The business of the siege being over, and nothing to keep the effects of damps and colds from our constitutions, which before, from great exercise and exertions, had no opportunity of showing itself, began now to spread itself around our tents in intermitting fevers, and few I believe, if any, escaped this disorder. On the 24th I was taken extremely ill and continued for some weeks after I quitted Virginia; and on the 27th Lieutenant Conway … then living with me in the same tent, died about midnight; no person but himself and me being then in the tent.

Our poor sick and wounded lay without medicine and provisions in such pitiable circumstances that the hardest heart had to be moved. Their food consisted of stinking salted meat and some flour or worm-eaten biscuit. These unfortunates died like flies from want, and the amputated arms and legs lay around in every corner and were eaten by the dogs. The hearts of those who could not help them bled, and those who could have helped by a kind word would not. All hearts had turned to stone. A few hundred guineas could have relieved the misery of these unfortunates, since fresh provisions were brought to market after the surrender.