British were moving up the Hudson river in force, had
taken possession of Stoney point, and were fortifying it. We were immediately ordered to march, which order
was quickly put in execution. We went directly to the
Fishkill, on the Hudson, and from thence down nearly
opposite to West point. We remained here some days, I
was the most of that time on a stationed guard, keeping the horses that belonged to the army at pasture. I
procured some damaged cartridges, and after converting
the balls into shot, and getting out of hearing from the
camp, diverted myself by killing birds or squirrels, or any such game; this I often practised, though I ran the risk of a keelhaling, if detected. Here I had a good opportunity to exercise myself at the business, being at a considerable distance from camp; pigeons were plenty,
and we fared pretty comfortably with what provisions
we were allowed otherwise.
After being relieved from this guard, I was detached with a small party to the Peekskill, in the southern edge of the Highlands. We took up our quarters in some old barracks; there was a number of bombshells and some old damaged wagon wheels lying near the barracks; one day, after diverting ourselves by filling the shells with water, pluging them up, and setting them on the fire, while the water boiling, the steam would force the plug out with a report as loud as that of a pistol. Tired with exercising ourselves at this diversion, we began to contrive some other mischief, when four or five of us took one of the old wagon wheels, and after considerable trouble and fatigue, we carried the wheel about thirty or forty rods up the mountain, at the back of the barracks and a considerable distance from them, when we gave the wheel the liberty to shift for itself and find its own way back. It went very regular for a few turns, when taking a glancing stroke against something, it took a course directly for the barracks and just in that part too where the men were, who we could hear distinctly laughing and talking—Ah me! what would I not have given had I never meddled with the ugly thing, but it was then too late to repent, the evil one had come. I confess, I felt myself in a forlorn case; the barracks were only a single board thick, and those rotten and old, and the wheel might have gone through them and the men too,
