My Brother Sam is Dead

• By James Lincoln Collier & Christopher Collier

Chapter One• When everyone is having dinner, Sam suddenly bursts in from Yale with a

flashy red uniform and tells his father that the Lobsterbacks had been driven away from Massachusetts. With that Sam’s father loses his temper.

• Sam and Life argues about loyalty to the king and freedom. Life puts an end to the fight and Tim gets Sam to help with some of the chores.

Chapter One• Sam tells Tim that he had actually came to get the Brown Bess. On

the next morning Sam and Life fight again, and this time Sam is kicked out. Tim ends up seeing his father cry for the first time in his life.

Chapter Two• After the fight, Tim went to church to find Tom Warrups waiting for

him after service ended. Tom told Tim where Sam was when Tim promised not to tell anyone.

• Tim lied to Life and went out to visit his brother. Sam was with Betsy Read and they asked Tim is he was on his father’s side or this brother’s side.

Chapter Two• Torn between his father and brother, Tim tried not to answer

Betsy's question, but then he saw the Brown Bess that Sam had stolen. Sam said he would die without the gun, so Tim left confused and mixed up inside.

Chapter Three• Life threw a person out of his tavern when the fellow started

shouting insults at the King. There were a lot of arguments about the war.

• Time passed and Tim’s family barely talked about Sam because it made some uncomfortable tensions between them. Betsy

promised Tim that she would tell him when Sam came back.

Chapter Three• Tim got more manly and smarter over the months. Finally Betsy

gave Tim a signal that Sam was back when it started snowing.

Chapter 4• When Tim was trying to find an excuse to visit Sam, Rebel forces came into Redding and into the tavern. Tim heard shouting and he peeked inside the door to see a Rebel pointing a sword at his father.

• The Patriots asked for Life’s gun and said that they would kill him if he didn’t. With that Tim went flying to Warrup’s house to find Sam. Tim tried to steal the gun while Sam was sleeping but Sam caught up with Tim in no time.

• However, Tim managed to convince Sam to go down to the house with him to check up on things. It seemed like the Rebels had given up and left because Life was fine. When Sam saw that he ran for it and soon he was out of sight.

Chapter 5• After that incident, the war became more real to Tim. Most of Redding had lost their guns and they no protection. Food became a problem too. Both armies stole cattle from the citizens

• One day Mr.Heron came inside the tavern. He asked Tim to do a little job for him and take a business letter to Fairfield. Unfortunately, Life was against it and when he said no he meant it.

• Tim wanted to boast to Sam about his accomplishments and he got angry at his father for not letting him go and deliver a measly letter. Tim almost started an argument with Life, but he found that there wasn’t any use to argue and he went fishing with Jerry, but he still wanted to do the job.

Chapter 6• Tim still wanted a go at the job. He told Mr. Heron that he wanted to

do the job secretly. Mr. Heron agreed and told Tim to go early in the morning. Tim lied to his father and said that he was going fishing again.

• As Tim was walking toward Fairfield Road he met Betsy Read. As nosy as ever, she wanted to know what the letter was and where he was going. She told Tim that Sam was in Horseneck, that’s when Tim accidently let out who had given him the letter.

• When she heard that the letter was Mr. Heron’s, Betsy tackled Tim for the letter and she managed to wrestle it out of Tim’s shirt. She got the letter, but it turned out that it was nothing important.

Chapter 7• Two letters arrive from Sam to his Mother and Life and Susannah

argue about sending a reply in which the mother wins. By fall, the usual trip to Verplancks Point came up and this time Life had to take Tim to herd the cattle.

• On November, Life got all the cattle together for the trip with Tim. They were warned about the cow-boys who stole cattle from passing people, but they still set out anyway.

• They encountered the cow-boys after sometime. However, they were lucky and they got away with a few bruises. Another kind man came and escorted them to their destination

Chapter 8• Tim had a good time with his cousins, sharing news and chatting.

They went with an escort along the Hudson bay toward Verplanks point. Tim saw lifestyle that he had never imagined. Boys where pulling huge fishes out of the water. Mesmerized as he was they had to keep on moving.

• Snow began in light flakes. About ten minutes later it was snowing so hard that they could not see. It was hard work to get the cattle on track with them balking all the time.

• Life and Tim had two miles left until they reached their relatives again. It seemed endless, but when they reached it they were warm and safe. Tim feel asleep with his cousins before he bright fire.

Chapter 9• When Tim and Father leave Platt house, but snow falls heavily making it hard for them to cover land. Their escort has not met them, due to the snow, never less they go on. Tim feels frightened and lonely, but he keeps going. The Meekers make it through Ridgebury without meeting any cow thieves.

• Sam’s father rides up again to scout the path ahead. He takes too much time, so Tim goes to check on him. He sees the the tracks that his father has been taken away, probably by the cow-boys. Up ahead he sees three cow-boys mounted on horses.

• Tim tries to act calm pretends that he thinks that the three coy-boys are the escorts that his father supposedly called The cow-boys begin to argue about whether to stay or leave. They wanted to steal the rum that Tim had. In the end, they ran away, scared by a dog’s bark.

Chapter Ten• With neither Mr. Meeker nor Sam at home, Tim has to work in the tavern even on Sundays

to earn money. Mrs. Meeker talked with Colonel Read, who had lost hope for the Patriots to win. Colonel Read mentions that Sam might not even be allowed to return home.

• The British come into Redding and Mr. Heron welcomes them to his house. The officers break into Captain Betts' house as Tim watches, being able to do nothing in frozen fear. They take Captain Betts, Mr Rogers, and Jerry. The British shot down a rebel messenger on their way out of Redding.

• Tim ran to the doctor that lives two miles away. The British army went into Captain Starr's house, where Starr and several other rebels, including Ned were at. The British entered the house and killed the Rebels. Tim hurls when he sees Ned, beheaded by a british officer. Tim loses his sympathy for the Tories after seeing that.

Chapter 11• Captain Betts dashes in the tavern, after the wounded man was tended to, saying that the British let him go but kept Jerry. Betts tells Tim to go ring the church bell to alert the town, but Mrs. Meeker is against it it. She didn’t want to lose another family getting killed by the war. She kicks the captain out of the tavern by threatening to hit him. Tim is relieved, for he no longer wants to be involved in the war.

• Some Rebel generals and officers burst in the tavern, asking for food and a drink. Seeing that one of the generals was the one Sam was under, Tim runs to a group of soldiers in front of the church and looks for Sam. One soldier brings him inside, where he and Sam reunite.

• Tim old Sam about their father's capture, it turns out that Sam had already known and had tired unsuccessfully to get him out of the prison boat. Mrs. Meeker tries to persuade Sam to return home Sam says no, saying he has promised his friends i that they will all would stay in it until the British are defeated. Sam is still stubborn as a donkey and Tim says that there is no point in a fight.

Chapter 12• Tim and his mother found out that Life was dead. He had died of cholera on a prison ship. His dying words were that he loved his family and that he understood and forgave Sam because they were alike. Later, Betsy told Tim that Jerry Sanford also died on a prison ship, and the soldiers threw his body at sea, weighed down.

• Conditions are dropping for the soldiers and the civilians. Even Betsy, who supported Sam's efforts, no longer cared who won the war as long as it ended soon. Tim is still working in the tavern. Prices are soaring and the supply is short, and everybody is buying things on credit, which will only be of value if the Rebels win, However Tim has eight cows, and he is quite proud of them too. Sam returns home, looking tried and skinny, but happy to be home. He tells his family that he will be nearby until the spring, and warns them of cattle thieves. Sam advises Tim to butcher their cattle and freeze it in the barn over the winter, however Tim does not listen to this advice.

• One evening as Sam and Tim were having some brother time together, they heard noises outside. They ran to the barn to find out that four cows are missing. Sam followed the tracks while Tim tied up the other cows. Sam returns, dragged by the real two cattle thieves, who had overpowered him and were reporting him to General Putnam to frame him as the thief, which really makes no sense, because that would mean that Sam is stealing from himself.

Chapter 13• Tim goes to Colonel Parsons to beg of Sam's release. Parson’s men tell Tim to return the

next day. When Tim finally speaks with Colonel Parsons, he learns that General Putnam wants to make an example of someone to teach the other soldiers a lesson.

• Betsy Read visits the tavern, and when she hears the news she promises to ask her father to speak with the officers in charge. Colonel Read tells Tim that several other men are to be tried in front of a jury along with Sam. Unfortunately, The trial was not always fair. It seemed as if Sam’s position was hopeless.

• Sam is found guilty, and sentenced to be shot and killed. General Putnam says that he will consider his case after Tim begs him. Tim tells Sam that his case is being considered, but Sam does not look too hopeful. Privilege

Chapter 14• Sam is to be executed with other convicted criminals because the general would not

change his mind. That night the Meekers close the tavern early because they have no customers, and Mrs. Meeker said that she would like to be able to close it forever.

• At night, Tim leaves with the determination to save Sam from the Rebel camp, even considering to kill the guard. But, he is unsuccessful. The guard shot at Tim and grazed his shoulder, with that Tim ran away, noticing that Sam was not even there.

• Tim attends the execution, but his mother does not. Sam gives Tim a small smile as he passes. Tim watches the hangings, and then Sam's turn comes. He was shot from so close that his clothes went on fire, and with a final shot, Sam breathed no more. Tim is now neither a Patriot nor British, but just person against the war.