After my arrival, I got acquainted with a recruiting officer, beating up for volunteers to go against the French fort on the Ohio. I enlisted with him for four years, and to be paid half the money down, I bought a horse to go with him to Carlisle, in the back settlements of Pensylvania. There I saw my captain, who was vastly pleased with me; our company was reviewed by the major of the light horse, he having the superiour command. I was pitched on for a light horse man, under the command of captain Thompson, our general Forbes being very ill, was obliged to be carried in a horse litter, between two horses; it wanted painting, I was ordered to Carlisle to buy some paint, for that service; I was ordered by one of the officers to bring his girl from Carlisle with me, which I did, and by the way, had the pleasure of giving her the compliment of a road relish; my committing such a rash action, made me imagine the whole camp might be set on fire by her; I thought nothing was so expedient for me as desertion, for fear of bad consequences, and went off the same night, being the 10th of July 1758, with my horse, regimentals, and accoutrements, and travelled for the back settlements of Virginia; in short, I went through many dangerous places, and almost insurmountable difficulties before I reached Williamsburg; where as soon as I arrived, sold my horse and regimentals, and put on the dress of a farmer, in order to buy corn; but notwithstanding this scheme succeeded so well as I expected, I thought of speedily shifting my quarters. For which purpose, I once more thought of paying a visit to Charles Town, where I entered into a regiment of Buffs, raised by the colony of South Carolina, to go against the Cherokee nation; I was made a serjeant, and being sent one day to change a ten pound bill for my captain, I had changed it at a Jew’s, who afterwards charged me with a bad bill of twenty pounds, of which I was entirely innocent; however, I was sent to Goal, and confined for two months, in as deplorable a condition, as ever poor man was. When released from prison, I was sent to the barracks, where I continued in a very bad state of health for some time. After my recovery, I became acquainted with a gentleman, he and I took to coining of bad money; which we carried on for some time with considerable success; but at length we parted good friends in the Country, and threw away our utensils. I took my course for New Bern, in North Carolina, in my way I married, and my wife’s father thinking me too great a rake, to be trusted with her portion, look’d very lightly on me; but I found means to bring him greatly in debt, and made off directly, leaving the old man, daughter and all, to please themselves in the folly of their Wisdom. I made free with one of my father’s horses, and made for a place called Brunswick, in the same province of North Carolina. Then I agreed with captain Wright, for my passage to Jamaica, we were weather-bound for three week.