300 HISTORY OP 



These years of plenty were followed by years of 

 scarcity. The summers of ^53, '54, and '55, were 

 remarkable for continued drought, and consequent 

 want of food for man, and provender for beast ; both 

 lacked the wonted abundance — both were, in some in- 

 stances, reduced to the point of starvation. There was 

 a public calamity in the land, and not unlike the famine 

 in the days of David, (2 Sam. 31) ; the indigent suffered 

 greatly. In addition to their pressing wants, Indian hos- 

 tilities having commenced, the fear of being murdered by 

 the Indians, cast a deep gloom over the face of the 

 country. They felt it as a merited rebuke of heaven for 

 their excesses. "For about the 20th of October, 1755, 

 tlie news was received at Lancaster, that the French and 



country. Congress appointed him, February 6, 1778, as one 

 of the auditors for the army under General Washington. He 

 was also aid-de-camp to Gen. Green. The following letter from 

 Washington, to Congress, speaks of Clark's character: 



Head Quarters, Valley Forge, Jan. 2, 1778. 

 I take the liberty of introducing Gen. John Clark, the bearer 

 of this, to your notice. He entered the service at the com- 

 mencement of the war, and has for some time past acted as 

 aid-de-camp to Major General Green. He is active, sensible, 

 and enterprising, and has rendered me great services since the 

 enemy has been in Pennsylvania, by procuring me constant, 

 and certain intelligence of the motives and intentions of the 

 enemy. It is somewhat uncertain whether the state of his 

 health will admit of his remaining in the military line ; if it 

 should, I shall perhaps have occasion to recommend him in a. 

 more particular manner to the favor of Congress at a future 

 time. At present, I can assure, that if you should, while he 

 remains at York, have any occasion for his services, you will 

 find him nol only willing, but very capable of executing any 

 of your commands. Respectfully, 



GEO. WASHINGTON. 

 At the close of the Revolution, Clark resumed the practice 

 of law at York. He died December 27, 1819. 



