Captain Duncan removed to Mercer County, Pa., in 1822, and lived there to the time of his death, which occurred June 24, 1844, in his 89th year.

The diary which is here presented was kept by Captain Duncan with great care. As a scholarly man and a good military officer, he was thoroughly competent to make careful and reliable observations. These memoranda were in his own handwriting. From this record the author of this paper made an exact copy in 1899, and it is an important contribution to the history of the Siege of Yorktown.

THE DIARY PROPER

Camp Before York, Oct. 2, 1781.—It may not be amiss to take notice of a few remarkable occurrences prior to the commencement of this journal. The army were never so universally deceived in regard to the operations of the campaign as at this time. New York was thought to be the object, and no maneuver left untried to confirm this opinion, when all on a sudden, the army decamped from W. Plains, crossed the North river, and proceeded by a circuitous route to Springfield, in New Jersey, where, after a halt of a few days (in order the better to deceive the enemy), they took their route for Trenton, at which place the artillery stores with our regiment and some other troops embarked. We were now no longer at a loss to know our place of destination. We arrived at Christiana Bridge and thence marched by land to the head of Elk, where the French troops with the rest of our army joined us in a very short time. Here we were delayed for 6 or 7 days, being busily employed in embarking ordnance stores of all kinds on board the vessels. In the meantime the French troops with some other corps of our army proceeded by land for Baltimore. The bay not being able to furnish a sufficient number of vessels, the Rhode Island regiment with ours was obliged to embark on board a number of flat-bottomed boats, which had been constructed at Albany and brought to this place. We set out on this arduous and very hazardous undertaking about Sept. 15 and arrived at Williamsburg the 26th. On our passage, we hugged close the Western shore, but the many bays and mouths of rivers we were obliged to cross rendered it exceedingly dangerous. I think the rivers in their order were as follows, viz: Elk, Susquehannah, Petapsco, Severn, Patuxent, Potomac, Rappahannock, Pequankitank, York and James. The bays were numerous. Among the largest is Mock Jack,[6] better than 20 miles across.

The weather in general was very favorable excepting at the time of our crossing the mouth of Rappahannock, when on a sudden, a furious wind arose, which occasioned a very rough sea. A number of boats were dismasted, sails torn to pieces, and the whole in the utmost distress. We, however, all made round the point into a safe harbor, excepting Colonel Antill[7] who, missing the point, was obliged to stretch for Given’s island. After repairing our rigging it was determined to proceed a safer course than that which Colonel Antill took, by sailing across Pequankitank bay into the mouth of a river which forms Given’s island. In this attempt I shipped water several times and had all my sail torn to pieces. Some of the boats were more prudent and did not cross that day. However, we all arrived safe, and were detained there two days by the storm. Three vessels sailing in the bay were the same day foundered. A miraculous escape! I cannot but mention the very polite treatment we received from the inhabitants of Given’s island.

I have said we arrived at Williamsburg the 26th; the 27th and 28th were detained at this place in making preparations for the siege, and on the 29th the allied army moved down toward York (distant from Williamsburg about 12 miles), and made a short halt about two miles distant from the enemy’s outworks when a few shots were fired from the French pieces at some of Tarleton’s horse, who immediately dispersed. In the course of the night three deserters came in with little or no intelligence that could be depended on. On the morning of the 30th we had orders to approach the enemy’s works. After marching a short distance we were ordered to load, and proceed within half a mile of the enemy’s works on the left. One brigade of infantry was halted, while the First brigade, commanded by Gen. Muhlenburg, crossed a small morass and paraded in order of battle, marched a small distance in front; but the enemy not firing, they wheeled to the right and took their post in the line; a picket was now turned out (the better to favor reconnoitering parties) which advanced in front nearly half way to the enemy, until they were obliged to retreat by the fire of a field piece from the enemy’s works. (It was said his excellency, the commander-in-chief, was in front of this picket the whole time reconnoitering.) The sentries were, however, continued at their posts and regularly relieved the whole day. One of the sentries was so unfortunate as to receive a wound on his foot from a cannon ball, which obliged the surgeons to make an immediate amputation of his leg. We sustained no other harm from their firing, although they frequently overshot us. The remainder of the day was employed in reconnoitering the enemy; and toward evening the whole army encamped nearly on the ground they had before occupied. Before we proceed it may be proper now to take some notice of the different corps and the arrangement of the army. The Marquis de Lafayette’s division of L. infantry, composed of Muhlenburg’s and Hazen’s brigades on the right of the front line, and nearest the enemy; the Baron Steuben’s division, composed of the Marylanders, Pennsylvanians and Virginians on the left of the front line. The Jersey troops in the rear of the infantry, & the York in rear of Steuben’s division, with the park of artillery and sappers and miners in the center, forming the second line; the militia forms the corps de reserve, and the French troops, commanded by Count Rochambeau, on the left of the whole. We passed this night with little or no disturbance from the enemy, but guess our agreeable surprise when on the morning of the ensuing day (Oct. 1) we found the enemy had evacuated all their front works, and retreated about half a mile. We knew of no other way to account for this than that their works being too extensive and weak, they were afraid of a storm.

This morning Col. Scammel[8] was unfortunately wounded and taken by the enemy, as he was too closely reconnoitering, and sent on parole to Williamsburg. No sooner were the enemy’s works evacuated than they were taken possession of by our pickets, supported by the whole army, who marched up for that purpose, and continued on the lines a great part of the day, although the enemy at certain times fired very briskly from their pieces. About 8 o’clock this morning the French grenadiers attacked and carried a small battery, with the loss of four killed and six wounded. Ten companies were ordered out early this morning for fatigue, of which I had the honor to command one. Until 11 A. M. we were employed in cutting and stripping branches for gabions. On being furnished with shovels, spades, pickaxes, etc., we were ordered up to the lines, where we continued inactive until about an hour before sunset. In the meantime, the engineers were employed in reconnoitering the enemy’s works, and fixing on proper places to break the first ground. Let me here observe that the enemy by evacuating their works had given us an amazing advantage, as the ground they left commanded the whole town, and nothing but the reasons before alleged could have justified them in so doing, as by contrary conduct they must have very much retarded the operations of the siege.

The engineers having fixed on and chained off the ground in two different places to erect their works within point blank shot of the enemy, the parties were called on. Five companies were ordered to an eminence on the right and five to another on the left. It happened to be my fate to be stationed on the left, a place the most dangerous of the two, as it was nearest to the enemy, and more exposed to the fire from the enemy’s batteries [enemies batteries—copy]. We were now conducted to a small hollow near the ground. Five men were ordered by the engineer to assist him in clearing away the rubbish, staking out and drawing the lines of the work. This was in the face of open day, and the men went with some reluctance; a little before this we had a shot from the enemy which increased their fears. At dusk of evening we all marched up, and never did I see men exert themselves half so much or work with more eagerness. Indeed, it was their interest, for they could expect nothing else but an incessant roar of cannon the whole night. I must confess I too had my fears, but fortunately for us they did not fire a shot that whole night. I am at a loss to account for it, for the moon shone bright, and by the help of their night glasses they must certainly have discovered us. We were relieved about daybreak, and scarcely had we left the trenches when the enemy began their fire on both works from three pieces.

Oct. 2.—The works were so far finished in the course of the preceding night that the men worked in them this day with very little danger, although the enemy kept up an almost incessant fire from two pieces of artillery. A drummer, rather too curious in his observation, was this day killed with a cannon ball.

Oct. 3.—Last night four men of our regiment, detached with the first brigade, were unfortunately killed (on covering party) by one cannon ball; one of the men belonged to my own company (Smith), a loss I shall ever regret as he was, without exception, one of the finest men in the army. A militia man this day, possessed of more bravery than prudence, stood constantly on the parapet and d— his soul if he would dodge for the balls. He had escaped longer than could have been expected, and, growing foolhardy, brandished his spade at every ball that was fired till, unfortunately, a ball came that put an end to his capers. This evening our brigade was ordered for an evening party, and in the course of the night a deserter went to the enemy, informing them of our situation, in consequence of which they directed a few shots our way, but did no harm.