News arrived at the War Department that the Indians
were butchering the inhabitants up and along the
Juniata River and the valley of Qhish-a-quo-quillas in
the more remote interior of Pennsylvania. As a result.
a detachment of betweenthree and four hundred men
composed of the remains of several regiments at
Carlisle barracks received marching orders.
To this detachment there were ﬁve ﬁfers and five
drummers attached (myself among the former).
Our march was what was called a “forced march,”
we having to march night and day until we entered
the “wilderness.” After several days marching
through the wilderness we arrived at a settlement.
We halted one rainy day at an old waste-house and
barn. Here we encamped. The day was quite a wet
one. We were ordered to run or mould bullets and
make cartridges. As soon as we had finished this
job. we had to commence the march again, although
it was raining heavy. This the ofﬁcers were induced
to do in consequence of their having received
intelligence that the Indians were murdering the
whites not very far ahead of us.
We had both ﬂankers and scouters out constantly.
We at length came across the Indians, or rather
they came across us. Notwithstanding, all the
precaution used in detaching ﬂankers and scouters,
the Indians would give us a shot (from their
ambuscades) and yell and then be off unseen like
snakes in the grass. They popped off one of my
comrades, a drummer, close behind where I was
marching in front of the detachment. We made a
halt long enough to bury him, or rather a portion
of the detachment moved on in pursuit whilst this
duty was performed. This done, we closed up
again and pursued our march in the same regular
manner as before. There were not any of the
Indians killed at the time of their attacks upon us
that l recollect of.
After we arrived at the settlements at the mouth
of the valley of Qhish-a-quo-quillas, our scouters
brought in some Indian scalps, and after we had
ascended the valley some distance and formed
our camp on the Qhish-a-quo-quillas Creek, our
scouting parties came in occasionally with a few
The Indians in the course of a few weeks, finding
us too strong for them, retreated westward and
left the settlers in the peaceful possession of that
section of the country. We laid in the valley from
three to four weeks. Our loss at the hands of the
enemy was but three men killed. Here I must state
that besides the narrow chance I ran when the
drummer was killed near to me upon the march, I
ran a seemingly narrower chance for my life whilst
we were encamped in the valley.
The officers would not allow any of the men to
stroll to any distance outside of the camp. There
were piquet guards stationed at the outposts
which were established at a short distance from
the camp guards. Being very fond of fishing, I
would occasionally venture out some two or
three hundred yards from the camp line.
Dividing my ﬁsh always with some of the officers
made me somewhat of a privileged character, and
they would suffer me to steal out when they would
not suffer others to do so. They always cautioned
me, however, by telling me to be upon the alert and
to break for the camp the moment I should hear or
behold anything that might cause me to suspect
that Indians were about.
I was busily engaged in ﬁshing at the distance of
two hundred and ﬁfty or three hundred yards above
the camp at Qhish-a-quo-quillas Creek, a stream
something in size like (as near as I can remember)
to the Yellow Breeches Creek in Cumberland County,
Pa. I had caught some ﬁsh, among them some very
handsome mountain trout. and fortunately happened
to think that lwas venturing too far, when looking up
I espied a very large lndian at some distance from me.
At the instant I beheld him I dropped my ﬁshing rod
and left my ﬁsh and, being unarmed, I became very
much frightened and heeled it for life until I reached
Being young, strong and active, I soon left him in the
distance and gained the encampment. There was a
scouting party dispatched immediately, but it returned
without beholding or capturing him. He thinking
perhaps as I did that it was most safe to be off:
(I being unarmed am free to confess I did not wait to
see whether he was armed or not).
Some of the ofﬁcers and myself went with the scouting
party as far as to where I beheld him and then I
recovered my ﬁshing tackle and the ﬁsh I had caught.
In our passage thither we found that I had leaped over
lying trees four and five feet high, bounding from twelve
to eighteen feet at a bound. In proof of this, I observe
that after the Revolutionary War was ended, I have often
jumped a stake and rider fence six feet high in harvest
times with a sickle in my hand, and at a running jump I
could clear an eighteen or twenty foot pole with ease.
This may look full as a statement, but it must stand as
truth with those acquainted with jumping, when I state
that I could at a standing jump on a floor clear a ten foot
pole at any time, standing with my toes to it at one end
and clearing it with my heels at the other. When running
from the Indian l can safely assert that I jumped from
two to four feet higher and bounded farther by several
feet than I ever knew myself to do either before or since.
It had been the delight of many of the ofﬁcers at various
military posts before this happened to start me as a fox.
After I would start off to personate Reynard. they would
send out a dozen or two other soldiers to personate
hounds in the chase. I was swift of foot and could always
elude my pursuers and could return to camp before them
and without being caught. I was always called the young
Quaker, owing to my saying Thee and Thou. Oftentimes
when the officers wanted me to gratify them in bearing a
part in fox and hound sport, they would call out, “Quaker,”
“Quaker.” I would answer, “What does Thee want?” They
would then sing out, “Thee and Thou, The Quaker’s brown
cowl“ (I thought it quite a shame to say “you” to any person.
It was all Thee and Thou with me instead of Sir), “We want
you to be the fox for we have some fast hounds to send out
in pursuit today.” I knew I could run fast and was therefore
ready generally to turn Reynard.
Great care was at all times manifested by the ofﬁcers of the
detachment whilst it laid in Qhish-a-quo-quillas valley with
regard to the planting of piquet guards and with regard to
their hailing whatever might be looked upon as approaching
They received strict orders, also, with regard to their ﬁring
thereat or of sounding the alann. They were also (as I have
before stated), very strict with the men with regard to their
strolling outside of the camp or piquet guards in any one
direction. The ofﬁcers well knew they had a wary and wily
foe to contend with or to defend against.
At another time I ventured to the distance of 300 or more
yards down the stream and below the camp for the purpose
of ﬁshing. I had not been long engaged in fishing and had
just caught a trout, the largest I ever saw anywhere, when
all at once a terrible noise issued from the top of a high
knob of the mountain opposite to where I then was. Before
I had properly secured my ﬁsh, a huge rock which seemed
to be about the size of an outdoor bake oven came whirling
and leaping down the precipice in its fearful majesty. Bend
and smashing the trees that stood in its course with
tremendous crashings until it dashed headlong into the creek
below where I stood; causing a smoke or vapour to ascend
like a cloud or fog all around where it entered the stream.
Whether it was that it had acquired a heat in consequence
of the great velocity with which it descended from the top of
the high knob of the mountain that caused such a cloud of
fog or steam, I know not.
When I first heard it I thought it best to watch for what was
coming. As I beheld it coming I waited until I saw it leap into
the water. Then the idea of Indians was more forcibly
impressed upon my mind. It had been but a few days before
that I had encountered one and concluded they were not
very far from me. With fear upon me on all sides and believing
myself encircled with dangers, I immediately secured my large
trout by putting my ﬁngers through its gills and “took to my
scrapers,” saying in my own mind (as I bounded away) to the
Indians in accordance with the old Indian saying, “No catchee,
no habbee,” and soon found myself in camp again.
I had not ceased running after I entered the camp when I was
met by an officer who said to me, “Fifer, will you let me have
that trout?” “Yes, Sir,” was my reply; well knowing that being
the indulged, I dared not say no. “Well, ﬁfer,” said he, “you are
a clever fellow.” He then took the ﬁsh and I started towards
my quarters. “Stop, my good fellow,‘ said he. “Go and fetch
your canteen and then come with me to my quarters.“ I went
and got my canteen and he then took me to his marquee and
ﬁlled my canteen with “good stuff.” This pleased my mess-
mates more than all the ﬁsh in the creek would have done.
For we had not had a drop of liquor to drink for the space of
two weeks previous. A good drink at this time helped us to
forget our cares, particularly the Indians that were skulking
around us in the bushes and among the rocks of the mountains.
It was the opinion of the ofﬁcers and men in camp that this
was a stratagem of the Indians. It was believed that the
Indians supposed that the rock they sent down the mountain
side would have dashed through the camp below and cut its
road by killing all that might be in its way. They having
supposed (no doubt) that the camp was immediately below
in a line with the direction which they had given to the rock
when they started it in a “heave, yo heave” down the steep
sided mountain. Scouting parties were sent out in several
directions but they returned without becoming possessed
of any intelligence relative to the Indians.
After remaining in the valley for the space of three or four
weeks, the Indians having left that section of country and
all was quiet again, we broke up our encampment and set
out on our march for Carlisle. We broke up our camp this
time without much (if any) formality. We returned to Carlisle
by another route than that which we had taken on our
passage out. We arrived at Carlisle in something like a week
after we commenced our march homeward.
There was a soldier of the name of Glenn that had deserted
from our detachment as we marched out to the Juniata and
who was taken by some of our men as we were returning
from the expedition. We had brought him on with us and
lodged him in the jail at Carlisle. He was soon afterwards
tried for desertion, or as it was often termed “for his life.”
He was found guilty of desertion and sentenced to run the
We musicians were ordered out to the woods to collect
whips. We cut and carried four or ﬁve large bundles to the
barracks. The soldiers, amounting in all to near 600, were
ordered out and formed into two rows and faced inwards,
making a lane between the rows such as I have before
described. Glenn was then made to strip off his coat, vest
and shirt. He then started down this lane formed by the
soldiers and as he passed slowly along (for he was not
permitted to run), he was guarded by four soldiers with
fixed bayonets, two before and two behind to cause him
to walk instead of run.
He was forced to walk three times through in this manner.
Every soldier cut and slashed at the poor fellow from one
end of the line to the other for three successive turns.
After receiving this awfully severe ﬂagellation, there were a
number of splinters of a great length pulled out of his ﬂesh
with pincers. Afterwards, his back was washed with salt
and water; and a sore back he had too, the sight of it was
sufficient to melt the heart of a stoic into tenderness.
After he recovered he deserted again, was caught and
brought back and lodged in Cartisle jail a second time.
He was again tried for his life and sentenced to be hung.
A gallows was erected at the distance of about half a mile
from the barracks. When the day of his execution arrived,
we “played” the soldiers out to the gallows where they
formed into a large circle around it. We then had to play
the provo guard to the jail in order to receive the prisoner.
He and some more prisoners were brought out and placed
in the custody of the provo guard. We then marched,
playing the Dead March after them till we arrived at the
gallows. An ofﬁcer then read Glenn’s sentence to him.
After doing of which, he took a rope and stepped towards
a soldier that was one of the prisoners we had brought
from the jail. He handed it to him, bidding him at the same
time to take it and fasten it around Glenn’s neck and hang
him. This man, or as he was called, “old soldier,” sternly
replied, “I won’t do it.” The officer then in a rage drew his
sword and dashed fonnrard to where the old soldier stood.
As he advanced, the soldier coolly and fearlessly opened
his shirt bosom with both hands and baring his breast, said,
“Run me through. kill me. shoot me down, do anything with
me you please, but hang Glenn I will not.” He repeated
again, emphatically and with all the sternness and dignity
of mien [bearing] and fearlessness possible for man to
possess naturally or by acquirement, or able to exercise in
a just path, “I WILL NOT DO IT!”
The ofﬁcer then called to the Fife Major and bade him to
go to the barracks and bring the rope and cat-o’-nine-tails.
These were brought and the old soldier was ordered to strip
off his coat. jacket and shirt. As soon as this was done he
was tied up and we musicians were ordered to strip off our
coats and fall into line. The cat-o’-nine-tails was then handed
to me and l was commanded to give him five lashes, well laid
on. I did it, but with a heart bleeding inwardly for the gallant
veteran. Glad, yes greatly rejoiced would I have been if I
could have spared his back the gashes I had to assist in
making , by striking lightly, but there was no ﬂinching. I was
not alone in possessing feelings of tenderness that could not
be shewn or expressed. After I had given him the first five
lashes, l handed the cat-o’-nine-tails to the next to me in the
line and he, when he had given him five, handed them to
another. And so we proceeded until we gave him one hundred
lashes. I remember well that when the old soldier was untied,
he stepped towards the officer that had ordered him to be
flogged and said, “Thank you, thank you.”
After the soldier was disposed of, the officer took the rope in
one hand, a loaded pistol in the other and stepped up to one
other of the soldier-prisoners. He commanded him to take the
rope and put it around Glenn’s neck and hang him, stating at
the same time (his arm elevated) if he dared to refuse he
would blow his brains out. The soldier replied, “I suppose I
must do it.” He then took the rope from the officer and
advanced to Glenn and fixed it around his neck. Glenn was
then conducted up a ladder, and all things adjusted, he was
now about to be swung off. A few moments more and the
silver cord would have been loosed and the captive spirit
set at liberty. But hark! What sounds are those that break
upon the ear from the distance? who is this, that is born as it
were with the speed of the winds?
A moment or two before he was (or as I may state, as he was
about) to beswung off, a horseman was seen coming as hard
as his horse could con1e. This man was calling aloud and
waving a white pocket handkerchief in the air. This caused a
suspension, momentarily, of the deathly operations in which
all were more or less engaged.
As soon as the herald drew near, he pulled out a paper and
rode up to an officer and handed it to him. It proved to be a
reprieve for Glenn. It appeared that Glenn’s father lived
neighbor to General Washington, and the family was always
in the conﬁdence of Washington. His father being a very
respectable man, Washington was induced by these
considerations and the pleadings of that father (and perhaps
of his mother) to spare the son.
Had it not been for the circumstance of the soldier-prisoner
persisting with such unshaken firmness in his refusal to act
as the executioner of a brother soldier, the soul of Glenn
would have been in eternity two or more hours before. It was
two hours or more before the messenger arrived with his
reprieve for we certainly spent three hours (if not more) from
the time we arrived at the gallows until we left it. After the
reprieve was read aloud, Glenn was ordered down from off
the ladder and restored to his company.
The line of march was then formed and we were marched
back to the barracks. When we returned again to the
barracks it was nearly roll call in the evening. The soldier
who so nobly refused to hang Glenn was restored to his
company also. The rest of the prisoners were ordered again
to the guard house.
Shortly after Glenn’s reprieve, we received orders to march
on to Lancaster, PA., to aid in taking charge of a great
number of British prisoners that had been marched thither.
After our arrival at Lancaster, l was again put under the
command of Major Greer.
The American soldiers at Lancaster erected stockades
for the prisoners. A large plot of ground was enclosed
as by a garden fence. The palings were planks 4 or
5 inches thick and extended in height about 30 feet.
Inside of these stockades, barracks were erected and
at every comer outside, a house was built, one or two
of which were occupied by drummers and ﬁfers and the
other two were used as guard houses. At the distance
of about a half a mile stood the barracks in which the
American soldiers were stationed.
The British officers (many in number) who were prisoners
of war at Lancaster, were permitted to wear their swords.
These officers were full of cash and frolicked and gamed
much. One amusement in which they indulged much was
playing at ball. A ball alley was fitted up at the Court
House where some of them were to be seen at almost all
hours of the day.
when I could beg or buy a couple of old stockings, or two
or three old stocking feet, I would set to work and make a
ball. After winding the yarn into a ball, I went to a skin—
dresser and got a piece of white leather with which I
covered it. When finished, l carried it to the British officer
who would “jump at it” at a quarter of a dollar. Whilst they
remained at Lancaster, I made many balls in this way and
sold them to the British officers and always received a
quarter a piece.
Some of these ofﬁcers (the British ﬁeld officers) had
several very ﬁne English horses, and that were good
runners too. Our officers used to run the American
horses against theirs upon small bets and would so
manage it as that the English horses won the stakes.
The American ofﬁcers by a little management in this
way soon found out the bottom of their own horses,
as well as that of the English ones.
The American officers would get the English officers
to run their horses against time on small bets. When
they found out the greatest speed of the English
horses, they then went off some little distance where
they would be out of view of the English ofﬁcers, and
ran their (American) horses a like distance and against
the same time. After they had done this, they would
know what the English horses could do and what their
own could do also. The American officers would then
take on heavy bets and win them. At last they made up
large purses to be (won). The British officers depending
upon the bottom of their horses, which they still thought
could not be beaten, “forked over” their yellow boys
(gold) largely into the purses.
I recollect that our ofﬁcers, by their Yankee Jonathan
management, were always able to beat John Bull with
their American chargers. Major Varnum’s (American)
horse came out first and won the first purse. Major
Greer’s (American) horse came out second and won
the second purse, whilst John Bull came out last and
among the missing. Or at least his shiners (guineas)
were missed and a good many of them too, they
having absquatulated [escaped] and sought refuge
in the pockets of the American officers (as the
transferred captives of the captured) to whom they
were of signal service. This was ﬁne fun for the
American soldiers and citizens of Lancaster, for they
(the soldiers) laid claim to the merit of their horses
in mettle and speed. as they were able to do to the
merit of their own bravery upon the battleﬁelds of
If the American soldiers were proud of this, and
exulted therein, it was a source of great humiliation
to the British officers and soldiers that were
possessed of a too boastful a nature at best. The
British ofﬁcers having been permitted to wear
their swords and to associate with the American
ofﬁcers, caused them to become haughty and
turbulent. This very honorable indulgence extended
to them upon the part of the American officers, they
could not stand, they therefore became saucy and
this led to an end of such privileges.
Whilst the game of ball was coming off one day
at the Court House, an American officer and a British
officer who were among the spectators, became
embroiled in a dispute. The British officer priding
himself (and putting himself) upon the use of
the sword, appealed to it and instantly drew it.
The American ofﬁcer upon seeing this, instantly
thrust his hand into his pocket in order to draw
out a pistol. The moment the British officer
perceived this, he took to his heels and ran.
When the American officer was taking the pistol
from his pocket, it caught in some way in the lining
and before he succeeded in getting it out. the British
officer had gained the door of the public house in
which he boarded. Just at the instant he was entering
the door, our officer drew upon him and the ball struck
the cheek of the door near to his head. An inch or two
lower down and further towards the centre of the
passage would have laid him sprawling over his boasted
This caused a mighty uproar in the town and this British
officer with several other British officers that backed him
as their modern Don Quixote (that found that he was not
engaging a wind mill), were immediately arrested,
disarmed and imprisoned in Lancaster jail. They were
released, however, from their confinement in the course
of two or three days and their liberties restored to them
again, but with this exception: that they were not allowed
to wear their swords. This, none other of the British
officers were permitted to do again, whilst they remained
at Lancaster. CONCLUDING NEXT MONTH…..