Our Division are under Marching Orders this morning. I am ashamed to say it, but I am tempted to steal Fowls if I could find them — or even a whole Hog — for I feel as if I could eat one. But the Impoverish'd Country about us, affords but little matter to employ a Thief — or keep a Clever Fellow in good humour — But why do I talk of hunger & hard usage, when so many in the World have not even fire Cake & Water to eat. . . .
23d. — The Party that went out last evening not Return d to Day. This evening an excellent Player on the Violin in that soft kind of Musick, which is so finely adapted to stirr up the tender Passions, while he was playing in the next Tent to mine, these kind of soft —Airs it imme diately called up in remembrance all the endearing expressions — the Tender Sentiments — the sympathetic friendship that has given so much satisfaction and sensible pleasure to me from the first time I gained the heart & affections of the tenderest of the Fair. . . .
Dec. 24th. — Party of the 22d returned. Hutts go on Slowly — Cold & Smoke make us fret. But mankind are always fretting, even if they have more than their proportion of the Blessings of Life. We are never Easy — allways repining at the Providence of an Allwise & Benevolent Being — Blaming Our Country — or faulting our Friends. But I don't know of any thing that vexes a man's Soul more than hot smoke continually blowing into his Eyes — & when he attempts to avoid it, is met by a cold and piercing Wind. . . .
Dec. 25th, Christmas. — We are still in Tents — when we ought to be in huts — the poor Sick, suffer much in Tents this cold Weather — But we now treat them differently from what they used to be at home, under the inspection of Old Women & Doct. Bolus Linctus. We give them Mutton & Grogg — and a Capital Medicine once in a While — to start the Disease from its foundation at once. We avoid — Piddling Pills, Powders, Bolus's Linctus's — Cordials and all such insignificant matters whose powers are Only render'd important by causing the Patient to vomit up his money instead of his disease. But very few of the sick Men Die.
Dec. 26th. Party of the 22d not Return'd. The Enemy have been some Days the west Schuylkill from Opposite the City to Derby — There intentions not yet known. The City is at present pretty Clear of them —Why don't his Excellency rush in & retake the City, in which he will doubtless find much Plunder? — Because he knows better than to leave his Post and be catch'd like a . . . fool cooped up in the City. He has
