The soldiers would sometimes go to swim in the river on which the falls was situated. They were always cautioned to not go nearer to the falls than a certain distance then named, it being very dangerous to enter the river at any point nearer than that, as the "suck" was so great as to draw whatever might chance to fall therein over the falls. It was said by old people in the settlement around the falls, that an Indian had been drawn (with his canoe) by the suck, and had been precipitated over the falls; his body (or parts) of it had been discovered afterwards. The water dashed wildly and swiftly over a precipice that seemed straight almost as the side of a wall, and when it fell, it fell broken indeed among high and projecting rocks to which nature had given every ragged and picturesquely wild shape imaginable. The noise of this mighty dashing water could be heard for many miles in every direction around the falls.

Near to where we lay at some other place during the revolution, we frequently went to see a couple of dwarfs. They were male and female; the one was said to be 33 years old and the other two or three years older or younger, and which it was I cannot now recollect. They were both well on to 3 feet high, but their bodies were very slender, their arms and hands were very small, and their eyes were no larger than the eyes of a "rat," but black as jet. The people called them "fairies." Their parents were not very well off. It was also said of General Washington that when he visited them he gave their parents something clever to aid in supporting them, and I suppose it was true, for I never knew or heard of his closing his hands, but always understood that he gave liberally on all necessary occasions.

CHAPTER X.

A large detachment of soldiers were sent on from West Point to Crown Point in order to strengthen that post, and add to the strength of that portion of the northern army. I accompanied this body of troops in that expedition in the capacity of a regular Fifer in the

regiment. Owing to our having to pass through a great portion of wilderness country, and by means of poor roads often very deep and miry and leading through almost impassable swamps; we endured much hardship and often that of great want. From the great distance that Crown Point laid from the middle theatre of war, provisions whilst we laid there were often extremely scarce; in fact sometimes we had to subsist for days without a mouthful of any thing to eat. This was not confined to one particular post, but it was general, as well near to the first great Independence ground Philadelphia, as at the far off out posts. In addition to the want of food, the army was suffering for want of clothing, and in addition to these another great want was continually staring the Commander-in-Chief in the face; Oh, horrible thought! continually harrassing the greatest and best of of men-it was the want of ammunition with which the soldiers, although enduring every privation could not only have protected themselves with, but the young and war clouded Eagle-bird, Liberty of their country also. Mr. Marshall in his life of Washington, has fully and faithfully portrayed the suffering state of the army. Read his statements.

General Washington's "urgent requisition for men to supply the place of those who were leaving the services, were not complied with, and the soldiers who remained, could scarcely be preserved from either perishing with cold and hunger, or dispersing and living on plunder."

General Greene and Colonel Wadsworth, who had for the preceding year, been at the head of the quarter

master and commissary departments, possessed distinguished merit, and had employed assistants of unquestionable ability and integrity. Yet, for a great part of the campaigns, the rations were frequently reduced, and the army was rarely supplied with provisions for more than a few days in advance. Soon after coming into winter quarters, the magazines were exhausted, and afforded neither meat nor flour to be delivered to the men. "This state of things had been long foreseen, and all the means in the power of the Commander-in-Chief had been used to prevent it. Repeated representations of the actual famine with which the army was threatened, had been made to Congress, and to the state governments; but no adequate relief was afforded; and such was the condition of the finances, so embarrassing the state of affairs, that it was perhaps attainable only by measures which the government could not venture to adopt."

"Those were the dark days truly, "that tried men's souls." How needful the possession of prophetic vision to meet the dark cloud of an almost utter despondency, that hung over the infant, Liberty, in its rudely and hastily constructed cradle of Republicanism. Loudly did this sad and deplorable state of things call for the aid of prophetic vision to have beheld beyond the widely extended lowering, dark and impenetrable cloud of war, the young but high soaring, and loud screaming Eagle of Liberty coming from afar.

To this awful state of affairs the fair daughters of Columbia were not indifferent. The patriotic ladies, mothers and daughters of Philadelphia, and indeed every where else, made lofty sacrifices. They sacrificed every thing in their power for the good of their country. They furnished materials, made garments of all descriptions and clothed as far as in their power a perishing soldiery. Mothers cheerfully sacrificed in parting with, and sending away husbands and sons to their country's battle-fields. Sisters were seen hastily weaving and sewing, and manufacturing clothes for young brothers that

they might be able speedily to rush to the support of the American standard, and the God-chosen Washington, father and protector of his country."

Hanna's Glory of Columbia.

Mr. Marshall states that after the battle of Princeton, January-77, the situation of General Washington was again perilous in the extreme. "His small army was exhausted with fatigue. His troops had been without sleep, all of them one night and some of them two.— They were without blankets, many of them barefooted and otherwise thinly clad, and were eighteen miles from the place of their destination."

When the above state of things existed in the country, what would my readers suppose we could be enduring at such remote posts as Crown Point, and Fort Ticonderoga. We could consider ourselves well off, when we were where we were blessed with rations sufficient to make tolerably satisfying meals. We considered ourselves well off in the midst of hardships, when we were where we could draw a gill of liquor per day occasionally. When we drew fresh meat, we did not always draw salt to preserve it or use with it. During the war we drew more liquor and vinegar when in the vicinity of cities or large towns, than when removed to any great distance from them. We indeed (I may state) drew more abundantly (if it were to be had at all) of every thing else. Sometimes we drew two days' rations at a time. Sometimes when near to towns where baker's bread could be obtained, it would be procured for us. At West Point we drew bread very often. Sometimes we drew soap. I have known, however, that no soap would be drawn for six months at a time. We have often procured white clay, and used it as soap in washing our shirts, pantaloons &c. I recollect that when we laid at Carlisle barracks, we procured white clay and mixed it up like mortar, and made it into large balls and after they would become dry we would rub them on our pantaloons, like to buff balls upon buckskin breeches. By their use thus, we made them for a time almost as white as chalk.

This mode of washing or metamorphosing dirty wearing apparel into clean, might suit some particular characters not very particular now-a-days, but not the generality of folks. This mode of washing or rather painting of dirty clothes, if introduced now would be considered by our "tidy" housewives, and their rosy cheeked lassies of daughters rather a dry, and very odd kind of wash indeed.

At all times when we drew biscuit, we were scarce of every thing else, and were then in the midst of hard times I do assure my readers. Sometimes we had one biscuit and a herring per day, and often neither the one nor the other. Sometimes we had neither the one nor the other for two days at a time, and in one or two instances nothing until the evening of the third day.— This was previous to our drawing a biscuit and a herring each day, the biscuit was made of shipstuff, and they were so hard that a hammer or a substitute therefor was requisite to break them. This, or throw them to soak in boiling water, upon these, a biscuit and a herring each day, the soldiers lived until their mouths broke out with scabs, and their throats became as sore and raw as a piece of uncooked meat. This was very annoying and oppressive, and was called the "scurvy." The soldiers at length determined to kick against the receipt of herrings. We all drew our herrings and saved them for a day or two, and then collected them at one place on the parade ground and fastened them upon long poles, and some of the soldiers carried them upon their shoulders around and up, and down the parade ground, whilst we (the musicians) played and beat "the rogue's march" after them. After we had endeavored to fish drill our officers enough, we left our fish lying upon the parade ground to undergo an official inspection, and repaired quietly and orderly to our quarters.

The officers made a great ado about the matter, but the soldiers were determined not to yield any thing. This course of independent burlesquing, at the expense of the finny tribe of unwelcome guests, brought us a load or