My Life as a Soldier

I am a soldier in the colonial military. My name is Fredrick Smith, and since I am a 20 year old boy, this is my first year that I can apply for the military. In England I was a poor boy, so I came to the New World, hoping that I could have a better life. My family did not have a trade that I could learn from them, so I had no special skills for a job in Virginia. So the only way I could think of that I could contribute to society and make a living, was to join the army. I am starting out as a member of the infantry, so I will be given a musket and a sword.

The military life is harder than I thought it would be. There is much intense training every day. The training lasts all day and there are many drills, such as building barricades in the morning, and the manual of arms in the afternoon. The living conditions are harsh as well. I live in a small tent that is shared with six other soldiers. There always seems to be a sickness going around, and as we all lived packed together in one small tent. All the waste holes that we must dispose of our bodily waste are not exactly spaced out very well from our tents. To make things worse, I am constantly worried about the constant attack of the savage and furious Indians. “THE SAVAGES! THE SAVAGES ARE COMING!” I am exhausted from these attacks and battles with the Native Americans. I cannot wait until we can claim this land for our own.