hose feet have not been frost
bitten. I have been laid by nearly the whole time on account
of my leg, from which I suffered very much; and Doctor Le
Brean insisted upon taking it off, but I would not suffer him;
for which I have great reason to be joyful, for it is now
nearly as well as ever, except a little stiffness,
particularly after marching. But our distress from want of
food and comfortable raiment, was nothing compared to the
grumbling of some of the men, and I am sorry to say, of some
of the officers. I really thought we should have a meeting
once or twice; but we weathered through without it. Some hard
things are said since about some of the officers, but the
whole talk of the army is now about General Reed. There have
been a good many attempts to conceal it from the men, but it
has pretty much leaked out. This spring, it seems, King George
sent over some Commissioners, as they call them, to endeavour
to make a peace with us; and it turns out that General Reed
has been in secret correspondence with them all the time, and
was offered large amounts to play into their hands; but the
bargain was broken off by his wanting more than they were
willing to give. I know this much for certain; that one of
their letters was taken to General Washington, and that the
men were all called up at the dead of night, by beat of drum,
and most of the officers called to Head Quarters. In the
morning, General Reed was placed under guard, but released in
about two hours. The letter was from one of the British
Commissioners, in answer to one of his--he gave some
explation[TN], but it did not satisfy the General, but he was
obliged to accept it, as the contrary could not be proved. I
heard Captain Anderson tell Dr. Le Brean, that General
Washington was fully satisfied that Reed had been on the very
point of betraying us all to the British, but that it could
not be fully proved; and at such a time, it was better to keep
a strict eye upon him, without getting the army into disgrace
by exposure.

"Near the last of May, we had a smart little affair with the
British at Barren Hill; it was the first time I was under
marching orders since I left the hospital. The British army
came very near surprising us after night--two of the sentinels
of the picket guard having fallen asleep on their