[Page 5]
 
We left him & he went to sleep. We came back to him again when I found he 
had a good pair of shoes on and a handker which we took and went home. On 
the next day we got the route for America the night before we marched sailed 
I took the liberty to stop out all night & sold all my necessaries

In the morning I was taken, & brought into barracks where the Adjutant asked 
me where my necessaries were I told him I knew nothing about them he said he 
wd get me a good flogging - I was tried by a [drum?] head Crt Martial and 
sentenced 200 lashes & got it upon the spot. The next morning we embkd at 
Portsmth on board the Ceylon E.Im [?] for America in May 1814.

After a long passage of 3 mths we arrived near the town of N. Orleans on the 
banks of the Mississippi to the east of the town we landed upon the Tuesday 
and marched up to 5 miles to the Camp before the City, & on the Sunday 
following the 8th Sept in the morning we engaged after a long & bloody engagmt 
of 24 hours we began to cease firing a little while, & every man felt very 
fatigued & hungry.

I then says to my comrade I must go out and see what I can find - I then came to a 
black man laying on his belly I kicked his hat off & I thought I had found a prize for 
that hat was full of biscuit & beef I then went a little farther among the wounded I 
then came to an officer belonging to one of the W. India Regt with part of his skull shot off. 
I searched his haversack & there I found a pair of fine roast duck and some white 
biscuit - then thot within myself I had my good luck - I found besides in his haversack 
a shirt & pair of stockings & a purse with 5 dollars. But before I could get cleverly 
back to my own Regt the Americans were beginning to fire harder than they had 
done before from the walls at us I then met my comrade (who had been out upon 
the same game as myself, just as I came into the ranks he says comrade what luck 
I told him very indifferent, he says its not so with me for I have fd a small box of dollars, 
very good says I, that will do well, we were the ordered to retreat out of the field, 
that night we went back for 2 miles & then halted - I on that same night was put 
on the outline picket. I about 1/2 hour after I was stationed the Indian Squaws 
came from the army without provisions there were no distinctions, the 
Officers getting the same as the men - The Captain of our Compy cried who 
will roast me a piece of my beef I will cried I - I roasted him his meat & gave 
him a piece of biscuit & then I saw his canteen full of rum laying by his side – 
Ah says I to myself I must have this