148 N A R R A T I V E O F A N
ch a p , manding; officer, with all the other troops, having got on
XXIf- a dry ridge, were quite out of light and out of heating,
by which .reparation the near-guard not only ran the hazard
of doling all the proviiipnS jand tfhe %^gagp,;%nt o f
_ being, cut to pieces, fuch was their critical lituation,. &
Having not a fingle European that had fufficient ftrength
remaining to overtake the party which had.prpceeded, I
refigned the command to my lieutenant, a Mr» de LaJ->
riosj, .and ventured forward alone through thetforeR, till,
greatly fatigued, I overtook them; when reporting the
lituation of the rear-guard to Colonel ,Sey,burg, I rer-
quefted “ he would flacken his pace till they were able to
“ extricate themfelves and come up from the bog, with-
“ out which l could not be accountable fpr the ’coMa-
“ quences.” To this the reply Was, That ihb Would
“ forpi _h|s camp when he-met with good wate rapd?
I inftantlycelurned to the rear, where having ftruggled
until it was quite dark in a moft diftrefled and? dangerous*,
lituation, the laft man was dragged out of the mud at
- feven o’clock at night, when we flowly proceeded qn till,
we entered the camp.
MydoMcitude for .the people, powder, and provihon s, in-
Read, o f. procuring me commendation, from the perfon
under whole command I then happened to be, and who
had lately been.To very polite, brought me now intoiftlch
difficulties, and produced a mifunderftanding of fuch a
ferious nature, and fo very diftreffing to m y feelings,* thatf
it had nearly terminated my exiRence. The reader may
judge
E X P E D I T I O N T O S 0 R I N A M.
judge of my tadrtification, SVhen'l inform him, that,, in--
Read of recdmng the4 approbatidn'of my commander,' as I
certainly defervied, I Was immediately on my arrival in
camp put hinder an 'arrefly to be tried by 'a court-martial
for difobedience of* orders. Gdlonel Seyburg and I had
never beefl on‘amicable termis"and though^ during the
former part of this march, he had treated me with apparent
civility, yet from this ffiep'it Was evident that he was
my mortal enetay. i I m at Wot' otait, that though a prisoner
(ftran&e to was ordered to' Carry my own
arms and acedutremerfts, till further orders. |
On the 24th, wetodkoue departure Verybarly, and directed
our coWfe- &!tarid S. by W. w h en ce paffed elofe5
by Pinenhurg, a forfaken rebel village formerly1 'men-'
tinned— I Rill a prifoner, in themoR dejeded fpiritsCv
On the following day bur courfe wak.S.W. through a
matakey or trumpeter morafs, which was Very deep, and
which we entered when we were all in a violent fweatr
by advancing too faR while upon-the hard ground :"~but
the health o f bur men was not made an object durta^
this expedition, though fo much wanted to fueceed.- .
Having got again upon a ridgej ah’accident had now
nearly befallen me iheOmparably greater than all my for-:
mer misfortunes put ‘together; this- was no lefs than, having
fallen into a deep reverie^ while I followed the rearguard,
I imperceptibly Wandered aw&y^rQm:the troop(S^tiIjt‘
I was entirely lofl.,and.by Myfelf in an unbounded wilder-
nefs; Quaco no fooner had miffed me> than> xK)or fellow, at'
every
149.
C H A P.
XXII.
M il