Patriot After All

Elizabeth’s eyes swept around the crowded main room of Mrs. Bates’ tavern. Though Mrs. Bates ran a much smaller establishment than Godwin House, she ran it with exceeding discipline. The food was simple but fair, the drink was effective, and the main room was deeply cleaned every night no matter how late the night went. Elizabeth loved it in its simplicity and felt a companionship with Mrs. Bates.

Situated right on the docks, Mrs. Bates’ typical clientele consisted mostly of men. Sailors, customs officials, sailmakers like Christopher. Today, however, the room was awash in beribboned bonnets. Customers pulled aside skirts to make more room on the crowded benches. A bit of lavender soap and floral perfume scented the air. They did not eat, they did not drink. They prepared.

There had to be at least a hundred of them. Women who ran taverns and print shops, who sold baked goods and tailored clothes, who managed farms and family estates. Among them were Anne Green and Mary Halstead. Catherine Lanham had made the trip to town, which pleased Elizabeth greatly. And Christopher's fiancee, young Louisa Halstead, was looking both excited and a bit nervous about her first foray into political protest. Would Mary Paca have joined them if she lived? Elizabeth was surprised to find that she missed her old nemesis. 

”Sometimes it feels like there’s not much we women can do,” Anne Green had recently told the girl over tea at Godwin House. “We can’t vote, we can’t hold council positions. But we run our households and we can make an effective fuss over goods when we need to.”

For Elizabeth, today’s errand was not politically motivated. Or at least she did not think so. She simply wanted to get supplies she needed to run her business. She simply wanted to free herself from the tyranny of a merchant who sought to hoard goods and charge exorbitant prices for those goods he did release. Coffee, tea, flour, sugar. These were the foundation of Elizabeth’s business and she would fight to get them at a reasonable cost. Was it unpatriotic for George Stillman to hoard the goods? Maybe. But that was a secondary concern for her. If a concern at all.

En masse, the women rose from their tables and began a deliberate march to Stillman’s warehouse. The delightful spring day ensured that there would be many on the streets to witness the parade. Elizabeth thought she saw Bede, with a vaguely familiar black man who rushed off quickly, but that could not be because Elizabeth had not written her a pass for the day. Perhaps Henry had? She shook the oddly distracting thought from her mind as she entwined her arms with Catherine and Anne. Together they marched.

Stillman’s warehouse stood right on the water, an imposing building that cast a large shadow over loading platforms and small boats bobbing at the docks. The women ignored the small door that led to the office, choosing instead the larger double doors of the storage space. Stillman rushed out of the office, clumsily pushing his hat over unpowered hair.

”Ladies!” The anger in his voice reverberated off the warehouse walls. “Ladies! How can I be of assistance?” More like how can I be rid of you.

A growing crowd circled the warehouse as Anne Green stepped forward. She had unanimously been voted spokesperson back at Mrs. Bates’ tavern. She was good with words and held herself with a confidence that had inspired even the council to call upon her for printing of official government matters. She knew how to handle powerful men.

”You’ve got our tea and we want it back.”

”Of course, of course!” Stillman answered. He eyed the crowd of women, then surveyed the spectators gathering behind him. “Please do come into the office and we can reconcile all orders.”

It was a ruse. All of them had orders pending. All of those orders with price points far above the value of the goods. 

“Reconcile all orders at a reasonable price?” Anne looked straight into his eyes, arms crossed over her chest. “We won’t be cheated.” 

Stillman took a step forward causing the woman to gather protectively around Anne. The anger in his eyes was replaced by something else. Perhaps trepidation. Perhaps confusion. Men had gathered to watch the spectacle, but none were coming to Stillman's aid. 

Several women had broken off and were tugging at the heavy warehouse doors. Stillman rushed at them imploring them to have just a moment’s patience. But they had been patient, for months, and now that patience was all used up.

The massive doors were rolled open with a loud roar. Gleefully, the women pressed into the warehouse and finding moving carts, began loading them with all their needs. Anne and Mary gently moved Stillman aside. He watched, helpless and humiliated, as goods flowed from his stores. 

They did not need help from the crowd that watched with a mix of shock and amusement. They did not need the help of the black workers, some fearful, some entertained by the ruckus. With expert effectiveness the women distributed goods amongst themselves. And when it was over, they thanked Stillman kindly and wished him a patriotic good day.

***

Elizabeth and Mrs. Bates were the only ones left in Mrs. Bate’s storeroom. Catherine and Louisa had enlisted Henry and the boys to retrieve Godwin House’s share. Catherine also took supplies for Lanham Plantation, which were being held securely near the waterfront for her pending departure. Anne and Mary Halstead had managed Stillman and the spectating crowd. Both had taken supplies and returned home.

”I’d like to take this to the girls,” Mrs. Bates had set aside boxes of tea and coffee and some basic foodstuffs. “The girls” she referred to were a group of young women employed by a rough fellow known as Master John. He ran a disorderly house where Elizabeth knew Tommy had frequented during his worst days. The girls were subjected to far too much in their exhausting and abusive hours. Elizabeth and Mrs. Bates would deliver the goods to them secretly so Master John could not steal them.

Steal what in truth was already stolen.

Elizabeth nodded in agreement and considered the day's events. Was this indeed American patriotism? Was she indeed a patriot?

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