and as he should pass through the town where the other resided, he agreed to do my errand for me. With this arrangement I was much pleased, as it would save me about sixty miles travel in all, going and coming, and I gave him a dollar to help him along, which was all the money I had;—he then went on and did as he agreed. I had nothing now to do but to recreate myself, for, as the time of my return to the army was indefinitely set, I did not trouble myself about it.
I spent my time as agreeble as possible among the young people of my acquaintance, for I thought I was old enough to choose my own method of employing my time, being now nearly twenty-one years of age. I did, indeed, enjoy myself about ten days as agreeably as ever I did in the same space of time in my life; but as I had no set time to return to camp, I was loath to trespass upon my good Colonel's indulgence, and therefore began to think about my return; and as there was two men, one an old associate and the other a private citizen, who were going to camp, I thought, for company's sake, I would go with them, and accordingly did; but I confess that I never left my home with so much regret before; I need not tell the reason, perhaps the reader can guess.
When I arrived within sight and hearing of the army, or rather the garrison of West point, it again harrowed up my melancholy feelings that had, in a manner, subsided on my journey; but upon reaching the barracks where I had left my companions, I could hardly contain myself when I considered my folly in returning so soon, when I might have remained at home a month longer as well as not, and I just then began to think it was my Colonel's intention that I should do so; but what added to my perturbation mostly was, that I found our barracks entirely unoccupied, our men all gone, and not a soul could tell me where. What to do I knew not; I had a great mind to set off for home again, but at length concluded that I would try a little longer to find which way the men had gone. I therefore went to the issuing commissary of the garrison, who was my quondam schoolmate, and he soon informed me that they had gone to Virginia with General Lafayette; I was thunderstruck at this intelligence, and blamed myself tenfold for leaving home
