A damp squib?

General Bercollin was still in a bad mood as he waded through another patch of swamp to get to his troops waiting close to the riverbank. Captain Twyth was sure that the General would have called the whole stupid idea off before now, but here they were about to send several companies across the river on flimsy rafts, just to convince the Representative on Mission that they were making every possible effort to spread republican ideas to the oppressed masses on the other bank.

They had managed to round up a few river-folk to steer the rafts and explained that it was either that or face prison/Madame Guillotine for refusal. They had attempted to point out to Representative Laine that the current would be too swift and that the rafts were unlikely to make the crossing and that if they did they they would probably not end up where intended at Stonew on the other bank.

The plan was simple enough the troops would cross the river secure Stonew and its boats and these would be used to transfer the rest of the army across. In vain General Bercollin had argued that it was better to wait the larger barges promised by the powers that be in Paris.

Very little was known about the opposition, but it was expected to be just militia, who would just run at the first appearance of French troops.