n through to a pleasant valley named Great
Meadows, dominated by a mountain called Laurel Hill. Here there was
abundant forage, and as the horses could go no further, Colonel
Washington ordered a halt, and determined to await the promised
reinforcements. A few days later, a company of regulars under Captain
Mackay joined us, together with near a hundred men of the regiment who
had remained behind with Colonel Fry, raising our numbers to four hundred
men, though many were wasted with fever and dysentery.

Those of us who were able set to work throwing up a breastwork of logs,
under the direction of Captain Robert Stobo, and at the end of three days
had completed an inclosure a hundred feet square, with a rude cabin in
the centre to hold our munitions and supplies.

There had been many alarms that the French were marching against us, but
all of them had proved untrue, so when, some days after, the report
spread through the camp again that the enemy were near, I paid little
heed to it, and went to sleep as usual. How long I slept, I do not know,
but I was awakened by some one shaking me by the shoulder.

"Get up at once, lieutenant, and report at headquarters," said a voice I
recognized as Waggoner's, and as I sat upright with a jerk, he passed on
to awake another sleeper. I was out of bed in an instant, and threw on my
clothing with nervous haste. I could hear a storm raging, and when I
stepped outside the tent, I was almost blinded by the rain, driven in
great sheets before the wind. I fought my way against it to Washington's
tent, where I found Captain Stephen and some thirty men, and others
coming up every moment.

"What is it?" I asked of Waggoner, who had got back to headquarters
before me, but he shook his head to show that he knew no more than I.

A moment later, the flap of the tent was raised, and Colonel Washington
appeared, wrapped in his cloak as though for a journey, and followed by
an Indian, who, I learned afterwards, was none other than the Half King.
He spoke a few words to Captain Stephen, and the order was given to form
in double rank and march, Colonel Washington himself leading the
expedition, which numbered all told some forty men.

I shall never forget that midnight march through the forest, with the
rain falling in a deluge through the dripping trees, the lightning
flashing and the thunder rolling. We stumbled along upon each other's
heels, falling over logs or underbrush, the wet branches swi