Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "battle-of-bladensburg"

Capital’s Punishment by John Danielski

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The heat of August 1814 is unbearable, especially for soldiers wearing wool uniforms, yet Royal Marine Captain Thomas Pennywhistle explores the road ahead of the invasion force marching on Washington. At thirty years old, years of war have left him with a jaded heart and scarred soul, but chivalry remains as much a part of him as duty and honor. He quickly dispatches armed deserters from the Maryland Militia threatening an elderly woman trying to protect her farm animals from scavengers, before continuing with his mission. Along the way, he also contemplates the American marine who could almost be his twin. The truth tarnishes his idolized father, but he accepts that U. S. Marine Captain John Tracy must be his brother.

Tracy and his marines, as well as numerous other officers, find it difficult to prepare a defense of the capital because contradicting orders from their commanding officer and interfering politicians countermand army operations. Tracy is among the seasoned fighters who realize that they have no chance of winning the upcoming battle outside Bladensburg. The unknown is how badly they will lose it. For him, another question concerns him. If and when he meets his brother – a stranger until a short while ago – will he be capable of killing him?

Wherever Pennywhistle goes, fighting is sure to follow, so if Sammie Jo Matthews wants to shoot any high-ranking enemy officers, she only has to trail him. From her hiding space, she watches and waits for her chance. She’s as much aware of him as he is of her, which is why he spared her life after she tried to bushwhack him. She’s honor bound to not shoot him, but never promised to stop killing British redcoats. The problem comes when she shoots a fellow American to protect Pennywhistle. Not only has she given away her position, she’s betrayed her country. Which leaves her in a pickle. She may be beautiful, but she’s a backwoods sharpshooter and no way will she ever fit into his world. At least, that’s what Pennywhistle, his brother, and his friends believe. She’ll just have to convince them otherwise – a tough thing to accomplish on the eve of battle and when he’s washed his hands of her.

Capital’s Punishment is a fast-paced, galvanizing depiction of the devastating defeat of the Americans at Bladensburg and burning of the White House and other government buildings in Washington. The action, interspersed with lulls before storms, easily transports readers back in time to witness the most demoralizing event in the War of 1812. Rather than present a single perspective of what occurs, Danielski allows readers to experience history from a variety of British and American viewpoints, thus allowing us to gain a better understanding of why this unfolded as it did.

From time to time, there are chinks in the story: misspelled or missing words and disconcerting phrases that occur when the author interrupts to explain some point. Two such examples involve a soldier who decides it’s “time for some French leave, what would be labeled AWOL by future generations”, and the preacher whose “irresistible personal magnetism that enraptured a man almost against his will; later generations would call it ‘charisma.’” (235 and 279 respectively) The problem with these explanations is that they pull readers out of the story. Readers may also find the resolution of the “insidious secessionist conspiracy” unsatisfactory and the lengthy explanation of how Sammie Jo speaks tedious.

These are minor imperfections when weighed against the pivotal way Danielski brings to life three days of a war that spanned three years. He paints a graphic depiction of the realities of war, never glamorizing what transpires and always showing how it affects those who experience it. He vividly recreates the sights, sounds, and smells of the aftermath of battle. His interpretation of the storm that struck Washington and the surrounding area while the city burned unfolds in a way that places readers in the midst of the rain, wind, and terror. The colloquial dialogue some characters speak helps to round out the feel of the time period and provides readers with unique mental images that are easily grasped. One example comes when two former slaves are spying on Americans gathering to launch a counterstrike on the British. “Did you get a look at their faces? Every man jack in that column was as hungry for a fight as a dog spotting a steak bone.” (290)

Perhaps the most striking facet in Capital’s Punishment is the portrayal of war versus civility. Time and again, survival forces men and women to come to grips with realities that require them to do immoral acts, which are counter to the morals on which they’ve been raised. While the final confrontation between Pennywhistle’s veteran soldiers and common Americans led by a fire-and-brimstone preacher who imagines himself to be a modern-day Oliver Cromwell, is fictional, it is also heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat, and breathtaking. The dénouement is poignant, unexpected, revealing, and indelible.




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