University of Virginia Library

7. PART VII
IN CAMP

68. Kentucky Riflemen
FROM THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE (1775)

ON Friday evening last, arrived at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on their way to the American camp, Captain Cresap's company of riflemen, consisting of one hundred and thirty active, brave young fellows; many of whom have been in the late expedition under Lord Dunmore, against the Indians.[185]

They bear in their bodies visible marks of their prowess, and show scars and wounds which would do honor to Homer's Iliad. They show you, to use the poet's words:—

One of these warriors, in particular, shows the cicatrices of four bullet holes through his body. These men have been bred in the woods to hardships and dangers from their infancy. They appear as if they were entirely unacquainted with, and had never felt the passion of fear. With their rifles in their hands, they assume a kind of omnipotence over their enemies.

One cannot much wonder at this, when we mention a fact which can be fully attested by several of the reputable persons who were eye-witnesses of it. Two brothers in the company took a piece of board five inches broad and seven inches long, with a bit of white paper, about the size of a dollar, nailed in the centre; and while one of them supported this board perpendicularly between his knees, the other, at the distance of upwards of sixty yards, and without any kind of rest, shot eight bullets through it successively, and spared a brother's thigh!

Another of the company held a barrel stave perpendicularly in his hands with one edge close to his side, while one of his comrades, at the same distance, and in the manner before mentioned, shot several bullets through it, without any apprehension of danger on either side.

The spectators appearing to be amazed at these feats, were told that there were upwards of fifty persons in the same company who could do the same thing; that there was not one who could not plug nineteen bullets out of twenty, as they termed it, within an inch of the head of a tenpenny nail. In short, to prove the confidence they possessed in their dexterity at these kind of arms, some of them proposed to stand with apples on their heads, while others at the same distance, undertook to shoot them off; but the people who saw the other experiments declined to be witnesses of this.

At night a great fire was kindled around a pole planted in the Court House Square, where the company, with the captain at their head, all naked to the waist, and painted like savages, (except the captain, who was in an Indian shirt,) indulged a vast concourse

of people with a perfect exhibition of a war-dance, and all the manoeuvres of Indians, holding council, going to war, circumventing their enemies by defiles, ambuscades, attacking, scalping, &c.

It is said by those who are judges, that no representation could possibly come nearer the original. The captain's expertness and agility, in particular, in these experiments astonished every beholder. This morning they will set out on their march for Cambridge.

69. Winter Amusements in Canada
BY A GERMAN OFFICER (1777)

You ask, have we had plenty of amusement this winter? I answer, right good! You see, there are a number of seigneurs and curés in our neighborhood,[186] and with their help and that of our officers in the vicinity we have been enabled to have a convivial, sociable, happy, and at times a "high old time"! Our seigneur at St. Anne is a passably rich man. The cures, also, are not to be despised. They are good royalists, and, being the possessors of good livings, are able to furnish dinners for twenty persons.

On Dec. 31st there was a great festival at Quebec; that day being celebrated as the first anniversary of the deliverance of Quebec, on which occasion the rebels lost their great leader, General Montgomery. At 9 o'clock in the morning, a thanksgiving service was held in the Cathedral, at which Monseigneur, the Bishop, officiated.

Eight unfortunate Canadians who had sided with the rebels were present, with ropes about their necks,

and were forced to do penance before all in the church, and crave pardon of their God, Church and King. At to o'clock, the civic and military authorities, as well as all visiting and resident gentlemen, whether Canadian or English, assembled at the Government House. All the resident gentlemen of Quebec, in accordance with their rank as officers of the militia, wore green suits with straw facings, waistcoats, knee breeches, and silver epaulettes upon their shoulders.

In the evening, at six, the entire company started for the large English hotel, where over ninety-four ladies and two hundred gentlemen were already assembled in the great hall. The ladies were seated on rows of raised benches. A concert was at once begun, during which an English ode, written in honor of the festival, was sung. During the music, tickets were distributed to those of both sexes who desired to dance. Every gentleman received a ticket for a certain lady, with whom he was obliged to dance the entire evening.

During these dances, some distinction is made between the rank of the gentlemen and the ladies. Strangers, however, receive preference. Every couple goes through the minuet alone, and the ladies call off the name of the minuet to be danced. At large balls this custom becomes very tiresome. English dances are performed with two couples. All kinds of refreshments were served; and notwithstanding that the place was somewhat confined, no spectator was incommoded. The streets in front of the hotel were alive with people. At midnight a regular supper was served at a number of tables. It is true that the eatables were all cold; but delicacies and pastry could be had in superabundance.

At 2 o'clock dancing was again renewed, and lasted until broad daylight. All the English, and the French officers of militia at Quebec gave these fetes, which must easily have cost five thousand dollars.

On Jan. 20th, Major-General von Riedesel celebrated the birthday of her Majesty the Queen at Three Rivers. We covered the distance (7 English miles) in four hours, in a cariole, and dined at a table laid for forty covers. Many healths were drunk, while in front of the house, a small cannon was roaring!

A ball was given in the afternoon and evening, at which thirty-seven ladies were present. These remained to supper, and were waited on by their cavaliers. The charms of Demoiselle Tonnancour were greatly heightened by her jewels; still, poor Demoiselle Ruelle, in her faded calico gown, was preferred by many, on account both of her natural and sweet charms, and the beauty of her voice. Know, my dear sir, that the Canadian beauties sing Italian and French songs.

On the 5th of February, seven couples were married in the church at St. Anne. On this August occasion, Major von Ehrenkrook led to the altar a squaw who was to marry an Indian. This post of honor can only be filled when the intended brides have no fathers to give them away—their escorts, in such a case, taking the place of the latter. We dined with the cure, and were entertained at the houses of the different brides.

As our musicians were in Quebec, and village musicians are unknown here, we were obliged to dance to the humming of the tra-la-la of a Canadian minuet. We also had to endure the bawling of songs sung from stentorian lungs.

On account of our services to the brides, in giving them away, etc., we are considered by the good people of St. Anne as one of themselves; for, from the old grandmamma of seventy to the young maiden of fifteen to seventeen years, they all offer us their mouths to be kissed whenever they meet us. This is the Canadian greeting between relatives and intimate friends; more formal acquaintances offer merely their hands. This custom prevails not only among the well-to-do, but among the lower classes; and is one of the rights of friendship.

I have not heard from you for so long a time that I think your pen must be frozen. Therefore let me tell you something about Canadian snow. One of the cursed disagreeable things to be met with in Canada is the prevalence of fierce winds.

They rise generally every third day, and last about twelve hours. They cause the snow to drift from place to place, and gradually to fill up all the holes and pits until they are level with the rest of the land. The effect of this is to make the surrounding country look very pretty, but it is none the less dangerous to travel without taking proper precautions; otherwise one may tumble into one of these holes and break his limbs, or a horse and sleigh may fall into one and the horse remain buried alive for several weeks.

In order to find the way, young pine-trees are stuck up on each side of the road, twenty feet apart; and in this artificial alley one can drive with safety. One can scarcely imagine how these roads are changed, either by the weather or the force of circumstances; and each time a road is shifted it is abounded and the trees pulled up. The roads across the ice on the St. Lawrence River

are staked out in a similar manner; and whenever a traveller meets with a weak spot in the ice, he is obliged to stop and mark the place. In fact, travelling in Canada is peculiar; for to-day the road may lead over a hill, and to-morrow over a river. Pedestrians, however, can skim over the snow like hares by means of snow-shoes, which they bind under their feet. In using them, one must take a long stride, at the same time trailing his feet on a slant.

70. Queer Cavalry
BY ALEXANDER GRAYDON (ABOUT 1778)

AMONG the military phenomena of this campaign, the Connecticut light horse ought not to be forgotten. They consisted of a considerable number of old-fashioned men, probably farmers and heads of families, as they were generally middle-aged, and many of them apparently beyond the meridian of life.

They were truly irregulars; and whether their clothing, their equipments or caparisons were regarded, it would have been difficult to have discovered any circumstance of uniformity; though in the features derived from "local habitation," they were one and the same.

Instead of carbines and satires, they generally carried fowling pieces; some of them very long, and such as in Pennsylvania are used for shooting ducks. Here and there, one, "his youthful garments, well saved," appeared in a dingy regimental of scarlet, with a triangular, tarnished, laced hat. In short, so little were they like modern soldiers, in

air or costume, that, dropping the necessary number of years, they might have been supposed the identical men who had in part composed Pepperil's army at the taking of Louisbourg.[187] Their order of march corresponded with their other irregularities. It "spindled into longitude immense," presenting in extended and ill-compacted flank, as though they had disdained the advantage of concentration.

These singular dragoons were volunteers, who came to make a tender of their services to the Commander-in-chief. But they stayed not long at New York. As such a body of cavalry had not been counted upon, there was in all probability a want of forage for their horses, which, in spite of ancient knighthood, they absolutely refused to descend from; and as the General had no use for cavaliers in his insular operations, they were forthwith dismissed with suitable acknowledgments for their truly chivalrous ardor.

An unlucky trooper of this school had by some means or other, found his way to Long Island, and was taken by the enemy in the battle of the 27th of August. The British officers made themselves very merry at his expense, and obliged him to amble about for their entertainment. On being asked, what had been his duty in the rebel army, he answered, that it was to flank a little and carry tidings.

But notwithstanding the unwarlike guise of the troops from New England there was no part of the continent perhaps, in which so little impression could be made, or in which the enemy was so cautious of advancing. Their numbers and zeal rendered them formidable when fighting on their own ground; and the defence of Bunker's hill was worthy of the bravest veterans.

71. The Amenities of Camp Life
BY SURGEON JAMES THACHER (1779)

February.—Having continued to live under cover of canvas tents most of the winter, we have suffered extremely from exposure to cold and storms.[188] Our soldiers have been employed six or eight weeks in constructing log huts, which at length are completed, and both officers and soldiers are now under comfortable covering for the remainder of the winter.

Log houses are constructed with the trunks of trees, cut into various lengths according to the size intended, and are firmly connected by notches cut at their extremities in the manner of dovetailing. The vacancies between the logs are filled in with plastering consisting of mud and clay.

The roof is formed of similar pieces of timber, and covered with hewn slabs. The chimney situated at one end of the house is made of similar but smaller timber, and both the inner and the outer side are covered with clay plaster, to defend the wood against the fire. The door and windows are formed by sawing away a part of the logs of a proper size, and move on wooden hinges.

In this manner have our soldiers, without nails, and almost without tools, except the axe and saw, provided for their officers and for themselves comfortable and convenient quarters, with little or no expense to the public. The huts are arranged in straight lines forming a regular uniform compact village.

The officers' huts are situated in front of the line, according to their rank, the kitchens in the rear, and the whole is similar in form to a tent encampment.

The ground for a considerable distance in front of the soldiers' line of huts is cleared of wood, stumps, and rubbish, and is every morning swept clean for the purpose of a parade ground and roll call for the respective regiments.

The officers' huts are in general divided into two apartments, and are occupied by three or four officers, who compose one mess. Those for the soldiers have but one room, and contain ten or twelve men, with their bunks placed one above another against the walls, and filled with straw, and one blanket for each man. I now occupy a hut with our field officers, Colonel Gibson, Lieutenant Colonel Brent, and Major Meriweather.

4th.—A duel has lately been fought between a surgeon and an adjutant in General Scott's brigade; the former received a bad wound, and the latter escaped with honor. Who will hesitate, says one, to exchange a few shot with a friend to obtain the appellation of a gentleman of honor? If I kill my antagonist I have the satisfaction of settling a point of honor? If I receive a ball through my own heart, I die in the glorious cause of honor." You have offended me in a delicate point," says an officer to his friend," and I now demand of you the satisfaction of a gentleman, I have

settled my affairs, and prepared myself to die, if that shall be my fate,"--"then," replied the other, "we cannot fight on equal terms, for I have not had time to do either."

His Excellency the Commander in Chief[189] has long been in the practice of inviting a certain number of officers to dine at his table every day. It is not to be supposed that his Excellency can be made acquainted with every officer by name, but the invitations are given through the medium of general orders, in which is mentioned the brigade from which the officer is expected.

Yesterday I accompanied Major Cavil to headquarters, and had the honor of being numbered among the guests at the table of his Excellency, with his lady, two young ladies from Virginia, and several other officers.

It is natural to view with keen attention the countenance of an illustrious man, with a secret hope of discovering in his features some peculiar traces of excellence, which distinguishes him from and elevates him above his fellow mortals. These expectations are realized in a peculiar manner, in viewing the person of General Washington.

His tall and noble stature and just proportions, his fine, cheerful open countenance, simple and modest deportment, are all calculated to interest every beholder in his favor, and to command veneration and respect. He is feared even when silent, and beloved even while we are unconscious of the motive. The table was elegantly furnished, and the provisions ample but not abounding in superfluities.

The civilities of the table were performed by Colonel Hamilton[190] and the other gentlemen of the

family, the General and wife being seated at the side of the table. In conversation, his Excellency's expressive countenance is peculiarly interesting and pleasing; a placid smile is frequently observed on his lips, but a loud laugh, it is said, seldom if ever escapes him. He is polite and attentive to each individual at table, and retires after the compliments of a few glasses.

Mrs. Washington combines in an uncommon degree, great dignity of manner with the most pleasing affability, but possesses no striking marks of beauty. I learn from the Virginia officers that Mrs. Washington has ever been honored as a lady of distinguished goodness, possessing all the virtues which adorn her sex, amiable in her temper and deportment, full of benignity, benevolence and charity, seeking for objects of affliction and poverty, that she may extend to the sufferers the hand of kindness and relief. These surely are the attributes which reveal a heart replete with those virtues, which are so appropriate and estimable in the female character.

April 20th. Five soldiers were conducted to the gallows according to their sentence, for the crimes of desertion and robbing the inhabitants. A detachment of troops and a concourse of people, formed a circle round the gallows, and the criminals were brought in a cart, sitting on their coffins, and halters about their necks.

While in this awful situation, trembling on the verge of eternity, three of them received a pardon from the Commander in Chief. They acknowledged the justice of their sentence, and expressed the warmest thankfulness and gratitude for their merciful pardon.

The two others were obliged to submit to their fate; one of them was accompanied to the fatal spot by an affectionate and sympathising brother, which rendered the scene uncommonly distressing, and forced tears of compassion from the eyes of numerous spectators.

They repeatedly embraced and kissed each other, with all the fervor of brotherly love, and would not be separated till the executioner was obliged to perform his duty when, with a flood of tears and mournful lamentations, they bade each other an eternal adieu the criminal, trembling under the horrors of an untimely and disgraceful death, and the brother, overwhelmed with sorrow and anguish, for one whom he held most dear.

May 14th. Our brigade was paraded for the pun pose of being reviewed by General Washington and a number of Indian chiefs. His Excellency, with his usual dignity, followed by his mulatto servant Bill, riding a beautiful grey steed, passed in front of the line and received the salute. He was accompanied by a singular group of savages, whose appearance was beyond description ludicrous.

Their horses were of the meanest kind, some of them destitute of saddles, and old lines were used for bridles. Their personal decorations were equally farcical, having their faces painted of various colors, jewels suspended from their ears and nose, their heads without covering except tufts of hair on the crown, and some of them wore dirty blankets over their shoulders waving in the wind.

In short, they exhibited a novel and truly disgusting spectacle. But his Excellency deems it good policy to pay some attention to this tribe of the

wilderness, and to convince them of the strength and discipline of our army, that they may be encouraged, if disposed to be friendly, or deterred from aggression, if they should become hostile to our country.

72. New Hampshire Men
BY MARQUIS DE CHASTELLUX (1780)[191]

I PRESSED forward my horses, and hurried on to get the start of a traveller on horseback, who had joined me on the road, and who would have had the same right with myself to the lodgings, had we arrived together. I had the satisfaction, however, to see him pursue his journey; but soon learned, with concern, that the little inn where I proposed to pass that night, was occupied by thirteen farmers, and two hundred and fifty oxen coming from New Hampshire. The oxen were the least inconvenient part of the company, as they were left to graze in a meadow hard by, without even a dog to guard them; but the farmers, their-horses, and dogs, were in possession of the inn. They were conveying to the army a part of the contingent of provisions furnished by New Hampshire. This contingent is a sort of tax divided among all the inhabitants, on some of whom the imposition amounts to one hundred and fifty, on others to one hundred, or eighty, pounds of meat, according to their abilities; so they agree amongst themselves to furnish a larger, or smaller sized ox, no matter which, as each animal is weighed. Their conveyance to the army is then entrusted to some farmers, and drovers. The farmers are allowed about a dollar a day; and

their expenses, as well as those of the cattle, are paid them on their return, according to the receipts which they are obliged to produce from the inn-keepers where they have halted. The usual price is from three-pence to five-pence English per night for each ox, and in proportion at noon.

I informed myself of these particulars while my people were endeavoring to find me lodgings; but all the rooms, and all the beds were occupied by these farmers, and I was in the greatest distress, when a tall, fat man, the principal person among them, being informed who I was, came to me, and assured me, that neither he, nor his companions would ever suffer a French general officer to want a bed, and that they would rather sleep on the floor; adding, that they were accustomed to it, and that it would be attended with no inconvenience.

In reply I told them, I was a military man, and as much accustomed as themselves to make the earth my bed. We had long debates on this point of politeness; theirs was rustic, but more cordial and affecting than the best turned compliments. The result was, that I had a two-bedded room for myself and my aides de camp.

Our new acquaintance did not terminate there: after parting from each other, I to take some repose, they to continue drinking their grog and cider, they came into my room. I was then employed in tracing my route by the map of the country; this map excited their curiosity. They saw there with surprise and satisfaction the places they had passed through.

They asked me if they were known in Europe, and if it was there I had bought my maps. On my assuring them that we knew America as well as the countries

adjoining to us, they seemed much pleased; but their joy was without bounds, when they saw New Hampshire, their country, on the map. They called their companions, who were in the next room; and mine was soon filled with the strongest and most robust men I had hitherto seen in America.

On my appearing struck with their size and stature, they told me that the inhabitants of New Hampshire were strong and vigorous, for which there were many reasons; that the air was excellent, their sole occupation was agriculture, and above all that their blood was unmixed: for this country was inhabited by ancient families who had emigrated from England.

We parted good friends, touching, or rather shaking hands in the English fashion, and they assured me that they were very happy to have an opportunity to shake hands with a French General.

73. At Washington's Headquarters
BY MARQUIS DE CHASTELLUX ( 1780)

AT length, after riding two miles along the right flank of the army, and after passing thick woods on the right, I found myself in a small plain, where I saw a handsome farm; a small camp which seemed to cover it, a large tent extended in the court, and several wagons round it, convinced me that this was his Excellency's quarter; for it is thus Mr. Washington is called in the army, and throughout America.

M. de Lafayette[192] was in conversation with a tall man, five feet ten inches and a half high, of a noble and mild countenance. It was the General himself. I

was soon off horseback, and near him. The compliments were short; the sentiments with which I was

A FRENCH OFFICER. (GENERAL LAFAYETTE.)

[Description: Portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette, showing him from the waist up in full military dress.]

animated, and the good wishes he testified for me were sincere.

He conducted me to his house, where I found the company still at table, although the dinner had been long over. He presented me to the Generals Knox, Wayne, Howe, &c.; also to his family, then composed of Colonels Hamilton and Tilghman, his secretaries and his aides de camp, and of Major Gibbs,

commander of his guards; for in England and Amer. ice, the aides de camp, adjutants and other officers attached to the general, form what is called his family.

A fresh dinner was prepared for me, and mine; and the gathering was prolonged to keep me company. A few glasses of claret and Madeira accelerated the acquaintances I had to make, and I soon felt myself at my ease near the greatest and the best of men.

The goodness and benevolence which characterise him, are evident from every thing about him; but the confidence he gives birth to never occasions improper familiarity; for the sentiment he inspires has the same origin in every individual, a profound esteem for his virtues, and a high opinion of his talents.

About nine o'clock the general officers withdrew to their quarters, which were all at a considerable distance; but as the General wished me to stay in his own house, I remained some time with him, after which he conducted me to the chamber prepared for my aides de camp and me.

This chamber occupied the fourth part of his lodgings; he apologized to me for the little room he had in his disposal, but always with a noble politeness, which was neither too much nor too little.

At nine the next morning they informed me that his Excellency was come down into the parlor. This room served at once as audience chamber, and dining-room. I immediately went to wait on him, and found breakfast prepared.

While we were at breakfast horses were brought, and General Washington gave orders for the army to get under arms at the head of the camp. The

weather was very bad, and it had already begun raining; we waited half an hour; but the General seeing that it was more likely to increase than to diminish, determined to get on horseback.

Two horses were brought him, which were a present from the State of Virginia; he mounted one himself, and gave me the other. Mr. Lynch and Mr. de Montesquieu, had each of them, also, a very handsome blood horse, such as we could not find at Newport for any money.

We repaired to the artillery camp, where General Knox received us: the artillery was numerous, and the gunners, in very fine order, were formed in parade, in the foreign manner, that is, each gunner at his battery, and ready to fire. The General was so good as to apologise to me for the cannon not firing to salute me.

He said, that having put all the troops on the other side of the river in motion, and apprised them that he might himself march along the right bank, he was afraid of giving the alarm, and of deceiving the detachments that were out. We gained, at length, the right of the army, where we saw the Pennsylvania line: it was composed of two brigades, each forming three battalions, without reckoning the light infantry, which were detached with the Marquis Lafayette.

General Wayne, who commanded it, was on horseback, as well as the brigadiers and colonels. They were all well mounted: the officers also had a very military air; they were well ranged, and saluted very gracefully. Each brigade had a band of music; the march they were then playing was the Huron.

I knew that this line, though in want of many

things, was the best clothed in the army; so that his Excellency asking me whether I would proceed, and see the whole army, or go by the shortest road to the camp of the Marquis, I accepted the latter proposal. The troops ought to thank me for it, for the rain was falling with redoubled force; they were dismissed, therefore, and we arrived very wet at the Marquis de Lafayette's quarters, where I warmed myself with great pleasure.

The rain appearing to cease, or inclining to cease for a moment, we availed ourselves of the opportunity to follow his Excellency to the camp of the Marquis: we found all his troops in order of battle on the heights to the left, and himself at their head expressing, by his air and countenance, that he was happier in receiving me there, than at his estate in Auvergne.

The confidence and attachment of the troops, are for him invaluable possessions, well acquired riches, of which nobody can deprive him; but what, in my opinion, is still more flattering for a young man of his age, is the influence, the consideration he has acquired amongst the political, as well as the military order.

I do not fear contradiction when I say, that private letters from him have frequently produced more effect on some states than the strongest exhortations of the Congress. On seeing him, one is at a loss which most to admire, that so young a man as he should have given such great proofs of talents, or that a man so tried, should give hopes of so long a career of glory. Fortunate his country, if she knows how to avail herself of them; more fortunate still should she stand in no need of calling them into exertion!

The rain spared us no more at the camp of the Marquis, than at that of the main army; so that when our review was finished, I saw with pleasure General Washington set off in a gallop to regain his quarters. We reached them as soon as the badness of the roads would permit us. At our return we found a good dinner ready, and about twenty guests, among whom were Generals Howe and Sinclair. The repast was in the English fashion, consisting of eight or ten large dishes of butcher's meat, and poultry, with vegetables of several sorts, followed by a second course of pastry, comprised under the two denominations of pies and puddings.

When the cloth was taken off, apples and a great quantity of nuts were served, which General Washington usually continues eating for two hours, toasting and conversing all the time. These nuts are small and dry, and have so hard a shell that they can only be broken by the hammer; they are served half open, and the company are never done picking and eating them.[193] The conversation was calm and agreeable; his Excellency was pleased to enter with me into the particulars of some of the principal operations of the war, but always with a modesty and conciseness, which proved that it was from pure complaisance he mentioned it.

74. Close Quarters for Washington
BY MARQUIS DE CHASTELLUX (1782)

WE passed the North River as night came on, and arrived at six o'clock at Newburgh, where I found Mr. and Mrs. Washington and escort. The head quarters at Newburgh consist of a single house, neither large nor commodious, which is built in the Dutch fashion. The largest room in it (which was the proprietor's parlor for his family, and which General Washington has converted into his dining-room) is in truth tolerably spacious, but it has seven doors, and only one window.

The chimney, or rather the chimney back, is against the wall; so that there is in fact but one vent for the smoke, and the fire is in the room itself. I found the company assembled in a small room which served by way of parlor. At nine supper was served, and when the hour of bedtime came, I found that the chamber, to which the General conducted me, was the very parlor I speak of, wherein he had made them place a camp-bed.

We assembled at breakfast the next morning at ten, during which interval my bed was folded up, and my chamber became the sitting-room for the whole afternoon; for American manners do not admit of a bed in the room in which company is received.

The smallness of the house, and the difficulty to which I saw that Mr. and Mrs. Washington had put themselves to receive me, made me apprehensive lest Mr. Rochambeau, who had set out the day after me' by travelling as fast, might arrive on the day that I remained there. I resolved therefore to send to Fishkill

to meet him, with a request that he would stay there that night.

Nor was my precaution superfluous, for my express found him already at the landing, where he slept, and did not join us till the next morning as I was setting out. The day I remained at head quarters was passed either at table or in conversation. On the 7th I took leave of General Washington, nor is it difficult to imagine the pain this separation gave me; but I have too much pleasure in recollecting the real tenderness with which it affected him, not to take a pride in mentioning it.

75. Camp Fare
BY GEORGE WASHINGTON (1779)

I HAVE asked Mrs. Cochran and Mrs. Livingston to dine with me to-morrow; but am I not in honor bound to apprise them of their fare? As I hate deception, even where the imagination only is concerned, I will. It is needless to premise, that my table is large enough to hold the ladies. Of this they had ocular proof yesterday. To say how it is usually covered, is rather more essential; and this shall be the purport of my letter.

Since our arrival at this happy spot, we have had a ham, sometimes a shoulder of bacon, to grace the head of the table; a piece of roast beef adorns the foot; and a dish of beans, or greens, almost imperceptible, decorates the centre. When the cook has a mind to cut a figure, which I presume will be the case to-morrow, we have two beef-steak pies, or dishes of crabs, in addition, one on each side of the centre dish, dividing the space and reducing the distance between dish and dish to about six feet, which without them would be near twelve feet apart.

Of late he has had the surprising sagacity to discover, that apples will make pies; and it is a question, if, in the violence of his efforts, we do not get one of apples, instead of having both of beef-steaks. If the ladies can put up with such entertainment, and will submit to partake of it on plates, once tin but now iron (not become so by the labor of scouring), I shall be happy to see them;

76. A View of American Troops
BY A GERMAN OFFICER (1777)

WE passed the enemy's encampment, in front of which all their regiments, as well as the artillery, were standing under arms. Not a man of them was regularly equipped. Each one had on the clothes which he was accustomed to wear in the field, the tavern, the church, and in everyday life. No fault, however, could be found with their military appearance, for they stood in an erect and a soldierly attitude.

All their muskets had bayonets attached to them, and their riflemen had rifles. They remained so perfectly quiet that we were utterly astounded. Not one of them made any attempt to speak to the man at his side; and all the men who stood in array before us were so slender, fine-looking, and sinewy, that it was a pleasure to look at them.

Nor could we but wonder that Dame Nature had created such a handsome race! As to their height, dear brother, the men averaged from five feet six to five feet seven inches, according to Prussian measurement; and I assure you I am not telling an untruth when I state that men five feet eight to ten inches high were oftener to be seen than those of only five feet five inches; and men of larger height were to be found in all the companies.

I am perfectly serious when I state that the men of English America are far ahead of those in the greater portion of Europe both as respects their beauty and stature. In regard to the gentler sex, I will give you some details of them also when I arrive

at Kinderhook; and now for a space devoted to American WIGS!

Few of the officers in General Gates's army wore uniforms, and those that were worn were evidently of home manufacture and of all colors. For example, brown coats with sea-green facings, white linings, and silver dragons, and gray coats with yellow buttons and straw-colored facings, were to be seen in plenty.

The brigadiers and generals had, however, uniforms to distinguish them from the rest of the officers, and wore a band around the waist to designate their respective rank. On the other hand, most of the colonels and other officers wore their every-day clothes. They carried their muskets (to which a bayonet was attached) in their hands; their pouches or powderhorns were slung over their backs, and their left hand hung down by their side, while the right foot was slightly put forward.

In one place could be seen men with white wigs, from beneath which long and thick hair escaped thick lambs' tails hanging down from the back; in another, the glistening black wig of an abbé surmounting some red and copper-colored face; while in still another, white and gray clerical-looking wigs made of horse and goat hair, and piled up in successive rolls.

In looking at a man thus adorned one would imagine that he had an entire sheep under his hat, with its tail dangling around his neck. A great deal of respect is entertained for these wigs, not only because they are supposed to give the wearer a learned appearance, but because they are worn by all the gentlemen composing the committees and those who are renowned for wisdom.

The gentlemen who wear these different kind of wigs are mostly between fifty and sixty years of age; and having but recently begun to wear them, you can imagine what a comical appearance they cut as soldiers. The determination which caused them to grasp a musket and powder-horn can be seen in their faces, as well as the fact that they are not to be fooled with, especially in skirmishes in the woods.

Seriously speaking, this entire nation has great natural military talent. There were many regiments of Continentals in the enemy's army who had not been properly equipped, owing to the lack of time and scarcity of cloth. They have flags with all kinds of emblems and mottoes.

It must also be said to the credit of the enemy's regiments, that not a man among them ridiculed or insulted us; and none of them evinced the least sign of hate or malicious joy as we marched by. On the contrary, it seemed rather as though they desired to do us honor. As we filed by the tent of General Gates, he invited the brigadiers and commanders of our regiments to enter, and when they had done so he placed all kinds of refreshments before them.