Marched at 2 o'clock through a well inhabited country,
though I can give no account of the people, as I have not been in the inside of
a house (but one or two ornerys). They sometimes come to the road side in order
to take a view of us as we pass by, but a person can scarcely discern any part
of them but the nose and eyes, as they have themselves muffled up with linens,
&c., in order to prevent the sun from burning their faces (I mean the
female sex). At the same time they will have a number of blacks standing around
them, all naked, nothing to hide their nakedness. You can easily distinguish
their sex; I mean the blacks, for reasons already mentioned. They will also
have their attendants dressed in the same uniform. They will also attend their
table in this manner.
* * * * * * * * *
This day we passed through Richmond in twenty hours after
the enemy had evacuated it a number of houses being destroyed by the enemy.
They also destroyed a great quantity of Tobacco, which they threw into the
streets and set fire to it. The town is built close on James River under a
bank. We encamped two miles this side of the town. About 6 o'clock P. M. Capt.
Davis and self made to town and spent the afternoon playing billiards and
drinking wine—20 miles.
SOURCE: Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Publisher, Journal
of Lieut. William Feltman, of the First Pennsylvania Regiment, 1781-82, p.
5
