most of whom were New-Yorkers, and consequently, at
that time, no great friends to the Yankees, I was obliged
to hop on one foot all the way, (upwards of five miles,)
not being able in the whole distance to procure a stick to assist me, although I often hobbled to the fences on each side of the road in hopes to obtain one. It was dark
when I was landed at the ferry, and it was quite late before I arrived at the camp; some of my messmates went
immediately for the Surgeon, but he was at a game of
backgammon and could not attend to minor affairs; however, in about an hour he arrived, bathed my foot,
which was swelled like a bladder, fumbled about it for
sometime, when he gave it a wrench, which made me, like the old woman's dying cat, "merely yawl out." The next day as I was sitting under the shade before my tent,
my foot lying upon a bench, swelled like a puff-ball, my
Captain passed by and must needs have a peep at it; I
indulged his curiosity, upon which he said it was not set
right, and taking hold of it, he gave it a twist, which put it nearly in the same condition it was at first. I had
then to send for Mr. Surgeon again, but he was not to
be found. There was a corporal in our company who
professed to act the surgeon in such cases, and he happening at the time to be present, undertook the job and accomplished it, but it was attended with more difficulty than at the first time, and with more pain to me. It was a long time before it got well and strong again, indeed it never has been entirely so well as it was before the accident happened. I was not long confined by it, however, but was soon able to perform my duty in the army again.
Our troops, not long after this, marched to join the main army in Pennsylvania; the heavy baggage was left to come on after them, and I, being an invalid, was left as one of the guard to conduct it. The baggage soon followed the troops, and I underwent not a little trouble on the march in consequence of my lame foot. When I joined the regiment the baggage was immediately sent back to Bethlehem, nearly fifty miles in the country, and I was again sent with it as a guard. It was much against my inclination to go on this business, for I had for sometime past been under the command of other officers than my own, and now I must continue longer under them.
