Picket-house

Ever since the month of February 1810 (exactly one year), we had been constantly so near the enemy at the advanced posts, sleeping in our clothes, in bivouac, or in some hovel of a picket-house, rolled up in our cloaks on the ground, that I felt quite like a fish out of water, and was not reconciled to a bed.

The Metcalf picket-house and the flag-staff tower became the objects of incessant attack.

From the nearest French sentry, they learned that Grindley was lying drunk in their picket-house.