Page:The Adventures Of A Revolutionary Soldier.pdf/106

104 Colonel's pork and bread;—we staid through the night, and got some sleep and rest. Early next morning we left our prisoners, blacks and all, to the care of the Militia, who could take care of them after we had taken them for them, and marched off for our encampment, at Bedford, where we arrived at night, sufficiently beat out and in a good condition to add another night's sleep to our stock of rest.

We lay at Bedford till the close of the season. Late in the autumn, the main army lay at New-Milford, in the northwestern part of Connecticut; while there, the Connecticut troops drew some winter clothing. The men belonging to that State, who were in the Light Infantry, had none sent them; they, therefore, thought themselves hardly dealt by. Many of them fearing they should lose their share of the clothing, (of which they stood in great need,) absconded from the Camp at Bedford and went to New-Milford. This caused our officers to keep patroling parties around the camp during the night to prevent their going off. In consequence of this, I had one evening, nearly obtained a final discharge from the army.

I had been in the afternoon, at a small brook in the rear of the camp, where the troops mostly got their water, to wash some clothes; among the rest was a handkerchief, which I laid upon a stone or stump and when I went to my tent I forgot to take it with me. Missing it after roll-call, I went to the place to get it; it was almost dark, and quite so in the bushes, when I got there. I was puzzled for some time to find the place, and longer before I could find the handkerchief; after finding it I did not hurry back, but loitered till the patrols were out, for I did not once think of them. It had now become quite dark and I had to pass through a place where the soldiers had cut firewood;—it was a young growth of wood, and the ground was covered with brush and the stumps about knee high, quite thick. Just as I entered upon this spot I heard somebody challenge with "Who comes there?" I had no idea of being the person hailed, and kept very orderly on my way, blundering through the brush. I, however, received a second and third invitation to declare myself, but paid no attention to the request. The next compliment I received was a shot from them; the ball passed very near to me but I still kept