Glossary

Absent Without Leave	Missing from his regiment without permission.
Brigade Hospital	In January 1778, each brigade was ordered to build a log hut to serve as a hospital for the men of the brigade.
Cashiered	The term applied to an officer who was dismissed from the Army for incompetence or misconduct.
Command/ On Command	On assignment outside of camp for periods of a day to months at a time for a military assignment. Most of the where or what does not appear in the records.
Deserted/Deserter	A man who left his regiment without authorization and may have gone over to the enemy or left for his home.
Discharged	Released from the army either due to the end of his term of enlistment or occasionally for medical reasons.
Enlisted	The man has joined the army as a private or non-commissioned officer.
Ensign	The lowest ranking officer who carried the colors or ensign into battle.
Furlough/on furlough	Given leave to be absent from military duty.
In inoculation	Under inoculation for smallpox.
Joined	The date the man reported to his regiment at camp.
Omitted	Left off the paymaster’s roll.
On guard	The men detailed to protect the encampment.
On detachment	A variable number of men sent out of camp on a particular task or assignment. Detachments could last for days or months.
On roll without comment	Soldier was present in camp with no remarks on the muster roll.
On duty	In camp on some undifferentiated military assignment.
Prisoner	A soldier held captive by the enemy.
Resigned	Only officers could resign from the army and could do so without completing a specific term of service.
Sick absent	Sick in an unspecified location outside of camp.
Sick in camp or quarters	Sick in a hut or tent in camp.
Time out/ time is out	The period for which a man enlisted has ended.
Under confinement/ Under guard	Under guard for violating regulations.

Sources:

Boyle, Joseph Lee. “Virginia makes the Poorest Figure of any State”

The Virginia Infantry at the Valley Forge Encampment 1777-1778. Maryland: Clearfield Company. 2019