He was then living at
Portland, in Maine, his native State. Mr. Paulding advised me to get his
certificate, for all hands in the Department seemed anxious I should not
go away without something better than the three dollars a month. I
promised to go on, and see Lemuel Bryant, and obtain his testimony.
Quitting Washington, I went to Alexandria and got on board a brig, called
the Isabella, bound to New York, at which port we arrived in due time.
Here I obtained the rest of my money, and kept myself pretty steady, more
on account of my wounds, I fear, than anything else. Still I drank too
much; and by way of putting a check on myself, I went to the Sailor's
Retreat, Staten Island, and of course got out of the reach of liquor. Here
I staid eight or ten days, until my wounds healed. While at the Retreat,
the last day I remained there indeed, which was a Sunday, the physician
came in, and told me that a clergyman of the Dutch Reformed Church, of the
name of Miller, was about to have service down stairs, and that I had
better go down and be present. To this request, not only civilly but
kindly made, I answered that I had seen enough of the acts of religious
men to satisfy me, and that I believed a story I was then reading in a
Magazine, would do me as much good as a sermon. The physician said a
little in the way of reproof and admonition, and left me.
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