The Liberty Boys Running the Blockade; or, Getting Out of New York

In the bustling streets of 1776 New York, a youthful squad of Continental soldiers—known as the Liberty Boys—patrol the city’s avenues, their crisp uniforms a flash of patriotism against the looming British threat. Captain Dick Slater and Lieutenant Bob Estabrook sense they are being tailed by a mysterious, steeple‑crowned stranger, prompting them to slip into the lively Fraunces tavern where officers swap stories and secrets over ale. Their banter about daring exploits and flirting admirers masks a sharper purpose: to confirm whether the watcher is a British spy and to turn the tables on him before the enemy can strike.

The chase leads the boys from the tavern to Trinity Church and then on to Bowling Green, where they scatter and keep a careful watch on every passerby. As they decode cryptic scratches on a pewter mug—“Follow Slater”—the tension rises, hinting at a covert game of cat and mouse amid the city’s cramped alleys and crowded squares. Listeners are drawn into the early days of the Revolution, feeling the pulse of youthful courage, suspicion, and the hidden dangers that stalk the streets of a city on the brink.