Transcriber's Note: Printer's inconsistencies in punctuation andhyphenation have been retained. Variant and alternative spellingshave been preserved, except for obvious misspellings.
PREFACE.
When the Author of the succeeding pages had determined on recordingthe events and operations of the Regiment to which he belonged, it wasfar from his intention to give them publicity.—They were noted downfor the amusement of his leisure hours and the perusal of his Friends,when he should return from the toils of the Camp and the fatigues ofwar;—to portray to the view of those Friends the various vicissitudesof fate attendant on the life of a Soldier.—But since his return,many who have perused the manuscript, have expressed their ardentdesire to see it published, and to gratify their wishes, he has beeninduced to submit it to the press.—He indulges the hope that hissimple narrative will fall into the hands of none but the candid andliberal, who affect not to despise the humble and unvarnished tale ofthe Private Soldier.
THE AUTHOR.
JOURNAL.
The 4th Regiment of U.S. Infantry was raised principally in the year1808—from the five N. England States, viz. Vermont, New-Hampshire,Massachusetts, Rhode-Island and Connecticut, and consisted of between8 & 900 men—under the command of Colonel John P. Boyd.—The regimentwas not embodied until—
Ap. 29, 1811—When we received orders from Government to rendezvousat the Lazaretto Barracks on the Schuylkill, 5 miles belowPhiladelphia—Capt. Whitney's Company of U.S. Riflemen, then stationedat Newport, R.I. was also ordered to join the 4th regiment at thisplace.
May 24th—The whole regiment (except one Company under Capt. Rannie,which were detained at Marblehead) had arrived, and were immediatelyformed, consisting of about 600 of as noble fellows as ever trod thetented field; all in good health and fine spirits, and theirdiscipline unrivaled;—nothing worthy of note took place while weremained here, which was but a few days, except the degradingsituation in which Capt. Whitney of the Riflemen, had placed himself,while Commanding Officer, by descending to the level of a Musician,and with his own hands bestowing corporeal punishment upon the bareposteriors of two privates of his Company, in the face of the wholeregiment on parade. Such conduct in a commander, merited and receivedthe pointed scorn of every officer of the regiment.—The two men, whohad heretofore been good soldiers, deserted within two hours afterreceiving their punishment—and a few days afterwards Capt. Whitneyresigned a command he was totally unworthy of, and returnedhome.—Lieut. A. Hawkins, a fine officer, was afterwards appointed tothe command of this Company.—We received our tents, camp, equipage,&c. and Col. Boyd and Lieut. Col. Miller, having arrived to take thecommand.—On the
3d. June—1811, we commenced our march for Pittsburgh;—Crowds ofspectators from the city of Philadelphia came to witness ourdeparture;—the day was extremely warm, and we were almost suffocatedwith heat and dust.—We marched f