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58 the breast. When we had crossed, and it had become dark, we met the Quartermasters, who had come out to meet us with wagons and hogsheads of whiskey! (thinking, perhaps, that we might take cold by being so much exposed in the cold water;) they had better have brought us something more substantial, but we thought that better than nothing. The casks were unheaded, and the Quartermaster-sergeants stood in the wagons and dealt out the liquor to the platoons; each platoon halting as it came up, till served. The intention of the Quartermaster-sergeants was, to give to each man a gill of liquor, but as measuring it out by gills was tedious, it was dealt out to us in pint measures, with directions to divide a pint between four men; but as it was dark and the actions of the men could not be well seen by those who served out the liquor, each one drank as much as he pleased; some, perhaps, half a gill, some a gill, and as many as chose it drained the pint. We again moved on for the camp, distant about five miles. We had not proceeded far before we entered a lane fenced on either side with rails, in which was a water plash, or puddle. The fence was taken down on one side of the road to enable us to pass round the water. It was what is called a five rail fence, only the two upper rails of which were taken out;—here was fun. We had been on the march, since we had drank the whiskey, just long enough for the liquor to assume its height of operation;—our stomachs being empty the whiskey took rank hold, and the poor brain fared accordingly. When the men came to the fence, not being able, many or most of them, to keep a regular balance between head and heels, they would pile themselves up on each side of the fence, swearing and hallooing; some losing their arms, some their hats, some their shoes, and some themselves. Had the enemy come upon us at this time, there would have been an action worth recording; but they did not, and we, that is, such as could, arrived at camp about midnight, where "those who had remained with the stuff" had made up some comfortable fires for our accommodation. Poor fellows! it was all they could do;—as to victuals, they had none for themselves. I had then been nearly thirty hours without a mouthful of any thing to eat, excepting the wallnuts; having been the whole time on my feet