blood on that same day, among the number a young man who had been married but the day previous. I was in their power, for I was within a shorter distance than pistol shot. Shortly after I gained the woods, I beheld people with wagons containing their families and moveables, fleeing from the town and from danger. I staid out all day and knew nothing of the fate of Miss Elizabeth until I returned in the evening. She upbraided me in a very harsh manner for leaving her, and threatened that as soon as Colonel Humpton should arrive, she would get him to flog me severely. The Colonel, however, commended me highly when he did arrive; he stated to her that I had acted with more sense and caution in the matter for her safety than she could or would have done herself, "for had Sammy (said he) ran to the house, they might have followed him, captured you, and recovered my old British regimentals and papers, which might have betrayed me into their power. She was of a forgiving disposition of heart, and before he arrived she had no doubt revoked her hasty decision. She spoke to the Colonel of my conduct upon that occasion, but did not ask him in my presence to chastise me for it.

The Colonel's harshness at all times was of rather a momentary cast. It would not have been a matter of great surprise to myself if he had flogged me at her instance, for upon the day of his arrival an accident occurred, which was well calculated in itself to have fretted him. He had a very valuable slut that he had brought from England with him, and which his niece had with her on the farm where we resided. A dog in the neighborhood, which was in the habit of killing sheep, was often seen lurking about the premises. I had determined to shoot him if possible, and had procured a large leaden bullet which I had made into slugs for the purpose. With my piece loaded with these I laid in waiting for him. He at length came near and the slut springing forward just as I was in the act of pulling the trigger of the gun she received one of the slugs into her head just above one of her eyes, and which caused her to

reel about for sometime, I thought at first that I had really killed her, but she was but little injured by it. I recollect that the Colonel besides cutting the slug out of her head, pulled my ear well for me, as my punishment for the injury I had done; this, however, was a much lighter punishment than that which I should have endured within my own breast, had I been so unfortunate as to have killed her.

The Colonel always seemed to relent his conduct of severity towards me, and so certain as he dealt in any way harsh with me he would shortly afterwards sing out "boy," and when I would go to his room he would hand me a bowl containing some "good stuff"-liquor (of which he always kept the best) saying " my lad" here is something to drink. This was a habit so peculiar with him and so uniform that his cook would often say to me when the Colonel pulled or boxed my ears, now Sammy we'll get a good grog shortly, and so it was too ; and often when the Colonel was absent the cook would say to me, "Saminy, I wish the old fellow would come home and you would do some mischief, for then we would get a good grog." Folks were not much worse in heart then, than they are now; but they were better fellows of their grog then, than they are now. I could divide with the cook and the cook could as generously divide with me.

From Somerset Court house, Colonel Humpton removed us to one Garret Van Zandt's, (not far from Coryell's Ferry) whose farm was worked by one Eber Addis. Coryell's Ferry is situated in Jersey, not very far from Trenton.

The Colonel had a grey horse which had belonged to the adjutant of the regiment (his name was Huston,) who had been shot from off him at the battle of Germantown. Huston having been killed when in the rear of the line, it was supposed that he was shot by some of his own men; he was said to be a rascally and tyrannical officer and from the fact also, of his having been often threatened by his own men (among themselves,) that

Huston, after he sometime on the As some

fell off.

he would be the first to fall in battle. was shot (although shot dead) hung back or rump of his horse before he confusion took place in consequence of the great fog, on the morning of the battle of Germantown, it is possible that he may have fallen through mistake as others of the American soldiers did by the hands of their own companions in arms.

Whilst we were at Van Zandt's, a boy belonging to Van Zandt (and about my own age) and myself undertook to run our horses at times, and to jump them over a pair of bars in order (besides the amusement it afforded us) to see which could make the most lofty leaps, he upon a horse that belonged to Van Zandt, and I upon the Colonel's grey charger. With good judges and a purse up, I would have been sure of drawing it with the Colonel's horse.

For this mischievous frolic of the boy and myself, I recollect that the Colonel not only reprimanded me harshly but in addition pulled my ear severely.

The Colonel set great store by this horse and such manœuvres as ours might have rendered him useless, jumping him over such high obstacles, was well calculated to break a leg or otherwise injure him, and besides this, we "stood a good chance" to have broken our own necks at the same time.

CHAPTER VIII.

From Van Zandt's, I was detached for a time to Washington's camp not far from Stoney Point. At this time (about the 1st of July, 1779,) an expedition was fitted out against Stoney Point, a strongly fortified post on the Hudson river; this expedition was entrusted to the brave General Anthony Wayne. I was one of the musicians attached to the detachment. I do not recollect the num

The num

ber of men composing our detachment, but suppose it might have contained from 500 to 700 men. ber might have been much greater, and besides other covering detachments might have been out also. When about to set out upon the march sometime in the afternoon, drums were beating, colors flying and soldiers huzzaingeach soldier full of spirit and entering largely into the spirit of the enterprise and full of expectation as to the wished for results. The order was at length given to march, and as we progressed therein we were ordered not to suffer our drums to make any noise, and on each man was enjoined the most perfect silence. A halt was called a little after sun-set, and I can recollect very distinctly that we were then so near to Stoney Point, as to be able by climbing up into the tops of trees, to behold the British soldiers walking backward and forward at the fort. I for one amused myself very much in eyeing them at a distance. General Wayne ordered the detachment on in silence, leaving the musicians (or at least a portion of them) myself included in the number behind him.

In going into battle it was customary for the Drum and Fife Majors to send a "Field Drummer" and "Field Fifer" along and among their duties this one, the beating a signal tune for an advance, another as a retreat, and a third as a parley, &c.

As night closed in upon us, our British brethren became totally lost to our view; more lost to view than we, left behind could have wished, and whilst we were in the tops of trees and could behold them, we were wishing that we could have been permitted to have accompanied the detachment through all its movements. What our

state of feelings would have been, had we been along and the detachment made to smell powder in its war strength I now not, but imagine that we would have strove to have joined in singing out (as they did upon a subsequent occasion) the long to be remembered watchword of "remember the Paoli." In the course of two or three hours the detachment returned to us again, the expedition having proved a failure, for in the midst of

I

all the caution upon the part of our commander and the brave soldiers under his command, the British discovered them sooner than it was expected they would have done. Whether this was through the instrumentality of scouters or of their piquet guards, I do not remember. General Wayne knowing well that this was a remarkably strong position, and knowing well also the bold and hazardous nature of the enterprise, had the hope that he could have pushed his men on in quick time in order to gain the walls ere they should have been subjected to any great fire from the enemy. Our General being thus far frustrated in his design saw proper to abandon the design of attack for the then time being, ordered a retreat to the American camp, but if he did, he successfully carried his purpose about two week's afterwards in a second expedition on the night of the 15th of July was not permitted to join in this latter expedition, having been sent back (ere that day arrived) to Van Zandt's again. Its execution was again given to (Gen. Wayne and) the light infantry, with a brigade as its cover, and Major Lee and his dragoons as reconnoitering supporters. This was a daring assault and complete success crowned the bold effort. The American soldiers, preceded by a forlorn hope of 40 men in two divisions, having rushed forward up the precipice and gained the walls or outer barricades, which consisted of several breastworks and strong batteries, which were constructed. In advance of these and below them, two rows of abattis had been constructed also. The attack was made about midnight and the works taken by storm, although the assaulters were subjected to a tremendous discharge of grape shot and musketry-General Wayne made a desperate attack with unloaded muskets and had therefore to depend for success entirely upon the bayonet's point. After a short but very obstinate defence the fortress was carried by storm, and the garrison surrendered. Wayne killed 63 in the attack, among which were two officers, captured 543 British soldiers and became possessed of a considerable quantity of ordnance, ammunition and