The Fiery Cross

The narrative resumes on April 15, the night before Jamie, Roger, Claire, and the others will depart from Fraser’s Ridge for the military campaign. Brianna and Jemmy are also going to leave Fraser’s Ridge: Brianna has been commissioned to paint the portrait of a wealthy woman who lives in Hillsborough and will be staying there to carry out this work. Roger is uncomfortable with this because Hillsborough is located near Regulator activity. Roger is also aware that Brianna is still taking measures to avoid getting pregnant.

By May 1, Claire, Jamie, and their militia have arrived to meet with other troops at a plantation owned by a man named Colonel Bryan. Governor Tryon and his troops have not arrived yet. Plans are very uncertain due to a “mass of hearsay, supposition, and sheer wild invention” (827).

The narrative switches to a series of journal entries from Governor Tryon that describe the military activities. These entries describe the progress of the military force toward the Regulators and the establishment of a camp on the banks of the Alamance River. On May 15, Tryon notes that “the Army should march against the Rebels [Regulators] early the next morning, that the Governor should send them a letter offering them Terms, and in Case of Refusal, should attack them” (833). The stage is set for a large-scale military confrontation between the Regulators and the Governor’s forces. An entry from Brianna’s dream diary records a foreboding dream of a violent battle.

Jamie shares information about the upcoming battle with his men. He then tells Claire that he has picked up further word of Stephen Bonnet from some of the other officers: Bonnet seems to be bringing contraband goods to North America from Europe and selling them at a vast profit. Bonnet also seems to be bringing smuggled goods ashore at a location very close to Philip Wylie’s plantation, which implies but doesn’t confirm that Bonnet and Wylie could be working together, despite Wylie denying this.

Claire and Jamie turn to discussing whether the impending battle can be stopped. Herman Husband is now at the Regulator camp, and they wonder if he can persuade the Regulators to stand down. Husband is a leader in the Regulator movement and a Quaker, meaning he believes in nonviolence. Jamie decides to send Roger to the Regulator camp to meet with Husband and hopefully bring him back to negotiate with Governor Tryon.

Governor Tryon’s letter orders the Regulators to lay down their weapons, turn in their leaders, and surrender to the government forces. If they do not do so within one hour of receiving the letter, they will be attacked.

On the morning of May 16, the letter is sent to the Regulators, and everyone waits to see what will happen. Governor Tryon comes to inspect Jamie’s men. Jamie reveals that he is attempting to bring Herman Husband over to the camp, and he pleads with Tryon to meet with Husband to negotiate and avoid a battle. Tryon concludes that he will meet with Husband if Husband comes to the camp, but he won’t delay any plans to wait for him.

The narrative reproduces an official order from Tryon to anyone who is part of the army. No one is allowed to leave the camp. Roger makes his way toward the Regulators, reflecting on his ambivalence about the conflict and distaste for harming anyone. When he reaches the Regulator camp, no one seems to take any notice of him, and he looks for Herman Husband. He eventually finds Husband arguing with several men, who are insistent that a battle can no longer be avoided. Roger pulls Husband aside to speak with him privately.

Roger asks Husband to come to the British camp with him, under Jamie’s protection, and meet with Tryon. Husband does not think the Regulators will back down, and he hopes that Tryon will see that they are merely protesting unfair conditions. Husband is also reluctant to assume any sort of leadership role.

Roger and Husband pray together, and then Husband begins telling the Regulators to disband and go home. Husband rides away, telling the Regulators that he will not contribute to any bloodshed. Confused, the Regulators begin to question Roger as to whether he somehow persuaded Husband to retreat. Roger seizes the chance to urge the Regulators to stand down, telling them that Tryon will be forgiving if they retreat voluntarily, but they will be annihilated if they engage in open battle. They refuse and tell him to go back to Tryon and convey that they are not giving up.

Jamie and Claire are surprised when Brianna abruptly rides into their camp. Hearing that a battle was likely, Brianna has brought supplies and offers to help Claire tend to the wounded. Brianna is worried when she hears that Jamie has sent Roger to the Regulators’ camp. The atmosphere becomes tense; Brianna is convinced that since she has never heard of a battle at Alamance, nothing will happen. However, Claire becomes increasingly anxious, and Jamie and his men are summoned to march out to the field of battle.

Roger walks back toward Tryon’s forces, concluding that because he persuaded Husband to leave, the Regulator forces might now collapse and disband. He comes upon a group of women and recognizes one of them as Morag MacKenzie. Morag is one of Roger’s ancestors. Shortly after he time traveled to the 18th century, Roger journeyed from Scotland to North America in pursuit of Brianna. He met Morag, who was traveling on the same ship with her husband William Buccleigh MacKenzie and her infant son. Roger is moved to encounter her once again and urges her to warn her husband to break from the Regulators and find safety. Impulsively, Roger kisses Morag.

William Buccleigh MacKenzie appears just in time to see Roger kiss Morag and becomes enraged by jealousy. William and Morag begin arguing, and Roger hits William in an effort to protect her. Meanwhile, other Regulators have arrived. They pursue Roger, and he is eventually captured by them. As he is seized, Roger hears the battle beginning on the other side of the river.

As the battle begins, Jamie is increasingly alarmed because Roger has not returned. If Roger tries to make his way back in the chaos of battle, there is a good chance either side could shoot him. However, Jamie rapidly becomes preoccupied as he leads his men into exchanging fire with the Regulators. Jamie and his men capture several Regulators as prisoners.

Roger is tied up and gagged by Buccleigh and the other Regulators. The situation worsens when some of the Regulators who witnessed Roger talking with Herman Husband blame him for Husband abandoning the cause. Morag makes the situation worse by repeatedly interceding for Roger and telling her husband not to harm him. These pleas make Buccleigh even more jealous because he can tell that Morag cares about Roger. As the British militia begins approaching, Buccleigh summons them, using Roger’s badge to misrepresent himself as a member of the militia, rather than a Regulator.

The better armed and prepared militia forces quickly defeat the Regulators, and men from both sides, including prisoners and the wounded, begin returning to the main camp. Claire offers as much medical assistance as she can. Jamie returns safely and immediately goes in search of Roger.

Claire is outraged by rumors that Governor Tryon is going to hang some of the key leaders in the Regulator movement. She concedes that since the casualties amongst the defeated Regulators were not too severe, Tryon may feel the need to frighten them away from further action. Jamie and Claire try vainly to reassure Brianna that they will find Roger.

Roger slowly comes to, groggy and in pain. He dazedly watches, unable to speak, as William Buccleigh MacKenzie lies to Governor Tryon, claiming that Roger is James MacQuiston, a leader in the Regulator movement. Roger is hung in front of a crowd.

A woman comes running into Jamie and Claire’s camp to inform them that Roger is being hanged after being mistaken for a Regulator leader. Jamie, Claire, and Brianna rush to the area where the hangings are taking place. They arrive too late but detect faint signs of life and hastily cut Roger down. Claire performs an emergency procedure that permits Roger to begin breathing.

After nearly dying, Roger slowly regains consciousness.

Once Roger’s condition has stabilized, Claire leaves Brianna with him so that she can see to the other wounded men. Roger is unable to speak, and Brianna can’t tell if he can hear her or not. She experiences tumultuous emotions as she tends to him.

Claire provides medical treatment to Isaiah Morton, the man who had engaged in an illicit relationship with Alicia Brown and eloped with her. Isaiah has been shot, and Claire and Jamie realize that Alicia’s family took the opportunity to get revenge during the chaos of battle. Despite the severe injuries, Isaiah seems likely to recover. Claire learns that Abel MacLennan followed the Regulators to the battlegrounds but left before the fighting began. He intends to help care for and provide for the families of Regulator men who died or were taken prisoner in battle.

Governor Tryon comes to the camp and vainly attempts to apologize for the mix-up that nearly cost Roger his life. Jamie lashes out, accusing Tryon of causing suffering and death to aggrandize his reputation, but Tryon explains that he has been made Governor of New York and will be leaving North Carolina shortly. He only wanted to control the Regulators so that his successor would not immediately inherit problems and dissent. Tryon argues that war and leadership invariably involve making difficult decisions.