ever, got over and marched two or three miles on a dreary road, (for that part of the country,) surrounded by high hills and thick woods. All of a sudden we were ordered to halt; we were, to appearance, in an unfrequented road, cold and wet to our middles, and half starved: we were sorry to be stopped from travelling, as exercise kept us warm in some degree. We endeavoured to kindle fires, but were ordered by the officers immediately to extinguish them, which was done by all except one, which having been kindled in a hollow tree could not be put out. I got so near to this that I could just see it between the men's legs, which was all the benefit that I derived from it.
We lay here freezing, about two hours, and then were ordered to fall in and march back again. About an hour before day we dashed through the river again, at the same place at which we had crossed the preceding evening, and I can assure the reader, that neither the water nor weather had become one degree warmer than it was then.
We went on to Barren hill again, where we lay all the day, waiting, as it appeared, for reinforcements, which arrived and joined us towards night. We drew a day's ration of beef and flour,—what was called a pound of each; the flour, perhaps, was not far from its nominal weight, but the beef was, as it always was in such cases, and indeed in all others in the army, not more than three fourths of a pound, and that, at the best, half bone. And how was it cooked?—Why, as it usually was when we had no cooking utensils with us,—that is, the flour was laid upon a flat rock and mixed up with cold water, then daubed upon a flat stone and scorched on one side, while the beef was broiling on a stick in the fire. This was the common way of cookery when on marches, and we could get any thing to cook, and this was the mode at the time mentioned. After I had satisfied my hunger, I lay down upon the ground and slept till within about half an hour of sunset. When I awoke I was turned quite about; I thought it was morning instead of evening; however, I was soon convinced of my error, and the sun had the good manners to wheel about and put himself in his proper position again.
Just at dark, the reinforcements having arrived and
