Gage's Instructions

An unsettling glimpse into the opening weeks of the American Revolution, this work follows two British officers dispatched by General Gage to chart the roads, terrain, and resources of the countryside between Boston and Worcester. Their meticulous sketches quickly give way to vivid, on‑the‑ground observations of the people they encounter—farmers, townsfolk, and restless patriots whose suspicion turns into open hostility. As the officers push deeper into the heart of the colonies, the narrative captures the uneasy balance between military duty and the growing undercurrent of rebellion.

The account then shifts to a second, more urgent mission toward Concord, where the officers are tasked with assessing colonial armaments and fortifications. Their reports are peppered with tense encounters, from frightened women warning of mob vengeance to frantic attempts to evade local militia patrols. Interwoven with these personal stories is a stark record of the British troops’ movements and the early casualties that foreshadow the conflict’s rapid escalation.