he had spent the week prior being taught the duties of an ensign and a second lieutenant , which consisted of attending parades , drills , roll calls , and mountings of the guard , keeping exact lists of accoutrements and stores-captain wilmot had complimented his penmanship , before excoriating him in round terms for misplacing a gross of boots and misdirecting ten barrels of powder-supervising the care of the sick in hospital-luckily there were relatively few of these at this season-and touring the soldiers ' accommodation .