But perhaps it will be better to let Dr. Partridge tell the rest of
the story as he related it nearly three weeks later for the amusement
of Desire during her convalescence from the cold and fever through
which he had brought her.
"It was pitch dark when we left Stockbridge," said the doctor, "and
allowing a good hour for the march owing to the state of the road, the
General calculated we should reach Lee about dawn and catch the
rascals taking their beauty sleep. It was excessively cold and our
fingers began to grow numb very soon, and if anybody touched the iron
part of his gun without the mittens he would leave a piece of skin
behind. But you see we had just heard of General Lincoln's thirty-mile
night march from Hadley to Petersham in even worse weather, and for
the credit of Berkshire, we had to keep on if we froze to death. We
met nobody until we were within half a mile of Lee. Then we overhauled
one of the rebel sentries, and captured him, though not till he had
let off his gun. Then we heard the drum beating in the town. There was
nothing to do but to hurry on as fast as we could. And so we did for
about ten minutes more when somebody said, 'There they are.' Sure
enough, about twenty rods off, where the road enters the village was a
black mass of men occupying its entire breadth with a man on horseback
in front whom I took for Hamlin.
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