There are many who have not shoes and clothes sufficient to keep them from freezing, should we move from here while they are in this condition; the clothes that the General flattered us with the expectation, and the clothes subscribed by the Kentuckians being not yet received, except a small part of the latter.
13th. Smith and his party returned from the Rapids, who started two days ago in a canoe; they did not go far before they left the canoe, on account of the ice, and travelled by land; some of them were dangerously frostbitten.
14th. An express arrived in camp, certifying that the boats which started from St. Mary’s on the 4th, laden with flour and clothing, were frozen up in St. Mary’s River, and the escort was building a house to store the loading in.
15th. Capt. Hickman started this morning to forward flour and clothing immediately on packhorses.
16th. We have drawn no flour since the 10th, in consequence of which there was a letter handed to the General last night secretly, which stated that the volunteers in two days, except flour came before that time, would start and go to it; and they would carry their camp equipage to the fort if the General required it. This news was soon circulated through camp. The officers used every argument to suppress the appearance of a mutiny. A court-martial was held at Capt. Williams’s marquee to try John Hoggard, a private in Capt. Price’s company, for some misdemeanor. He was condemned to be drummed out of camp. Col. Lewis paraded his regiment, and had him escorted with the fife and drum from one end of his line to the other. So he was legally discharged from the army. The most common punishment in camp for criminals is that of riding the wooden horse, or being put under guard on half rations. All the beef and pork was issued to the troops this evening; our dependence for the next ration is on a drove of hogs that has been expected several days!
17th. Three hundred head of hogs arrived to our relief.
20th. The weather is excessively cold; the ice has stopped the navigation of the river, so that the plan of going to the Rapids by water is entirely frustrated; we had prepared about sixty pirogues for the voyage, which will be left here for our successors.
21st. The General has ordered the commandants of regiments to cause each company to be provided with a sufficient number of sleds to convey their baggage to the Rapids. It is said these sleds are to be pulled by the men, as we have not a horse in camp able to pull an empty sled.
22d. A little flour came to camp once more; quarter-rations of that article were issued, which was welcomed by rejoicing throughout camp:
24th. Capt. Hickman returned with joyful news—that we should in a short time be supplied with flour. The deficiency of this article had produced serious consequences in the army. We have here been exposed to numberless difficulties, as well as deprived of the common necessaries of life; and what made these things operate more severely was, all hopes of obtaining any conquest was entirely abandoned. Obstacles had emerged in the path to victory, which must have appeared insurmountable to every person endowed with common sense. The distance to Canada, the unpreparedness of the army, the scarcity of provisions, and the badness of the weather, show that Malden cannot be taken in the remaining part of our time. And would it not have been better if this army had been disbanded? Our sufferings at this place have been greater than if we had been in a severe battle. More than one hundred lives have been lost, owing to our bad accommodations! The sufferings of about three hundred sick at a time, who are exposed to the cold ground and deprived of every nourishment, are sufficient proofs of our wretched condition! The camp has become a loathsome place. The hope of being one day relieved from these unnecessary sufferings affords some relief. We received this evening a supply of flour, and have been delivered from a state of starvation. It being Christmas eve, just after dark, a number of guns were fired in quick succession; the whole army was ordered to parade in order of battle; strict orders were given to suppress the firing. About an hour before day the firing commenced again; the army was again paraded and strict orders given, threatening to punish the offenders.