so vivid. The fort was taken, and all quiet in a very
short time. Immediately after the firing ceased, I went
out to see what had become of my wounded friend and
the other that fell in the passage—they were both dead.
In the heat of the action I saw a British soldier jump
over the walls of the fort next the river and go down
the bank, which was almost perpendicular, and twenty or thirty feet high; when he came to the beach he made off for the town, and if he did not make good use of his legs I never saw a man that did.
All that were in the action of storming the redoubt were exempted from further duty that night; we laid down upon the ground and rested the remainder of the night as well as a constant discharge of grape and canister shot would permit us to do; while those who were on duty for the day completed the second parallel by including the captured redoubts within it. We returned to camp early in the morning, all safe and sound, except one of our Lieutenants, who had received a slight wound on the top of the shoulder by a musket shot. Seven or eight men belonging to the Infantry were killed, and a number wounded.
Being off duty one day, several of us went into the woods and fields in search of nuts; returning across the fields, which lay all common, we came across a number of horses at pasture; thinking to make a little fun for myself, I caught one of the horses and mounting him, as the Dutchman did his bear, without saddle or bridle, set off full speed for camp, guiding my nag with a stick. After I had proceeded thus for nearly a mile, my charger appeared to possess a strong inclination to return to his associates. I could not persuade him from his determination, but rather affronted him in all my endeavours to stop him. He at length set off back with himself and me too, at full spring, I clung to him till I found he was directing his course straight under the limbs of a large spreading oak tree; fearing I might meet with something like Absalom's fate, I thought it best to quit my situation in season, and accordingly jumped off; I happened to get but little personal injury, but I bounded like a foot-ball; this cooled my courage for such sort of exercises ever after.
Our duty was hazardous but not very hard. As to
