the magnanimity of a philanthropist, and the amiable and polite civilities of a gentleman. No less dignified and brave as a commander, than beneficent and generous as a conqueror, he is remarkable for his humanity to prisoners and a desire to mitigate the sufferings of the unfortunate. Among the objects in distress, which claimed his attention, was the lady of Major Ackland, commander of the British grenadiers, who was dangerously wounded and captured during the battle of the 7th of October. This heroic lady, from conjugal affection, was induced to follow the fortune of her husband during the whole campaign through the wilderness. Having been habituated to a mode of life with which those of rank and fortune are peculiarly favored, her delicate frame is ill calculated to sustain the indescribable privations and hardships to which she was unavoidably exposed during an active campaign. Her vehicle of conveyance was, part of the time, a small two wheeled tumbril, drawn by a single horse, over roads almost impassable, Soon after she received the affecting intelligence, that her husband had received a wound, and was a prisoner, she manifested the greatest tenderness and affection, and resolved to visit him in our camp to console and alleviate his sufferings. With this view she obtained a letter from Burgoyne to General Gates, and not permitting the prospect of being out in the night, and drenched in rain, to repress her zeal, she proceeded in an open boat, with a few attendants, and arrived at our outpost in the night, in a suffering condition, from extreme wet and cold. The sentinel, faithful to his duty, detained them in the boat till Major Dearborn, the officer of the guard, could arrive. He permitted them to land, and afforded Lady Ackland the best accommodations in his power, and treated her with a cup of tea in his guard house. When General Gates, in the morning, was informed of the unhappy situation of Lady Ackland, he immediately ordered her a safe escort, and treated her himself with the tenderness of a parent, directing that every attention should be bestowed which her rank, her sex, character, and circumstances required. She was soon conveyed to Albany, where she found her wounded husband. For further particulars respecting this highly respectable and interesting lady, the reader is referred to the Appendix.

In the military transactions in the northern department, the labors and efforts of Major General Schuyler are acknowledged to be eminently important and useful. He is

undoubtedly entitled to the character of an intelligent and meritorious officer. As a private gentleman he is dignified, but courteous, his manners are urbane, and his hospitality is unbounded. He is justly considered as one of our most distinguished champions of liberty, and his noble mind has soared above despair, even at a period when he experienced injustice from the public, and when darkness and gloom overspread our land. Though he was not invested with any active command, he was present at the surrender of the British army, which was near the spot where his elegant country seat had been demolished. Here he sought an interview with the Baroness Reidesel, who with her three children, for she was entrusted with this charge during the campaign, he politely accommodated in his own tent, and invited her to become his guest at his residence at Albany. On the day of the surrender, all the captive generals dined with General Gates, and received from him the kindest civilities and attention.

We have now brought to a glorious termination a military campaign, pregnant with remarkable vicissitudes and momentous events; the result of which, seemed for a time to poise on a pinnacle of sanguine hopes and expectations on the one side, and the most appalling apprehensions on the other. All gratitude and praise be ascribed to Him, who alone limits the extent of human power, and decrees the destiny of nations.

21st. The captive Generals Burgoyne, Phillips, Reidesel, &c. with a number of ladies of high rank, arrived last evening at the hospitable mansion of General Schuyler in this city. His seat is about one mile out of town, and I have frequently made it a walk for amusement. It is a house of two stories, in elegant ancient style, and fancifully ornamented. I am informed that it has for several generations been celebrated for the great respectability, and generous hospitality of its inhabitants. During the last French war, it was almost a general resort for British officers, as well as strangers and travellers of note.

22d. The magnanimous General Schuyler, with his lady and daughters, have given their unfortunate guests a friendly and polite reception, characteristic of this noble spirited family. Notwithstanding General Burgoyne destroyed their beautiful villa at Saratoga, they appear disposed to console them in their misfortune by all the civilities aud attention in their power.

23d.-General Burgoyne gratefully ackowledged the gen erous treatment received from General Schuyler, and observed to him, "You show me great kindness, sir, though I have done you much injury." To which he magnanimously replied, "That was the fate of war, let us say no more

about it."

24th. This hospital is now crowded with officers and soldiers from the field of battle; those belonging to the British and Hessian troops, are accommodated in the same hospital with our own men, and receive equal care and attention. The foreigners are under the care and management of their own surgeons. I have been present at some of their capital operations, and remarked, that the English surgeons perform with skill and dexterity, but the Germans, with a few exceptions, do no credit to their profession; some of them are the most uncouth and clumsy operators I ever witnessed, and appear to be destitute of all sympathy and tenderness towards the suffering patient. Not less than one thousand wounded and sick are now in this city; the Dutch church, and several private houses, are occupied as hospitals. We have about thirty surgeons and mates; and all are constantly employed. I am obliged to devote the whole of my time, from eight o'clock in the morning to a late hour in the evening, to the care of our patients. Some of our soldiers' wounds, which had been neglected while on their way here from the field of battle, being covered with putrefied blood for several days, were found on the first dressing to be filled with maggots. It was not difficult, however, to destroy these vermin by the application of the tincture of myrrh. Here is a fine field for professional improvement. Amputating limbs, trepanning fractured skulls, and dressing the most formidable wounds, have familiarized my mind to scenes of woe. A military hospital is peculiarly calculated to afford examples for profitable contemplation, and to interest our sympathy and commiseration. If I turn from beholding mutilated bodies, mangled limbs, and bleeding, incurable wounds, a spectacle no less revolting, is presented, of miserable objects, languishing under afflicting diseases of every description-here, are those in a mournful state of despair, exhibiting the awful harbingers of approaching dissolution-there, are those with emaciated bodies and ghastly visage, who begin to triumph over grim disease and just lift their feeble heads from the pillow of sorrow. parent, wife, or sister, to wipe the tear of anguish from their

No

eyes, or to soothe the pillow of death, they look up to the physician as their only earthly friend and comforter, and trust the hands of a stranger to perform the last mournful duties. Frequently have I remarked their confidence in my friendship, as though I was endeared to them by brotherly ties. Viewing these unfortunate men as the faithful defenders of the liberties of our country, far separated from their dearest friends, who would be so lost to the duties of bumanity, patriotism, and benevolence, as not to minister to their comfort, and pour into their wounds the healing balm of consolation? It is my lot to have twenty wounded men committed to my care, by Dr. Potts, our Surgeon General; one of whom, a young man, received a musket ball through his cheeks, cutting its way through the teeth on each side, and the substance of the tongue; his sufferings have been great, but he now begins to articulate tolerably well. Another had the whole side of his face torn off by a cannon ball, laying his mouth and throat open to view. A brave soldier received a musket ball in his forehead, between his eyebrows; observing that it did not penetrate the bone, it was imagined that the force of the ball being partly spent, it rebounded and fell out, but on close examination by the probe, the ball was detected, spread entirely flat on the bone under the skin, which I extracted with the forceps. No one can doubt but he received his wound while facing the enemy, and it is fortunate for the brave fellow, that his skull proved too thick for the ball to penetrate. But in another instance, a soldier's wound was not so honorable; he received a ball in the bottom of his foot, which could not have happened unless when in the act of running from the enemy. This poor fellow is held in derision by his comrades, and is made a subject of their wit for having the mark of a coward. Among the most remarkable occurrences which came under my observation, the following is deserving of particular notice. Captain Greg, of one of the New York regiments, while stationed at Fort Stanwix, on the Mohawk river, went with two of his soldiers into the woods a short distance to shoot pigeons; a party of Indians started suddenly from concealment in the bushes, shot them all down, tomahawked and scalped them, and left them for dead. The captain, after some time revived, and perceiving his men were killed, himself robbed of his scalp, and suffering extreme agony from his numerous wounds, made an effort to move and lay his bleeding head on one of the dead bodies, expecting soon

to expire. A faithful dog who accompanied him, manifested great agitation, and in the tenderest manner licked his wounds, which afforded him great relief from exquisite distress. He then directed the dog, as if a human being, to go in search of some person to come to his relief. The animal, with every appearance of anxiety, ran about a mile, when he met with two men fishing in the river, and endeavored in the most moving manner, by whining and piteous cries, to prevail on them to follow him into the woods; struck with the singular conduct of the dog, they were induced to follow him part of the way, but fearing some decoy or danger, they were about to return, when the dog, fixing his eyes on them, renewed his entreaties by his cries, and taking hold of their clothes with his teeth, prevailed on them to follow him to the fatal spot. Such was the remarkable fidelity and sagacity of this animal. Captain Greg was immediately carried to the fort, where his wounds were dressed; he was afterwards removed to our hospital, and put under my care. He was a most frightful spectacle; the whole of his scalp was removed; in two places on the fore part of his head, the tomahawk had penetrated through the skull; there was a wound on his back with the same instrument, besides a wound in his side and another through his arm by a musket ball. This unfortunate man, after suffering extremely for a long time, finally recovered, and appeared. to be well satisfied in having his scalp restored to him, though uncovered with hair. The Indian mode of scalping their victims is this-with a knife they make a circular cut from the forehead quite round, just above the ears, then taking hold of the skin with their teeth, they tear off the whole hairy scalp in an instant, with wonderful dexterity. This they carefully dry and preserve as a trophy, showing the number of their victims, and they have a method of painting on the dried scalp, different figures, and colors, to designate the sex and age of the victim, and also the manner and circnmstances of the murder.

November 10th.-I witnessed yesterday, the singular ceremony performed at a treaty with the Six Nations of Indians. General Schuyler, and two other gentlemen, were the commissioners on our part. Of the Indians, about two hundred men and women attended. In the morning, I walked into the woods near this city, and was amused to see them occupied in dressing and ornamenting themselves for the ceremony; painting their faces, adjusting their hair, putting