We this forenoon passed through a pretty village, called Maidenhead; (don't stare, dear reader, I did not name it,) an hour or two before we came to this place, I saw a pretty young lady standing in the door of a house, just by the road side. I very innocently inquired of her how far it was to Maidenhead; she answered, "five miles." One of my men, who, though young, did not stand in very imminent danger of being hanged for his beauty, observed to the young lady, "that he thought the commodity scarce in the market, since he had to go so far to seek it." "Don't trouble yourself," said she, "about that, there is no danger of its being more scarce on your account." The fellow leered, and, I believe, wished he had held his tongue.
The next day we arrived at Trenton, where was a commissary and some public stores. I concluded, although we were in a thanksgiving country, yet, as we should soon be where we should not find so much to be thankful for, that I would endeavour to supply the deficiency in some degree. Accordingly I made out a return for three men for three days rations. We went to the commissary's, who told us that he had no kind of meat on hand nor any other provisions but flour, that if we chose to take that, he would allow us a pound and a quarter of flour for a pound of beef. We took it and exchanged it at the baker's, pound for pound, and went on; we arrived at our quarters in Burlington, some time in the evening.
Soon after this came on my trouble, and that of several others of the men belonging to our corps; some time in the month of January, two of our men were taken down with a species of yellow fever; one recovered and the other died. Directly after, one belonging to our room was seized with it and removed to the hospital, where he recovered; next I was attacked with it, this was in February, it took hold of me in good earnest. I bled violently at the nose, and was so reduced in flesh and strength in a few days, that I was as helpless as an infant;—O! how much I suffered, although I had as good attendance as circumstances would admit. The disorder continued to take hold of our people till there were more than twenty sick with it. Our officers made a hospital in an upper room in one of the wings of the
