Page:Journal of an Expedition 1794.djvu/9

Rh hours. A more tremendous storm (for a thunder storm) I never saw. Here again I was very much pleased with the countenance and enterprise of my troop, who had all taken the precaution of trenching round their tents, and when the storm began, they turned out with whips, which they had previously prepared, and whipped their tents; the effect of which is to wet them all as soon as possible, after which they leak no more. I did so with my own, and laid myself down to perfect rest. The Crooked Billet is a small place of 10 or 15 houses, tolerably well-built; tavern dirty and extravagant; the people well disposed to take advantage of the troops, and in general not very friendly to our camp.

19th. We marched early for Norristown, the county town of the county of Montgomery, 172 miles from Philadelphia, where we arrived about 2 o'clock. Our camp was beautifully laid out on the banks of the Schuylkill, in a very pleasant meadow. Here we were well supplied with short feed, but infamously with hay, owing to the villainy of a farmer, who had sold and promised to deliver good hay, and brought bad. Norristown is beautifully situated on the Schuylkill; has a handsome court house, goal and yard, in a separate place, a building for public papers, &c. It lays on an eminence, and has a most commanding prospect. Here we were joined by the Philadelphia light-horse, who left Philadelphia Thursday. They are most completely mounted and equipped, and very genteel looking troops, about men, being three companies. Here we found many people very much in favor of the rioters. These were however all of the most ignorant and uninformed part of society. The most strange and absurd notions of the Government seem to have been industriously propagated by some wicked incendiaries; such as, that Congress were going to lay a tax of two dollars on every male child that is born; that one shilling is to be laid on every new coat, and a number of such like stories. At this place we were overtaken by Gov. Mifflin, who came here to procure the quota of troops from the county. He harangued the citizens (a great many of whom had assembled,) very well, (as I am told,) after which he paid a very high compliment to our State, and was very happy to see us on the ground;—in short, every friend of the Federal Government seems delighted with our appearance.

20th. Marched early for Potts Grove, distant 15 miles, where we arrived about 2 o'clock, and pitched our camp most beautifully on the banks of the Schuylkill. Potts Grove is a charming village, pleasantly situated on that river, and inhabited by much the most genteel, hospitable people of any town we had passed through. It was originally laid out by Mr. Potts, and is now very much possessed and inhabited by his descendants, of that name and the name of Rutter. As we were marching into the camping ground, I had the misfortune to receive a very bad wound by the kick of a horse, which cut my boot, stocking, and into my leg on the shin bone about as large as a dollar, and bruised the adjacent parts very much.