and we passed by the sentinel without his noticing us at
all. A walk of a very few rods concealed us from his view, by a turn in the road and some bushes, and thus we escaped from prison, for we thought we were hardly
dealt by, to be confined by those whom we took to be our
friends, after having laboured so hard to escape being
made prisoners by the common enemy.
We went on a little distance, when we overtook another man belonging to our company. He had just been refreshing himself with some bread and dry salt fish, and was putting "the fragments" into his knapsack. I longed for a bite, but I felt too bashful to ask him, and he was too thoughtless or stingy to offer it. We still proceeded, but had not gone far, when we came up with the regiment, resting themselves on the "cold ground," after the fatigues of the day. Our company all appeared to rejoice to see us, thinking we were killed or prisoners. I was sincerely glad to see them; for I was once more among friends, or at least acquaintances. Several of the regiment were missing, among whom was our Major, he was a fine man, and his loss was much regretted by the men of the regiment. We were the last who came up, all the others who were missing, were either killed or taken prisoners.
And here ends the "Kipp's Bay" affair, which caused at the time, and has since caused much "inkshed." Anecdotes, jests, imprecations and sarcasms, have been multiplied; and even the grave writers of the revolution have said and written more about it than it deserved. I could make some observations, but it is beyond my province.
One anecdote which I have seen more than once in print, I will notice. A certain man, or the friends of a certain man, have said, that this certain man was sitting by the highway side, when the Commander-in-chief passed by, and asked why he sat there. His answer, as he or they say, was, "That he had rather be killed or taken by the enemy, than trodden to death by cowards."—A brave man he! I doubt whether there was such another there that day, and I much doubt whether he himself was there, under such circumstances as he, or his friends relate; every man that I saw was endeavouring by all sober means to escape from death or captivity, which, at
