myself were sitting at the fire mourning about him, and wondering as to what could have become of him. In the evening he was seen in the large field and near to the woods, distant from the house about half a mile.Whilst we were fretting about him within doors, all at once a soldier cried out: yonder is something white (he being without any article of clothing except his shirt) near to the woods, and said that it must be Dewees. He with the other soldiers ran and found that it was my father. They brought him back to the house immediately. Where he had been wandering none knew, nor could any conjecture, but he must have been running about all the time, for his skin was very much torn by briars and thorns. When he was brought back he was quite sensible. It being late in the fall and the weather quite cool, he was very cold when he returned. Those that brought him back made him sit down at the fire, in order that he might become warmed. Whilst he sat down with us at the fire, he perceived us crying, and he told us that he was not long for this world, and bade us not to mourn for him. He then tendered good counsel to us, and commended us to the keeping of the God of Battles, whom he said was the orphan's God, and would protect us and take better care of us than he could, were he to remain with us. Some of the soldiers then helped him to get into his bed again. His words were true, for he died that night. The soldiers upon the next day made a box (for coffins were things almost unknown among us,) and placed him in it, and buried him with the honors of war near to some bushes which grew short distance from the house. Other soldiers lie buried near to that spot also. Whilst we were paying the last respect and duty to his remains, some unprincipled soldiers had entered the room we occupied, and taken a number of articles from his knapsack. The razors, box, brush, &c. which had belonged to my father were among the missing. This we discovered when my sister and I were gathering up his little effects (after we returned to the house) pre a paratory to our setting out for the place where my sister lived. We were now left orphans truly, in the camp of our country, and I may state without friends; to whom then could we look for proper protection? Upon the part of my father's comrades, there was manifested every disposition of kindness, but what could their united friendship accomplish for us. They were without money, the government had not the power to supply them therewith, and General Washington's every mental strength was aroused and in action to keep a naked and starving soldiery together; and who I may ask, but a mild, amiable, patriotic, bold, energetic and persevering Washington could have done this? No one. He loved his soldiers. and sympathized with them, and he shared in their hardships. Yes, he soothed them in their sufferings, and they loved him faithfully. Who would have dared to have stood the injurer of Washington? He, yes, he who would have met the bared steel of thousands in an instant. The name of Washington was talismanic,—all potent and deservedly so, his presence animated and cheered onward to duty, and his speech was the index and mark-time command in marching to the accomplishment of that duty. My sister and my brother Thomas were both bound out in the same family. I do not recollect that it was a Quaker family in which they lived, but believe that it was, as the inmates thereof had many of the habits of that people, this excepted, humane conduct, the offspring of an enlarged possession of the milk of human kindness. For the residence of this family, my sister and myself at length started, and where we arrived on the same day. In this family there was another bound boy beside my brother, and of about the same age of my sister. This boy and my sister were taken sick, and at about the same time. The sickness I do not know whether I ever understood properly what it was, but I remember it was some kind of a fever. Their sick-beds were in a room up stairs, and my brother and myself made a fire in the room and attended to them. Not knowing that their sickness was of so dangerous a nature as to produce death, and not seeing any degree of fear or anxiety manifested upon the part of the family in their case, for the old people seldom visited themmy brother and self being young, wild and inexperienced were the more ready to sally forth in mischievous style, which no doubt caused serious reflections and regrets to both of us afterwards. They were flighty or delirious often, and it was fine sport to us to see them (after we would throw powder into the fire to scare them) jump up and clamber against the wall of the room. When they would rise thus, we had to put them to bed by the dint of our strength. This conduct was highly imprudent, and as injurious as it was imprudent. I dont wish to be thought attempting to excuse or justify it, for I could not if I desired to do so, but it was by far, more the effect of thoughtlessness and an unchecked spirit of good humored levity, than it was that of a wicked or wantonly cruel spirit. My sister grew worse, and on an evening not long after, she died. We had told the old people of her situation, but they manifested no great concern. When she was dying we called them, and they came up, but the vital spark was fast quitting its abode of clay. It sped its way to Him who is a Father to the fatherless, the orphan's stay and the widow's hope. The old people laid her out, and had grave clothes and a coffin prepared, and on the next day they took her in a light wagon to a Meeting House about a mile off, and they buried her in a grave yard attached thereto. My brother and myself accompanied them. This must have been late in the month of December, 1777, or January, '78. I remember that the weather was quite cold. The boy, although he lay very low, recovered his health againThe old people, I recollect, bestowed a good deal more attention towards him after my sister's death than they had previous. When I reflect now upon the little. kindness manifested upon their part towards these two sufferers, I am ready to ask, how can any persons in life, that have come to the years of maturity, act so undutiful a part to those that lie upon a bed of languishing and death? But are there not those to be found still, wherever we go, that have by their own unfeeling conduct in this sad extremity-this trying and dark hour, the hour of sickness and death, stigmatized themselves as cruel in the eyes of the humane, generous and just? Affection possessed by brothers toward sisters, and by sisters toward brothers, how pretty, how manly, how womanly, how virtuous, how just, how all-pleasing in the sight of that Almighty Being who is all affection himself, and whose course of life whilst he tabernacled here, where persecution, sorrow, poverty and sore trial, even death itself, was meted out to him—whose course of life was all heavenly affection, ministering to the wants, bodily and spiritually, of even his most malignant enemies. Let me exhort brothers to watch faithfully over the sick beds of sisters, and never for a moment to so far forget the duties they owe them, as to treat them with indifference or cruel neglect, but to let a tender hand and tender speech be ever extended to them. If the poets, but above all, if the Scriptures themselves call loudly for kindness and mercy towards strangers, how much more is it called for from brothers to sisters. Brothers! Sisters! pause in the solemn hours of sickness. Think, reflect and act; act as rational beings, and let the currents of tenderness bespeak nature's manliness-womanliness and let tenderness and the sweet feelings of kindness in action be the offspring that shall be borne along upon those currents. - "Thus hand in hand thro' life we'll go, Its checker'd paths of joy and woe, And mingle with the dead. While conscience, like a faithful friend Shall, when all other comforts cease, And smooth the bed of Death." army. I don't recollect whether there were sons and daughters belonging to the family or not, if there were I never saw any whilst I remained in it. I stayed there until towards spring. During my stay I helped to chop wood, feed and take care of the cattle, &c. I recollect one job which was mine twice each day, that of rubbing the legs of a mare with a rye-band, that had the scratches.Sometime about the 1st of March I enquired diligently for, and found that the army laid at Valley Forge. I told the man I homed with, that I was going on to camp, he tried to dissuade me from my purpose. He said every thing to me that it was possible for him to say, in order to scare me, or fill my mind with fear. I told him that I would go, and that nothing upon earth should be able to keep me from joining my own regiment or some other one if I could but reach the When he found that I was determined to go, he gave me an eighteen penny piece for all the labor I had performed for him during the winter. I bundled up my little all and started early in the morning, bending my steps towards Valley Forge. I cannot remember the state of the roads at this time, but remember well, however, that my shoes were very bad. When I travelled more than half-way to camp, I became quite weary and hungry, and had resolved in my own mind that I would stop at the first house at which I should think likely to offer me something to eat. I had not travelled far, after I resolved thus, until I met a soldier. I enquired of him the way and distance to Valley Forge encampment, and asked him also relative to a house ahead, at which I might be likely to obtain something to eat. He then asked me if I had any money. I told him I had none. He said he knew better, and with that he caught hold of me and took my eighteen penny piece out of my pocket. I then started off from him, and ran as hard as I could, and being in a fretting humor at my loss, as well as in con |