ward of Philadelphia; while we lay here there was a
spell of soft still weather, there not being wind enough
for several days to dispel the smoke caused by the fires
in camp. My eyes were so affected by it that I was not
able to open them for hours together; the ground, which
was soft and loamy, was converted into mortar, and so
dirty was it, that any hogsty was preferable to our tents
to sleep in; and to cap the climax of our misery, we had
nothing to eat, nor scarcely any thing to wear. Being
pinched with hunger, I one day strolled to a place, where
sometime before, some cattle had been slaughtered; here
I had the good luck, (or rather bad luck, as it turned out in the end,) to find an ox's milt, which had escaped the hogs and dogs. With this prize I steered off to my tent, threw it upon the fire and broiled it, and then sat down to eat it, without either bread or salt. I had not had it long in my stomach before it began to make strong remonstrances and to manifest a great inclination to be set at liberty again. I was very willing to listen to its requests, and with eyes overflowing with tears, at parting with what I had thought to be a friend, I gave it a discharge. But the very thoughts of it, would for sometime after, almost make me think that I had another milt in my stomach.
About this time information was received at headquarters that a considerable body of British troops were advanced and encamped on the western side of the river Schuylkill, near the lower bridge, two or three miles from Philadelphia. Forces were immediately put in requisition to rout them from thence. Our brigade was ordered off, with some detachments from other parts of the army. We marched from camp just before night, as light troops, light in every thing, especially in eatables. We marched to a place called Barren Hill, about twelve or fifteen miles from the city. From here, about ten o'clock in the evening, we forded the Schuylkill where the river (including a bare gravelly island, or flat, which we crossed) was about forty rods wide, as near as I could judge, and the water about to the waist. It was quite a cool night, in the month of October; the water which spattered on to our clothes, froze as we passed the river. Many of the young and small soldiers fell while in the water, and were completely drenched; we, how-
