them as it was agreeable to us at that period of the war. We soon came to action with them. The troops engaged, being reinforced by our regiment, kept them still retreating, until they found shelter under the cannon of
some of their shipping, lying in the North river. We
remained on the battle ground till nearly sunset, expecting the enemy to attack us again, but they showed no such inclination that day. The men were very much
fatigued and faint, having had nothing to eat for forty-eight hours,—at least the greater part were in this condition, and I among the rest. While standing on the
field, after the action had ceased, one of the men near
the Lieut. Colonel, complained of being hungry; the
Colonel, putting his hand into his coat pocket, took out
a piece of an ear of Indian corn, burnt as black as a coal, "Here," said he to the man complaining, "eat this and learn to be a soldier.
We now returned to camp, if camp it was;—our tent held the whole regiment and might have held ten millions more. When we arrived on the ground we had occupied previous to going into action, we found that our invalids, consisting of the sick, the lame, and the lazy, had obtained some fresh beef;—where the commissaries found the beef or the men found the commissaries in this time of confusion, I know not, nor did I stop to ask. They were broiling the beef on small sticks, in Indian stile, round blazing fires, made of dry chestnut rails. The meat, when cooked, was as black as a coal on the outside, and as raw on the inside as if it had not been near the fire. "I asked no questions, for conscience's sake," but fell to and helped myself to a feast of this raw beef, without bread or salt.
We had eight or ten of our regiment killed in the action, and a number wounded, but none of them belonged to our company. Our Lieut. Colonel was hit by a grape-shot, which went through his coat, westcoat and shirt, to the skin on his shoulder, without doing any other damage than cutting up his epaulette.
A circumstance occurred on the evening after this action, which, although trifling in its nature, excited in me feelings which I shall never forget. When we came off the field we brought away a man who had been shot dead upon the spot; and after we had refreshed ourselves we
