The Military Journals of Two Private Soldiers, 1758-1775 | Page 4

wing of the American army, under Arnold, was encamped, while General Schuyler was casting up entrenchments at Cohoes Falls, a few weeks before the Saratoga battles, in 1777.]
Saturday 24th. I received a Letter from John at the half moon and from thence we marched & Arived at Stil Water[22] & Lodged their & Barnabas Evings was poor.
[Footnote 22: Stillwater is on the west bank of the Hudson, in Saratoga county, twenty-four miles north from Albany. The battle of Bemis's heights was fought near there, in 1777, and is sometimes known as the battle of Stillwater. Opposite the mouth of the Hoosick river, at Stillwater, was a stockade, called Fort Winslow.]
Sonday 25th. We got 2 Battoes[23] to carry our packs up to Salatogue[24] and we went a foot & 8 of our men were draun out to stay at Salatogue--Captain Lewis shot at an Indian and kild him & sot in the Battoe--from Salatogue we marched on to Fort Miller[25] and Lodged their.
[Footnote 23: A batteau is a kind of scow or flat-boat, used on shallow streams like the Hudson above Waterford.]
[Footnote 24: Saratoga. This settlement was near the mouth of the Fish creek, on the south side. The village of Schuylerville is just across the stream, on the north side. On the plain, in front of the village of Schuylerville, was a regular quadrangular fortification, with bastions, called Fort Hardy. It was erected in 1756, and named in honor of the governor of New York at that time.]
[Footnote 25: On the west side of the Hudson, six or eight miles below Fort Edward. The river is there broken by swift rapids. During this campaign, Major (afterward General) Putnam was here surprised by a party of Indians, and boldly descended the rapids in a canoe, and escaped. It was a feat they never dared to attempt, and they felt certain that he was under the protection of the Great Spirit. Here a stream called Bloody Run enters the Hudson. It is so named because a party of soldiers from the garrison, in 1759, went there to fish, were surprised by the Indians, and nine were killed and scalped.]
Monday 26th. Rainy and wet--I come up the River in a Battoe to Fort Edward to the incampment--their we drad 1/2 a pound of powder and 10 Bullets a peace and 8 days provision in order for to march to the Lake[26]--Barnabas Evings was very poor with fever nago[27] and was forst to stay behind & David Bishop with him--we Lodged in Bush tents and very wet it was.
[Footnote 26: Lake George.]
[Footnote 27: Fever-and-ague.]
Tuesday 27th. Marched all of Colonel Phiches[28] Regiment that were hear with 3 teams to carry the officers we arrived at the half way Brook[29] and their a great percel stashond for a while & from thence we Marched to Lake George and went over upon the hill East & their Encamptt one with myself went upon guard this night.
[Footnote 28: Fitch's.]
[Footnote 29: Afterward called Snook's creek. It enters the Hudson three miles below Fort Edward.]
Wednesday 28th. We cleard our ground and pitchd our tents I sent 2 letters home.
Thursday 29th. Stil here General Limon[30] & Colonel Phiches Regiments come up to the Lake this day I washed my Cloths 1 more rigiment come up.
[Footnote 30: General Phineas Lyman, who built Fort Edward. He was a native of Durham, Connecticut, where he was born in 1716. He completed his education at Yale college, and afterward became an eminent lawyer. He was appointed commander-in-chief of the Connecticut forces in 1755, and in the expedition to Lake George deserved all the honor awarded to General Johnson, who was jealous of Lyman's abilities as a soldier. Lyman did his duty nobly, and was but little noticed. Johnson was unfit for his station, but being a nephew of Sir Peter Warren, then a popular English admiral, he received the honor of knighthood, and the sum of twenty thousand dollars, for his services in that campaign! General Lyman served with distinction until the close of the campaign in 1760, and in 1762 commanded the American forces sent against Havana. He was in England about eleven years, and, after his return, went with his family to the Mississippi, where he died in 1788.]
Friday 30th. This day there was a very unhapy mishap fel out in the province forces & that was 1 **** shot one **** partly through the body but did not kil him the man which was shot lived at Bridgwater to day they drawd out 9 men to go in Battoes up the Lake.
Saturday July 1st. Colonel Worster[31] & his rigiment came up to day & 3 of our sick men 1 of them Brot nuse that one man shot another by accident at Schenacata & an hour after he died to day our