216 THE SERVICES OF LIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 
the side of the Schuylkill and remained there without molestation, 
except a little popping, till the 28th December, when the whole re¬ 
turned and took up their usual quarters. They have collected a good 
deal of forage, which it seems was the only intent of the Commander- 
in-chief, though from his being with them it was imagined something 
else was at first thought of. Ten or twelve light dragoon were sur¬ 
rounded by the rebels through venturing too far into the country and 
were taken, and a few others were also captured in marauding. The 
snow and cold weather begins to set in pretty severely. 
December 24th .—This evening about 6 o’clock the rebels brought 
down in the front of the 2nd redoubt two light field guns and fired a 
few shots at the town; our redoubts returned their fire and drove 
them off with great precipitation, for the rangers advanced al¬ 
most immediately, but the scoundrels fled. Our lines were manned 
throughout and remained in readiness the wdiole night, but everything 
was quiet. What they could mean or intend by this trifling mis¬ 
chievous little spurt I cannot find out, unless one of their generals had 
laid a bet that he would fire a shot into the town in spite of our re¬ 
doubts. The rights were very dark, the road hard and good, so that 
it was no very difficult matter for them to bring a light 3-pr., fire 
three or four shots and then gallop away again. It could answer no 
purpose except to knock on the head a woman or child, for the shots 
went far over the redoubts and nearly into the middle of the town. 
If they had meant an attack during the night or at daybreak they 
never would have been so imprudent as to fire a gun or give the least 
alarm till they were ready, as they must know that such proceedings 
must put us on our guard. I visited the different redoubts at 10 
o’clock, and as everything appeared quiet, I went to my quarters fear¬ 
ful of getting a relapse of my disorder, as the night was very cold. 
Our army are still out foraging. We do not hear they have met with 
tho smallest interruption. A sentinel of the 40th regiment deserted 
from his post last night. He was stationed between the 5th and 6th 
redoubts ; the countersign was ordered to be changed by the advanced 
pickets in consequence. We are informed by some country people 
who are coming in daily, that the ridiculous spurt of the rebels was 
quite a drunken frolic; it was proposed over night when drinking by 
some of their officers, but not without first being informed for a cer¬ 
tainty that General Howe and his army were out foraging. 
December 28th .—The frost is set in severely cold. The army re¬ 
turned from foraging. Many are surprised that it was merely em¬ 
ployed in the work. The Commander-in-chief being with them has 
given room for these conjectures and remarks. Several of our small 
vessels, in coming up the Delaware or going down, have been driven 
ashore by the ice, and some have been taken with clothing and officer’s 
baggage on board. The rebels ought to be very civil to us, for I am 
sure w r e are very tender and considerate with respect to them. We 
have dilly dallied and shilly shallied till the river is frozen up, by 
which means several of our ships have been caught, stripped of their 
cargo, and then set on fire. 
