20th day of November, after which I have had my liberty to walk part
over the City between sun and sun, notwithstanding there generous
allowance of food I must inevitably have perished with hunger had not
sum friends in this (city) Relieved my extreme necessity, but I cant
expect they can always do it--what I shall do next I know not, being
naked for clothes and void of money, and winter present, and
provisions very skerce; fresh meat one shilling per pound, Butter
three shillings per pound, Cheese two shillings, Turnips and potatoes
at a shilling a half peck, milk 15 Coppers per quart, bread equally as
dear; and the General says he cant find us fuel thro' the winter, tho'
at present we receive sum cole. [Footnote: I have made no changes in
this letter except to fill up some blanks and to add a few marks of
punctuation.]

"I was after put on board siezed violently with the disentarry--it
followed me hard upwards of six weeks--after that a slow fever, but
now am vastly better * * * my sincere love to you and my children. May
God keep and preserve you at all times from sin, sickness, and death *
* * I will Endeavor to faintly lead you into the poor cituation the
soldiers are in, espechally those taken at Long Island where I was; in
fact these cases are deplorable and they are Real objects of
pitty--they are still confined and in houses where there is no
fire--poor mortals, with little or no clothes--perishing with hunger,
offering eight dollars in paper for one in silver to Relieve there
distressing hunger; occasioned for want of food--there natures are
broke and gone, some almost loose there voices and some there
hearing--they are crouded into churches & there guarded night and
day. I cant paint the horable appearance they make--it is shocking to
human nature to behold them. Could I draw the curtain from before you;
there expose to your view a lean Jawd mortal, hunger laid his skinny