURIER. You won’t come this way again.

JAMES. No.

COURIER. If you have information to send back, you go west of the Portsmouth camp. There’s a farmhouse. An older couple.

JAMES. They’re expecting me?

COURIER. They expect no one. They will let you in. They will feed you. You will say nothing to them.

JAMES. Nothing?

COURIER. Not a word that matters. You leave no messages there. Ever. If you must pass something on, we meet in the barn. Two nights from now. Midnight.

JAMES. And if I can’t make it?

COURIER. Then you don’t make it. You’ll find a way.

(They shake hands.)

COURIER. Don’t follow me.

(COURIER disappears into the trees. JAMES turns toward the British camp.)
(At the British perimeter, PICKETS confront JAMES as he stumbles in.)

JAMES. Help—help me!

PICKET ONE. Hold!

JAMES. Don’t send me back. Please. They’re coming. I ran all night.

PICKET TWO. Who are you?
JAMES. My name is Joshua. I ran from my master. I heard—I heard the British take men in. I’ll work. I’ll fight. I’ll do anything.

PICKET ONE. We’ve had plenty come through. Most too broken to be of use.

PICKET TWO. This one isn’t. On your feet. You’ll be questioned in the morning.

PICKET ONE. If you’re lying—

JAMES. I’m not, sir.

PICKET ONE. That’s for someone else to decide.

(JAMES is taken to a small enclosure in the camp. He sits alone.)

DU CHESNOY (V.O.). Your name is Joshua.

WAYNE (V.O.). Say it until it feels like truth.

DU CHESNOY (V.O.). You were owned.

WAYNE (V.O.). You were useful.

DU CHESNOY (V.O.). You traveled.

WAYNE (V.O.). You listened.

DU CHESNOY (V.O.). They will ask who claimed you.

WAYNE (V.O.). You answer without anger.

DU CHESNOY (V.O.). They will ask what you know.

WAYNE (V.O.). You give them what they expect. Nothing more.

 

British headquarters, Portsmouth. Morning. Sparse room. JAMES sits. SIMCOE enters.

SIMCOE. Your name.

JAMES. Joshua, sir.

SIMCOE. Look at me. Where were you enslaved?

JAMES. Virginia, sir.

SIMCOE. Where in Virginia?

JAMES. Along the Pamunkey River, sir.

SIMCOE. Plantation name.

JAMES. People called it Carter’s Landing, sir.

SIMCOE. Who owned you?

JAMES. Mr. Carter, sir.

SIMCOE. First name.

JAMES. I don’t know it, sir.

SIMCOE. You never heard it spoken.

JAMES. No, sir.

SIMCOE. What work did you do?

JAMES. Stable work, sir. Horses. Travel work when he went out.

SIMCOE. Travel where?

JAMES. Inland, sir. Between rivers.

SIMCOE. How far?

JAMES. Sometimes days, sir.
SIMCOE. Why were you taken?

JAMES. Because I didn’t lose my way, sir.

SIMCOE. You know the land.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

SIMCOE. Roads?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

SIMCOE. Rivers?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

SIMCOE. Marsh?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

SIMCOE. How?

JAMES. From traveling, sir. From listening.

SIMCOE. You ran?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

SIMCOE. Why north?

JAMES. I was told the British would take me, sir.

SIMCOE. Who told you?

JAMES. Men on the road, sir.

SIMCOE. Did you believe them?

JAMES. I hoped they were telling the truth, sir.

SIMCOE. What do you want here?

JAMES. To work, sir. To stay.

SIMCOE. Doing what?

JAMES. Anything, sir.

SIMCOE. You ever carry messages?

JAMES. No, sir.

SIMCOE. Ever guide soldiers?

JAMES. No, sir.

SIMCOE. Hunters?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

SIMCOE. You understand distances?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

SIMCOE. Explain.

JAMES. How long men can walk, sir. Where they must stop.

SIMCOE. You will be watched.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

SIMCOE. You will be questioned again.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

SIMCOE. If you are lying—

JAMES. —I will be found out, sir.

SIMCOE. You are afraid.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

SIMCOE. Good. Joshua. Remember who you are.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

(SIMCOE exits.)

 

Portsmouth. Late morning. JAMES is brought out by an OFFICER. SIMCOE observes from near a tent.

OFFICER. Walk with me. (gives order to a nearby corporal). Prepare two horses.

(Cut to JAMES and OFFICER move to open ground near a river line on foot.)

OFFICER. That river.

JAMES. The Southern Branch, sir.

OFFICER. How wide?

JAMES. Too wide after rain, sir.

OFFICER. How long it holds?

JAMES. A day. Sometimes two.

OFFICER. That road. The one that bends east.

JAMES. Floods in spring, sir.

OFFICER. Always?

JAMES. No, sir.

OFFICER. When not?

JAMES. After two dry days.

(They stop near a tree line.)

OFFICER. That breaks where?

DU CHESNOY (V.O.). Don’t volunteer.

JAMES. Toward marsh, sir.

OFFICER. Distance?

JAMES. Half an hour on foot.
OFFICER. Not twenty?

JAMES. No, sir.

OFFICER. Not forty?

JAMES. No, sir.

OFFICER. That’s enough.

(They return. Outside the tent, OFFICER reports to SIMCOE.)

SIMCOE. Well?

OFFICER. He knows the land.

SIMCOE. How?

OFFICER. He answered what was asked. Nothing more.

SIMCOE. Did he guess?

OFFICER. No, sir.

SIMCOE. Did he hesitate?

OFFICER. Before speaking.

SIMCOE. That’s acceptable. Keep him.

(SIMCOE turns back into the tent.)

 

Portsmouth. Night. Command tent. SIMCOE with officers. JAMES waits near the entrance. BENEDICT ARNOLD enters)

ARNOLD. What’s this?

SIMCOE. A man, sir. Recently arrived.

ARNOLD. Recently from where?

JAMES. Virginia, sir.

ARNOLD. That narrows it not at all.

SIMCOE. He knows the roads and river branches south of the James. He’s been tested.

ARNOLD. Your name?

JAMES. Joshua, sir.

ARNOLD. You look unwell, Joshua.

JAMES. Sir… I never stood before such greatness. You are feared among the rebels, sir.

ARNOLD. Feared is useful.

SIMCOE. Rebels enjoy inventing legends, sir. Especially ones that flatter their enemies.

ARNOLD. Should I fear you?

JAMES. Me? No sir, no sir.

ARNOLD. Surely you must have heard resentments voiced against me.

JAMES. Yes, after you broke them at Richmond, sir.

ARNOLD. And what were they saying?

JAMES. In town once I heard some rebels saying some of Washington’s generals said you were injured in the leg doing battle and that you shouldn’t be hanged. But Washington…

ARNOLD. Go on.
JAMES. But Washington said, “Then cut his leg off and give it a military burial, and hang the rest of him.”

ARNOLD. Funny how hatred travels so intact. Besides, I’ve already heard that one!

(SIMCOE unrolls a map.)

ARNOLD (Pointing). This landing.

SIMCOE. Tobacco warehouses. Small river traffic. Unprotected at night.

ARNOLD. I don’t need it burned. I need to know when it fills. When wagons arrive. Which boats move upriver before dawn. Can you find that?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

ARNOLD. Without being seen?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

ARNOLD. Without leaving a trail?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

ARNOLD. You won’t carry papers. You won’t speak names. You won’t linger?

JAMES. No, sir.

ARNOLD. You return before dawn?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

ARNOLD. If you lie—

JAMES. I won’t, sir.

ARNOLD. Send him with a guide to the river road. He goes alone from there.

SIMCOE. Yes, sir.

(ARNOLD exits.)

WAYNE (V.O.). Arnold’s greatest talent was knowing who honors him.

SIMCOE. You’ve been noticed. And men like Arnold only notice what they believe they already own.
JAMES. Yes, sir.

SIMCOE. Don’t mistake that for favor.

JAMES. No, sir.

SIMCOE. Go.

(JAMES exits into the night.)

 

Night. Road east of Portsmouth. Farmhouse nearby.) JAMES ties a strip of cloth to the porch rail, then waits in shadow. The door opens; the OLDER WOMAN appears.

OLDER WOMAN. You best not linger on the road.

JAMES. I’m lost, ma’am.

OLDER WOMAN. You’ve come far to be lost. Come inside. You look starved.

(Inside: simple table. The OLDER MAN watches as JAMES eats.)

OLDER MAN. You waiting on someone?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

OLDER MAN. Then you’ll find him where the animals sleep.

(Barn. The whistle exchanges. The COURIER appears.)

JAMES (under his breath). Thank God.

COURIER. Slowly.

JAMES. I’m in. I mean—properly in. They don’t watch me the way they did the first night. Simcoe asked questions, but not the ones I feared.

COURIER. Slowly. Report.

JAMES. Arnold keeps his maps open. Tobacco landings south of the James. Night movement. Wagons staged before dawn. He talks when he thinks no one worth listening is near.

COURIER. Where?

JAMES. Along the river bend near—where the marsh cuts in. They mark it with stakes. And Simcoe—he’s testing roads. Flood patterns. Which crossings disappear after rain.

COURIER. That’s the useful part.

JAMES. They’re watching a tobacco warehouse. Likely a raid. Will you warn them?

COURIER. No.

JAMES. No?

COURIER. Expendable. Information moves upward. Decisions come back down.

JAMES. People will lose everything.

COURIER. Wars eat barns before they eat generals.

JAMES. What do I do now?

COURIER. Don’t grow eager. Eagerness gets seen. You’re a scout for the British. Complete your mission and report back to them.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

COURIER. One week. Same place.

JAMES. Yes.

COURIER. See here, part of my responsibility is to try to keep you alive. So take what I say to heart, my friend.

(They clasp hands. JAMES exits.)

Dawn. Portsmouth encampment. SIMCOE questions JAMES (ARNOLD offstage).

SIMCOE. You were gone long.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

SIMCOE. Explain.

JAMES. I had to double back. There were civilians on the road. Men asking questions. I hid in a drainage ditch till dark. If they’d taken me—I’d have been claimed.

SIMCOE. Claimed?

JAMES. Returned, sir.

SIMCOE. What did you see?

(JAMES reports, precise.)

ARNOLD (O.S.) Good.

SIMCOE. You’ll wait.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

(JAMES exits.)

Williamsburg. Private room. LAFAYETTE, WAYNE, DU CHESNOY.

WAYNE. Inside Arnold’s camp, impressive.

DU CHESNOY. Closer than we dared hope.

LAFAYETTE. Write.

DU CHESNOY (ready). Sir.

LAFAYETTE (dictating) “To His Excellency, General George Washington—I am pleased to inform you that a reliable source has been successfully placed within General Arnold’s encampment at Portsmouth. The individual has gained proximity to Arnold’s immediate staff and has already furnished intelligence regarding supply movements and river traffic. The position carries risk, but the access is extraordinary. We proceed with caution and confidence.”

LAFAYETTE. God keep him unseen.

 

Arnold’s command tent. Early evening. A lantern on the desk. JAMES stands at the tent flap.

ARNOLD (O.S.). Damn you, Clinton—

(JAMES waits, then enters with a tray.)

JAMES. Dinner, General?

ARNOLD. Set it there.

(ARNOLD finishes reading a letter, folds it, and turns.)

ARNOLD. That will be all.

JAMES. Is all well at home, sir?

ARNOLD. All is well. Thank you, Joshua.

(Outside: coins clink; pay is issued. ARNOLD produces a shilling and presses it into JAMES‘s hand.)

ARNOLD. They can be bought with shillings and promises. But you—you’ve been of use. Take it. For your diligence. And keep close.

JAMES. Your honor is generous. Sir… I—may I ask permission to make use of it?

ARNOLD. Call in the aide.

(An AIDE enters.)

ARNOLD. Issue a pass. A few hours only. (To JAMES)
Make yourself presentable.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

ARNOLD. I won’t be dining. I’ll be taking a walk instead. Straighten the tent while I’m gone.

(ARNOLD exits. JAMES waits until he is gone, then steps to the desk and reads the letter without touching it.)
JAMES (V.O.). “General Clinton. Two thousand reinforcements. Major General William Phillips. Command reassigned.”

(JAMES exits.)

 

British encampment. Late afternoon. JAMES moves through tents. A CAMP WORKER (Black) notices him.

CAMP WORKER. Where you going with such a high-fire hurry?

JAMES. General gave me a pass. Couple hours.

CAMP WORKER. That so?

JAMES. I’m going into town.

CAMP WORKER. And do what in town?

JAMES (showing the coin). General gave me a shilling.

CAMP WORKER (quiet awe). That so?

JAMES. I have to go.

(At the gate, JAMES presents the pass and is allowed through. Down the road, he turns into the woods. Farmhouse. The OLDER WOMAN and OLDER MAN pull him inside. The COURIER is already there.)

COURIER. What are you doing here in daylight?

JAMES. I was sent out openly. Through the gate. I had a pass. Only a few hours.

COURIER. These are my parents.

JAMES. I thought—

COURIER. That was the point.

JAMES. They know—

COURIER. Yes. If you were ever taken and talked, you would send them here. Keeping my identity safe.

JAMES. If I failed—

OLDER WOMAN. You haven’t.

COURIER. Then speak.

(JAMES reports (quietly, precisely).)

COURIER. All right.

COURIER. The wagon.

(Covered wagon. JAMES hides beneath sacks. It stops; the COURIER lifts the covering.)

COURIER. Walk from here.

(JAMES exits the wagon and returns toward the encampment. Gate at dusk. New guards read the pass and let him through.)

GUARD. Heard the general’s been busy buying favor.

SECOND GUARD. Won’t buy him much.

(JAMES walks on. Blackout.)

 

Arnold’s command tent. Late afternoon. Crowded. Marching heard outside.
MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM PHILLIPS enters with aides. ARNOLD greets him. SIMCOE and JAMES are present.

PHILLIPS. Undoubtedly you’ve received General Clinton’s orders.

ARNOLD. I have.

PHILLIPS. I trust they were sufficiently clear.

ARNOLD. They were.

PHILLIPS. You’ve had to make do.

ARNOLD. We’ve managed.

PHILLIPS. The fortifications, however—leave something to be desired.

ARNOLD. They’ll be brought up to standard.

PHILLIPS. No matter. Tomorrow, then. We’ll discuss strategy moving forward. I’ll want full briefings.

SIMCOE. Of course, sir.

PHILLIPS. Gentlemen.

(PHILLIPS exits. The tent shifts smaller.)

SIMCOE. I’ll see to the preparations.

ARNOLD. Yes.

(SIMCOE exits. JAMES remains.)

JAMES. General—may I be dismissed?

ARNOLD. Where are you going?

JAMES. To ensure all is prepared for tomorrow. Food and drink, sir.

ARNOLD. Yes. But only you are to serve.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

(JAMES exits. ARNOLD remains.)

 

Arnold’s command tent. Morning. Formal setup. PHILLIPS sits. ARNOLD stands. SIMCOE, aides, JAMES present.

PHILLIPS. The river traffic here—remains poorly monitored.

ARNOLD. The bends south of the James offer cover.

PHILLIPS. Yes. You’ll know them well.

SIMCOE. Petersburg.

PHILLIPS. Precisely. Raids, then. Swift ones. You’ve had success with such operations?

ARNOLD. I have.

PHILLIPS. Good. Then you’ll take the field. I shall rely upon your expertise. You’re… adept at these excursions.

ARNOLD (irritated). We’ll have plans drawn up by evening.

(Later. A simple meal. PHILLIPS eats seated; ARNOLD stands. JAMES pours wine.)

PHILLIPS. Supply lines are thin.

ARNOLD. They’ve been stretched.

PHILLIPS. Still—results have been achieved. One makes allowances for conditions. That will be all.

(Cut to Farmhouse. The COURIER is inside.)

COURIER. You shouldn’t be moving tonight.

JAMES. I won’t be able to tomorrow. Two thousand reinforcements. Cannon brought in by river. Phillips commands now.

COURIER. And Arnold?

JAMES. Field operations only. Raids. Petersburg. April. They’re speaking around him now.

COURIER. That won’t improve his temper.

JAMES. It narrows my usefulness.

COURIER. It changes how you communicate. You won’t be able to leave again?

JAMES. Then I won’t.

COURIER. Messages will move through supply hands. Marks on crates. Altered tallies.

JAMES. Yes.

COURIER. You’ll read. Not carry.

JAMES. Yes.

COURIER. This weighs?

JAMES. Yes.

COURIER. It should. Your information matters. Go back before daylight.

(JAMES exits. Blackout.)

 

British encampment. Wash area. CAMP WORKERS launder uniforms. JAMES works with them.

CAMP WORKER. Something’s wrong.

SOLDIER (O.S.). General Phillips—

SOLDIER. Dead. Fever took him.

SECOND SOLDIER. In Petersburg. Never made it back.

CAMP WORKER. So who’s in charge?

SECOND SOLDIER. Arnold. For now.

THIRD SOLDIER. They say it weren’t natural.

SECOND SOLDIER. You saying poison?

THIRD SOLDIER. I’m saying Arnold’s name’s being said.

(Rumors continue. JAMES returns to work.)

(A smaller command tent. SIMCOE stands over a map with TWO OFFICERS. The tent flap is tied back. Camp sounds filter in. No one raises their voice.)

OFFICER. The men are talking.

SIMCOE. They always are.

OFFICER. About Phillips.

SIMCOE (looks up). What sort of talking?

OFFICER. Poison. Whispers of it.

SIMCOE. Nonsense.

SIMCOE. If Phillips had been poisoned, suspicion would not land where the men wish it to. It would fall lower.

(The OFFICERS exchange a look.)

OFFICER. The orderlies.

(SIMCOE nods once.)

SIMCOE. Most notably—Arnold’s.

OFFICER. Joshua.

(SIMCOE considers the name carefully.)

SIMCOE. Rumor is a discipline problem, not an intelligence one. But discipline requires attention.

(He folds the map.)

SIMCOE. Have him watched. Not overtly.

OFFICER. For what, sir?

SIMCOE. For anything that suggests he notices being watched. If he is careless, we learn something. If he is careful—we learn something else.

(The OFFICERS nod.)

SIMCOE (turns away). Quietly. No accusations. No questions. I may have further use for him. Ease these rumors by letting soldiers know we are looking into any potential conspiracy.

(The OFFICERS exit.)

(Simcoe remains, thoughtful.)

(Wash area days later.)

SOLDIER. Lafayette’s been at them again. Won’t give them rest.

SECOND SOLDIER. French pup won’t stand still long enough to be caught.

(JAMES pauses, then resumes.)

CAMP WORKER. He any good?

SECOND SOLDIER. Annoying enough to matter.

(Later, near JAMES‘s tent. He notices a soldiers’ shadow against the rear of the tent when he entered. The soldier fled. JAMES is startled. He here is an OFFICER in the front of his tent.)

OFFICER. Cornwallis is coming down from the Carolinas. Taking full command. Arnold won’t like it.

(That night, JAMES changes a marking on a supply crate. Farmhouse. The COURIER waits.)

JAMES. Phillips is dead. Fever. Petersburg. Arnold’s name’s being said. By soldiers.

COURIER. Rumor follows vacancy.

JAMES. Cornwallis is coming. Full command. Lafayette’s harassing their lines. Enough to be felt.

COURIER. That pleased you.

JAMES. It steadied me.

COURIER. Good. Stay the course. Your position narrows.

JAMES. I know.

COURIER. Then you continue.

JAMES. Yes. If Arnold’s days are numbered—

COURIER. —then yours change with them.

(JAMES exits)

 

British encampment. Morning. Outside ARNOLD‘s tent. JAMES works nearby.

CORNWALLIS (O.S.). —honorably, of course. Your service will be recognized.

ARNOLD (O.S.). I serve where I am most effective.

CORNWALLIS (O.S.). New York first. Then England. We’ll evacuate Portsmouth. Yorktown offers firmer ground. The defenses can be strengthened there. Virginia requires consolidation now.

(The tent flap opens. CORNWALLIS exits with aides. JAMES keeps working. Later. Near supply wagons. BLACK PIONEERS in formation. JAMES approaches with a crate. LIAM calls out.)

LIAM. James!

(Heads turn. An OFFICER barks; the formation stiffens. JAMES sets the crate down and walks away without looking at LIAM.)

(Later. JAMES‘s quarters. He stares at the shilling sitting on a table. A knock.)

SIMCOE (O.S.). Arnold wants the tent kept ready. He dines alone tonight.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

(Dusk. Supply yard. JAMES moves among crates with cord and a small sack. A RANGER steps out.)

RANGER (O.S.). Leave that.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

RANGER. Why are you in this row?

JAMES. I was told to bring cord, sir. For the wagon ties.

RANGER. By whom?

JAMES. A clerk near the flour, sir. I don’t know his name.

RANGER. And what were you doing to that?

JAMES. It was loose, sir. The tag. If it tears off, the wrong man carries it.

RANGER. Simcoe’s orders are clear. No one touches marks unless assigned.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

RANGER. You assigned to marks?

JAMES. No, sir.

RANGER. Then why should I not assume you’re learning them?

JAMES. Because I don’t want trouble, sir.

RANGER. Tell me what this row is.

JAMES. It’s supplies, sir.

RANGER. For where?

JAMES. For the officers, sir. For the guns. For whoever needs it.

RANGER. Look at it.

JAMES. Sir… I don’t—I don’t keep papers, sir. I carry what I’m handed.

RANGER. Fine. Wagon train one. Flour. Salt pork. Shot. Tools. Wagon train two. Canvas. Nails. Spades. Powder stores. And all of it—staged for Yorktown.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

RANGER. You knew that?

JAMES. No, sir.

RANGER. They roll in three dawns. Before sunup. First wagons first. The rest follows the next day if the road holds.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

RANGER. And if a tag goes missing—men like you get whipped.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

RANGER. It wasn’t loose.

JAMES. No, sir.

RANGER. Tell me what you are.

JAMES. A servant, sir.

RANGER. To whom?

JAMES. To the General. As assigned.

RANGER. Which general?

JAMES. General Arnold, sir.

RANGER. Arnold’s leaving. North. Soon as the trains are gone. And Simcoe’s watching for anyone who starts asking why.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

RANGER. What’s your name?

JAMES. Joshua, sir.

RANGER. Say it like you mean it.

JAMES. Joshua, sir.

RANGER. You wander into the wrong row again, you don’t get me. You get Simcoe.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

RANGER. Go tie your cord where you were told.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

RANGER. Three dawns.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

(JAMES exits into the lanes. Moments later, in a pocket of cover, he ties a distinctive knot pattern on a wagon tie, then walks away.)

 

Dawn. British encampment. Wash area, then trees beyond camp. JAMES washes. LIAM nearby. JAMES signals LIAM to follow. They move out of sight among trees.

LIAM. Why didn’t you answer me yesterday?

JAMES. Because you said my name.

LIAM. I was glad to see you.

JAMES. I know.

LIAM. What’s happening, James?

JAMES. When I ran, I didn’t just run from a master. I ran from a price.

LIAM. So you changed your name.

JAMES. I became Joshua. Everyone here knows me by that.

LIAM. You afraid they’d sell you back?

JAMES. I didn’t come this far for freedom to be returned. Don’t tell anyone where you came from.

LIAM. Why would I?

JAMES. Just don’t. And don’t say my other name again.

LIAM. I understand. I figured you’d follow eventually. Same as me.

(JAMES does not respond. JAMES exits. LIAM watches him go.)
(Later. ARNOLD‘s tent. Packing.)

ARNOLD. Come in. Help me sort these. We’re transferring north. New York first. England after that. They need me there. I’ve earned it. Virginia was always provisional. New York—that’s where things matter. They’ll remember what I did here.
You look troubled.

JAMES. I hadn’t expected the move, sir.

ARNOLD. Neither had I. But it’s for the best. You’ll come with me. You’ve been useful.
(Later. SIMCOE intercepts JAMES with two officers.)

SIMCOE. Where are you going?

JAMES. The General instructed me to pack my things, sir.

SIMCOE. You’ll accompany us. Another tent.

(CORNWALLIS with SIMCOE and officers.)

SIMCOE. My lord, this is the orderly I mentioned.

CORNWALLIS. You’ve served General Arnold.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

CORNWALLIS. Simcoe speaks well of you. I’ll keep you. You’ll serve here.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

SIMCOE. You’re dismissed.

(JAMES exits back into camp.)

 

Late night. Barn. Lantern. COURIER and JAMES.

JAMES. Cornwallis has kept me. As his orderly.

COURIER. I expected that. Cornwallis is not Arnold. He listens. He remembers. And he notices who is quiet.

JAMES. They’re moving everything. Supplies. Guns. From Portsmouth to Yorktown.

COURIER. Go on.

JAMES. The command is tighter. More eyes.

COURIER. As you ascend, you speak less. And disappear more. What you’ll hear now will be larger than anything Arnold carried. Which means suspicion will have fewer places to land.

JAMES. It’s gonna be harder to pass information to you.

COURIER. Yorktown is tighter. Farther north. What worked here will not work there. I’m establishing something new. Someone near the fortifications. But it will take time.

JAMES. How much?

COURIER. Enough that you’ll be alone. Remember everything. Movements. Numbers. Names. But do not write.

JAMES. I understand.

COURIER. Without Arnold, you lose cover. And there is something else you should know. I’ve heard Simcoe, in his private life, opposes slavery. Which is to say—he does not mistake you for what others do. Where they see a servant, he sees a man. Remember that.

(JAMES exits.)

(Hard cut: Yorktown. Officers’ mess. Evening. CORNWALLIS at head, SIMCOE and officers present. JAMES serves.)

SIMCOE. Order at last. None of Arnold’s… improvisations.

OFFICER. Still remarkable, sir—trusting a man who betrayed his own.

CORNWALLIS (glances to JAMES). One must always wonder. Present company exempted, of course.

JAMES. Thank you, sir.

CORNWALLIS. I believe you are loyal.

JAMES. I am, sir.

(JAMES continues serving, now fully inside the circle.)

 

Yorktown. Late afternoon. Supply wagons and manifests. JAMES checks a wagon. SIMCOE approaches.

SIMCOE. What are you doing, Joshua?

JAMES. Checking the flour, sir. We’re short in the officers’ mess.

SIMCOE. It’ll arrive when it arrives. Come with me. You’ve been summoned.

(Transition to CORNWALLIS‘s quarters. SIMCOE brings JAMES. CORNWALLIS is at a desk.)

CORNWALLIS. Be seated.

SIMCOE. One of the camp workers was caught by my men inside your tent. He broke quickly. Claimed he’d been stealing from several quarters (produces a shilling) This came from yours. What is this, Joshua?

JAMES. A shilling, sir.

SIMCOE. Where did you get it?

JAMES. The general gave it to me, sir.

SIMCOE. Which general?

JAMES. General Arnold.

SIMCOE. Why?

JAMES. He said it was for my loyalty.

(SIMCOE nods to CORNWALLIS.)

CORNWALLIS. And are you still loyal to him?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

CORNWALLIS. Yet you were not loyal to your master.

JAMES. I was not loyal to him, sir, because he was not loyal to the Crown. I was held in brutal service by a man who would not serve his king.

CORNWALLIS. What do you hope to achieve by serving us?

JAMES. Dignity, sir.

CORNWALLIS. I require your service in another capacity. It will be hazardous. And of consequence.

(SIMCOE unrolls a map.)

SIMCOE. Our scouts report activity here.

CORNWALLIS. General Lafayette’s forces. Do you know this country?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

CORNWALLIS. You will go to them. As you would naturally be received. You will listen. Observe. Return.

SIMCOE. No one is to hear of this. Only His Lordship. And myself.

CORNWALLIS. Joshua. Will you serve your king?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

CORNWALLIS. See to it over the coming days.

SIMCOE. Yes, sir.

CORNWALLIS. You are dismissed.

(JAMES exits)

 

Wooded rise beyond American lines. Early morning. Fog. JAMES enters cautiously. Two CONTINENTAL PICKETS stop him at gunpoint.

FIRST PICKET. Hold.

SECOND PICKET. Don’t move.

JAMES. I’ve fled the British lines.

FIRST PICKET. How long you been running?

JAMES. Since before dawn.

SECOND PICKET. Too clean for a deserter.

JAMES. I’ll speak to an officer.

FIRST PICKET (snaps). You’ll speak to us boy!

SECOND PICKET. Captain Du Chesnoy’s nearby. Let’s take him there.

FIRST PICKET. March.

(Transition: Continental encampment. DU CHESNOY sees him.)

DU CHESNOY. James? James.

(DU CHESNOY brings him into a command tent where WAYNE is present.)

WAYNE. James? Sit. You come through the lines in daylight now.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

WAYNE. Why?

JAMES. I was sent.

WAYNE. By whom?

JAMES. Lord Cornwallis.

DU CHESNOY. You’d best explain that carefully.

(LAFAYETTE enters, then stops when he sees JAMES.)

LAFAYETTE. What are you doing here?

WAYNE. Answer the General.

JAMES. I am here, General Lafayette, to inform you that I have been commissioned by my Lordship Cornwallis to spy on your operations.

LAFAYETTE. Is that so? (smiles). Then by all means— (gestures toward the maps)
—you should begin.

 

Continental encampment. Late afternoon. Map table. LAFAYETTE, WAYNE, DU CHESNOY, JAMES.

LAFAYETTE. We must hold him. Not defeat him. Not provoke him. Hold him.

WAYNE. Until Washington arrives.

LAFAYETTE. If Cornwallis believes himself opposed in strength, he fortifies. If he fortifies, he delays. Delay is all we require.

DU CHESNOY. Our present numbers would not survive inspection.

LAFAYETTE. They need not be inspected. Only believed. What you report must suggest weight. Breadth. Presence.

JAMES. How much, General?

LAFAYETTE. You do not volunteer numbers. If pressed—speak of movements. Detachments. Confidence.

WAYNE. Let them count fires.

LAFAYETTE. Let them argue with what they think they’ve seen.

WAYNE. And if Cornwallis attempts escape by sea?

LAFAYETTE (smiles faintly). I have a thought. When you return, we require detail. Gun placements. Which works are finished. Which are merely watched.

JAMES. Yes, General.

(Later. Smaller tent. DU CHESNOY briefs JAMES.)

DU CHESNOY. One omission only. If Cornwallis asks whether we intend to prevent retreat by sea—you hesitate. You apologize. Say you overheard something. Nothing firm. Only if asked.

JAMES. Understood.

DU CHESNOY. Go. You mustn’t keep your Lordship waiting.

(Transition: British lines. JAMES passes a tent with an American PRIVATE under guard; SIMCOE steps out. JAMES continues to CORNWALLIS.)

CORNWALLIS. You’ve returned quickly.

JAMES. Yes, my Lord.

CORNWALLIS. You saw much?

JAMES. Enough to be certain.

CORNWALLIS. Speak.

JAMES. They move often. Detachments appear and vanish. Their lines stretch farther than expected. They speak confidently. As though expecting support.

CORNWALLIS. By land?

JAMES. Yes, sir.

CORNWALLIS. And the river?

JAMES. I—There was talk, sir. I neglected to mention it.

CORNWALLIS. What talk?

JAMES. Only officers speaking loosely. About boats. About readiness.

CORNWALLIS. That will be all.

JAMES. Yes, my Lord.

 

Intercut: American and British quarters. Night into morning. American quarters. DU CHESNOY meets JAMES and produces a worn letter.

DU CHESNOY. This is what you “found.” Numbers. Boats enough to block the river. Reinforcements arriving. You will remain at Yorktown. Take care to survive.

(JAMES takes the letter.)

(Morning. British encampment. JAMES moves freely to CORNWALLIS.)

CORNWALLIS. You have something?

JAMES. I did not enter the camp, sir. I found these along the road. In a satchel. I thought it unwise to carry them inside.

(CORNWALLIS reads; his urgency shows.)

CORNWALLIS. That will be all.

JAMES. Yes, my Lord.

(Inside CORNWALLIS‘s tent, he writes and seals a message.)

CORNWALLIS. Send this to New York at once.

(Outside, JAMES walks back toward his tent, slower.)
(Near Black Pioneers’ quarters. LIAM approaches.)

LIAM. Joshua! They’ve got us digging day and night. More guns brought in. Earthworks going up faster than I’ve ever seen. Feels like something’s coming. Soon.

(JAMES listens)

LIAM. Freedom’s close now.

(LIAM exits. JAMES continues on.)

 

Yorktown. Morning. Weeks later. Uniform tent (coats, steam). JAMES enters. The American deserter hurriedly dons a British uniform. They freeze, then the deserter walks past JAMES and exits through the tent flap, unchallenged. JAMES watches him go, then takes CORNWALLIS‘s uniform and exits. CORNWALLIS‘s quarters. JAMES lays out the uniform. CORNWALLIS enters.

CORNWALLIS. Prepare breakfast for myself and the officers.

JAMES. Yes, my Lord.

(An OFFICER bursts in.)

OFFICER. My Lord—we’ve discovered new works.

CORNWALLIS. Where?

OFFICER. Along the western approach. They dug through the night. High ground.

(CORNWALLIS and officers view fresh American trenches.)

CORNWALLIS. They mean to sit.

OFFICER. We should strike Lafayette now.

CORNWALLIS. No. We are under siege. Begin rationing.

OFFICER. At once, my Lord.

(Time compresses: rations reduced; water measured; horses culled; men grow quieter.)

(Later. CORNWALLIS speaks with an officer; JAMES hears.)

OFFICER. My lord, the rations are beginning to deplete.

CORNWALLIS. Send the laborers out. Wait—have the Black Pioneers do it. We mustn’t be so cruel.

(Dusk. Near the Black Pioneers’ quarters. The camp is hungry quiet. LIAM sits on a crate, stripped of his coat. JAMES approaches with a small ration.)

LIAM (low). You got extra.

JAMES. I’m closer to the officers.

(He breaks the bread. Hands half to LIAM. LIAM eats immediately.)

LIAM. They pushed the workers out today (swallows). That’s how it starts.

JAMES. That’s how it’s been.

LIAM. They say when the fighting starts, it’ll be quick. If we hold. If we’re useful.
A beat.

JAMES. You don’t have to be here when it does.

LIAM. You leaving?

(James does not answer.)

LIAM. This is my chance, James. I’m not running again. No sir. I’m gonna gain my freedom. Get a job in one of them northern colonies, learn to read and write. Maybe even get a wife.

(He looks at the bread.)

LIAM (quiet). You always see the door before it opens.

(James nods once.)

JAMES. Be careful.

(James turns and walks away. Liam watches him go. JAMES says nothing. LIAM retreats. JAMES walks toward his tent, stops near a wagon, leans against it, and weeps.)

 

Yorktown. Early morning. Perimeter. JAMES passes with linens; SIMCOE speaks urgently to an aide nearby.

SIMCOE. Washington and Rochambeau have joined Lafayette. Their combined strength—eighteen to twenty thousand.

(A distant BOOM. Then another, closer. The bombardment begins. Inside CORNWALLIS‘s quarters: reports arrive.)

OFFICER. Batteries firing from the south and west.

OFFICER. Redoubt Nine taking sustained fire.

(Time compresses under continued cannon fire: damage reports escalate.)

OFFICER. A magazine struck. Gun crews reduced. Water stores contaminated.

(CORNWALLIS dictates to an OFFICER.)

CORNWALLIS. “Sir—My situation now becomes very critical. I cannot recommend that the fleet and army should run great risk in endeavoring to save us.”

(Night, October 14, 1781. A flare rises; attacks reported.)

OFFICER (O.S.). They’re attacking the redoubts!

OFFICER. Redoubt Nine—engaged by the French!

OFFICER. Redoubt Ten—Americans advancing!

OFFICER. Redoubt Ten has fallen.

OFFICER. Redoubt Nine—(low)—lost.

(October 17. Morning.)

CORNWALLIS. You will go under a flag of truce. Your instructions are simple. Establish terms.

(The OFFICER exits. CORNWALLIS and JAMES remain.)

CORNWALLIS. You should leave in the ranks of the Black Pioneers. Few will recognize you there. Fewer still will ask questions.

(CORNWALLIS gives JAMES back his shilling.)

CORNWALLIS. Quiet service deserves acknowledgment.

(JAMES exits into the encampment.)

 

Lafayette’s command tent. Day. Officers moving with purpose.

WAYNE. The British are forming lines, sir. Preparing to march out.

LAFAYETTE. Very well.

DU CHESNOY. Do you believe he—

WAYNE (quiet). If anyone could.

DU CHESNOY. With your permission, sir.

(DU CHESNOY exits.)

(British surrender line. Drums slow. Prisoners searched. JAMES stands in line; LIAM is several men behind him.)

PRIVATE. What’s this?

(The PRIVATE takes the shilling from JAMES.)

PRIVATE. That won’t do you much good where you’re going.

(JAMES is waved forward. DU CHESNOY calls out and pushes through.)

DU CHESNOY (O.S.). James! You survived. (to guards) Release him.

(JAMES is pulled from the line.)

LIAM. James! James! What have you done, James?

(Guards restrain LIAM as he shouts. JAMES does not turn. DU CHESNOY guides him away.)

(Lafayette’s headquarters. LAFAYETTE sees JAMES—recognition, not celebration.)

(Washington’s headquarters. Formal surrender. CORNWALLIS enters. Washington and his aids stand behind a desk Cornwallis speaks with Washington .and exits. As he turns to leave, he sees LAFAYETTE and JAMES; he pauses. The faintest grin. Then exits.)

 

New Kent County, Virginia. 1783. Late afternoon. Armistead property. JAMES enters, travel-worn. ELIJAH stacks firewood and sees him.

ELIJAH. James.

JAMES. Elijah.

ELIJAH. You’re back.

JAMES. The war’s done.

ELIJAH. We heard. Come inside.

(Later, behind the house. JAMES and ELIJAH sit.)

ELIJAH. I heard about Yorktown.

JAMES. Most did.

ELIJAH. Did you see him?

JAMES. Yes. He was taken prisoner at Yorktown.

ELIJAH. His master claimed him after the surrender. Said running to the British was treason. Said examples had to be made. He sold him south. Not for need—for punishment. Different county. Different name, I expect.

(JAMES faces the wall.)

ELIJAH. We used to talk. You remember. About freedom. About what it would look like when it came. Seems it learned how to punish first.

(WILLIAM ARMISTEAD enters and stops short on seeing JAMES.)

WILLIAM. Well I’ll be damned. James. Back in one piece.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

WILLIAM. I followed the war as best I could. Heard the French did well. Heard Lafayette’s name often enough. And how did you comport yourself?

JAMES. As I was instructed.

WILLIAM. I can take you to Richmond. See about your discharge. Have the clerk draw up papers.

JAMES. I don’t have any, sir.

WILLIAM. No papers?

JAMES. I didn’t serve with a regiment. I worked directly. For General Lafayette.

WILLIAM. That complicates matters.

ELIJAH. Master William—

WILLIAM. The legislature authorized compensation. Two hundred and fifty pounds. For owners of emancipated veterans.

ELIJAH. Is there nothing that can be done, sir?

WILLIAM. Do you have two hundred and fifty pounds, Elijah? The law is specific. Still… there may be a way. If James petitions the Assembly. If they grant his freedom directly—the compensation would still apply. It would take time.

JAMES. Yes, sir.

WILLIAM. We’ll speak on it again.

(WILLIAM exits. JAMES picks up his bag and moves toward the quarters. ELIJAH watches.)

 

Richmond, Virginia. 1784. Late afternoon. Outside the House of Delegates.
WILLIAM exits angry. JAMES follows.

WILLIAM
A damned insult. To suggest I came before them for profit. They posture. They delay. And all the while congratulate themselves on restraint.
We’ll remain a few days. There are still conversations worth having.

(Days later. A public room in Richmond. LAFAYETTE is present. WILLIAM enters.)

LAFAYETTE. Mr. Armistead.

WILLIAM. General.

LAFAYETTE. Virginia treats you well, I trust.

WILLIAM. As well as any man might expect.

LAFAYETTE. Have you heard from James?

(JAMES steps into view. LAFAYETTE sees him.)

LAFAYETTE. You are still…?

JAMES. Yes, General.

LAFAYETTE (Looks to WILLIAM). I had assumed Virginia would honor its debts to those who won its freedom.

WILLIAM. The Assembly disagreed.

LAFAYETTE (To JAMES). You served with intelligence and restraint. Your work shortened the war. That service should not vanish for want of ink. (To WILLIAM) I will write. Not as a favor. As a record. If the Commonwealth wishes to be remembered for justice, it should act accordingly.

(LAFAYETTE exits.)

(Weeks later. New Kent County. A rider delivers a sealed letter to WILLIAM. He reads, rereads, then looks toward the quarters.)

(Later. Yard. WILLIAM holds the testimonial. ELIJAH nearby.)
WILLIAM. The Marquis de Lafayette.

ELIJAH. And James?

WILLIAM. The Assembly will decide. But they will not pretend they did not know.

(WILLIAM exits. ELIJAH remains.)

ELIJAH. Free him, lord. Free him.

 

Virginia House of Delegates. Winter 1786. SPEAKER raps once. WILLIAM sits among DELEGATES.

SPEAKER. The House will consider a bill reported from committee concerning the petition of William Armistead of New Kent County.

CLERK (reads). “A bill to authorize the manumission of a certain slave named James, the property of William Armistead, in consideration of extraordinary services rendered during the late war.”

(WILLIAM stands with a letter.)

WILLIAM. With the House’s permission. (He reads Lafayette’s testimonial aloud.) “This is to certify that the bearer by the name of James has done essential services to me while I had the honor to command in this state. His intelligences from the enemy’s camp were industriously collected and faithfully delivered. He perfectly acquitted himself with some important commissions I gave him and appears to me entitled to every reward his situation can admit of. Done under my hand, Richmond, November 21st, 1784. Lafayette.”

DELEGATE #1. These services—they were rendered while the man was enslaved?

WILLIAM. Yes.

DELEGATE #2. Not as an enlisted soldier?

WILLIAM. No.

DELEGATE #3. Then this bill applies only to this individual?

WILLIAM. Only.

DELEGATE #4. No precedent intended?

WILLIAM. None.

SPEAKER. All in favor of engrossment?

(AYES. No dissent.)
(Later. Third reading. Title only.)

SPEAKER. The question before the House—passage?

(AYES. Unanimous.)

CLERK (Records).

SPEAKER. The bill passes.

(WILLIAM remains seated, rereads Lafayette’s letter, then pockets it as business continues.)

 

Continuation of Act I, Scene 1. Yorktown, Virginia. 1824. The CROWD is uncertain. Ceremony resumes around LAFAYETTE and JAMES. An AIDE cues LAFAYETTE back to the platform. LAFAYETTE turns to JAMES.

LAFAYETTE (low). I am glad you lived.

JAMES. So am I, sir.

LAFAYETTE. They tell me you took my name.

JAMES. It has served me well.

LAFAYETTE. Then I am honored.

(A drum calls LAFAYETTE away.)

LAFAYETTE. I must—

JAMES. Of course, sir.

(LAFAYETTE turns to the ceremony. The CROWD swells again for him. JAMES remains, then steps back into the CROWD until he disappears.)