Many of us talk about ‘going down the rabbit hole’ or ‘doom-scrolling’ when on social media. There’s a similar effect when one is researching topics. Each bit of information leads to another bit, until you are spinning away in different directions, researching different threads, each one making your research richer.
This has happened with The Elen Chronicles, of Love and Blood. I had always read and been told that after the Revolutionary War battle— the Battle of Brandywine —that wounded from both sides were taken to Ephrata Cloister to a Revolutionary War hospital. It was in my plot that Elen would follow these soldiers to Ephrata. We learned in our recent visit to Ephrata that, according to recently discovered primary source documents, soldiers did not arrive at Ephrata until mid-December 1777.
This has blown a hole in my plot, but not necessarily a bad one. I do want Elen to end up in Ephrata, but there is a four-month gap from what I had originally planned.
Elen is a healer. It’s no surprise she has followed the soldiers to assist in their healing. So, Elen’s path has changed. She currently resides (in my head) in 1777 near Charlestown, Maryland. Charlestown was a bustling port at that time, and near Principio Forge, where George Washington had munitions made. America and Britain had technically been at war since April 19, 1775. It was now nearby.
When she learns of the nearby battles of Cooch’s Bridge (Delaware) and Brandywine (Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania), she feels led to assist with the wounded. But now what? She doesn’t want to run into any Redcoats as she still despises the British for taking her daughter and best friend, Flora. Her challenge is to circumvent the British troops and get to the places where she can be of assistance to the sick and wounded soldiers.
George Washington retreated from the Battle of Brandywine, moving East to Chester County, PA. He fought the British, including General Howe, during the British takeover of Philadelphia. He began to set up a hospital in Historic Yellow Springs at Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. He began building the first military hospital, but also established other venues to care for the wounded in Bethlehem and Allentown. More hospitals were required after the loss at the Battle of Germantown on October 4, 1777. Additional hospitals were required and established in Evansburg, Trappe, Falkner Swamp, and Skippack. There were also hospitals in Reading and Lititz. Ephrata, Pennsylvania, too.
An interesting article can be found here and another found here.
So, the question lies in where Elen goes to assist in healing the wounded? I’ll be following those rabbits down the rabbit hole…
Photo by Michaela Murphy on Unsplash
