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AJ- '»(*J ./■■ ^3^ »' ^.l-^ .M i,<» 7- «» , *W- •'.'', \ AN E S SAY dH THE L K* E H( ■:'>'.:.R\--.i v^-^^ -g^^y^ ■ ^ I ' ' •^'. ' li or Ti fttABLE MAjOf^GENERAL A EL PO'fl^Ami ^theSTATB&OCIBTTOftheClMClMNATf ift Connecticut. DAVID HUMPHREYS. sss I ■ I Jt t* F a ^^ ..*' ■•*■' : ^ f*' i^^,*«<&'--f-' - 3y»%" ■■^^^ .v,» % I ■■%■ 'i f..v^ ..^ '». , '^k& >i, ■^^i ^ ifi^' .ir. "9» I? MdtilP •.^' To the Honorable- Col. Jeremiah WADswoRUff, PkssiDEi^T of ^ the State SociETr of the CiNCiifNATi in Connecticut, &C.&C.. '...■.■.. . ■' My dear Sir,. . T TNAVOIDABLE ^bfence will prevent \J nit # ( iv ) V J tion, and would pofTefs the advantage of pre- ienting for imitation a refpedtable model of public and private ? irtues. General Putnam is univerfally acknow« Jedged to have been as brave and as honeil a man as ever America produced ; but the dif- tinguifhing features of hi^ chara6ter> and the particular tranfaftions of his life' are but im- perfcdlly known. He feems to have been formed on purpofe for the ag^ in which \xt lived. His native courage* un^ken inte- grity, and eftabliihed reputation at^ ibldaer, were necefTary in the early ftages ^ our op^ pofition to the defigns of Great ~ gave unbounded confidence to o^ their firft conHidts in the field ef The inclofed manufcript ji dulgence for its venial errors* af| effort in biography, that has this continent. The attcpnpt* 1 is laudable, whatever may bct^ point of execution. I AM happy xp find that the Cincinnati is nq^ generally vorable mani|«f^ Mankij^j tions, are':dtiiHlA.4o tives on whii \* < ( ) felves, wc can never recall to mind the occa* fion, without feeling the mod tender emo- tions of friendihip and fenfibility. At the dilTpiution of the army> when we retired to feparate walks of life, from the toils of a fuc- cefsful war, in which we had b;en alTociated during a very iniportant part of our lives -, the pleadng idea, and the fond hope of meeting once a. year, wbicbgave birth to eur fraternal inftitutiofiy were neceffary confolations to footK. the pangs, that tore bur bofoms ac the melanchol y.hbur ofp2^n\ ng. W hen our 'hands coudidiy^ perhaps, for the laft 'time tifi our tongdl^refufed to perform their oifiec in Irewell, Heaven witneiri-d and ap- purity of our intentions in the ar- afie^ions* May wc pcrfevere in of our friendfhip, and the exertion Icnce ; , regardlefs of the cen- f.jelpjs fufpicion, which charges our ~ " nefs, and alcribes our ac- per motives 5 wKK? we realize .edient and moft humble fervant^ D.HUMPHREYS. Mount Vernon, in yirginil^, %^ June 4th, 1788^ ^ »j ..■rf«.**i.*«»wgiPr^,v.r.: ■-**. A N E S S ON TH£ I.IP£ Of General PUTNAM. ,:\ ^.-j," ,..:* .f* milk a € ^Li Jfi^ \0 treii of recent tranfaf^ionsani) i)etftii|i ftU) living, is always a delicate and fit* I a tt^Miklefs office. Yer, while the di^ilieiids or the malignity of ene<» ^i|0cidea|^^ith ralhnefs on every delinea- "chay^r, or recital of clrcumftances; * ^ remains that diftant nations is, #ee from the infltience of Sdn> will jud^ with impfr- iate Wftli juftice. We nave 0ngu)ari^|>rolific in es|tm* A'*^^py»S' '^^M^ byrplracri, thefembions Pf-v-^.^ ■'•Sfc^ - :il;:'' ( ) • tvcr prudential remfons may now occur td poftpone the portrait of our own times } the difficulties which oppofe themfclves to the execution^ inflead or being diminilhed, will cncreafe with the lapfe of years. '£very day will extinguilh fome life that was dear to fame, and obliterate the memorial of fome ^ deed which would have conftituted the delight and admiration of the world, "^' So tranfient and indidinguiihable art the wt$Si^Ai^r^^^l^h various and inexplicable: ^gjfpnngs of liAion, t& dbfcurc and perilhable Iherem^mbrance of human aflMjrs, ihatgun* ^ Icfs attempts, are fUide to (ketcN the ptftuctj ^^ while the prcfcnt' generation i| livin0?it^ i "iilceneft will be forever loft; or ^hr mf% ed by ayague recoUf dtion ; dl^tftS^^ haps, by the wl)imGcal.coiQ|i|i|^.of A imagination.. '»> ,1 It will doubtlefs hen!a({<*lt :i| rcgreit that thofe> ,who,. hat||| tteen confpic'uous adbrs ori^ " Eublic lifef^ and, , who in Wf. n|>wfege o^(^f ff>i^^ thoie ch4U'a6ter$.a^^|^^ i^hich (durinj - RevolutionX u ktndyihouid :of ■%^^^ 'f"m^u [taH ■ !■: (;i'V»( ■ (90 aflume theta(k«»a taflc, which (ifexecuted with fidelity) muft, from the dignity of ka fubjefty become grateful to the patriots of all nations^ and prgltable in example to the re* nnoteft poftenty. Equally fevere will be the mortification of contemplating the reveries and fidionsj which have been fubftituted by hacknied writers in the place of hiftorical fa^ts. Nor fhould we fupprefs our indigna- tion againft that clafs of profeifional autlK>rs» who» placed in the vale of penury and obfcu- rityi atan immenle dii^ance from jchc i ofa^ionand all oppontm^cs^r 1^41 the neceflaf y docunncnts, with' imufferkt frontery^ obtrude their fallacious and crude formances on a credulous public. Did refult of their lucubrations terminate on« relieving their own diilreffes or gratify* heir individual vanity, it might be paff- ecFtn filent coi^sen^t, . But the effedl is cx« teh^we^ permfsf^ft and pernidous. The lye,* Jboi^V!!pp improbaW^ or monftrous, (^kic^ Alia OAG^ amimed the fcmblance of Jt>eing often repeated with minute '»te particularsj is ^t length fo thoK !':.ki ( 10 f roughly eftablifhedy, as to obtain univerfat credit, defy contradiftion and fruftrate every effort of refutation^ Such is the mifchief, fgch are the unhappy confequences on tlie bewildered mind, that the reader has no al^ tcrnative,but to become the dupe of his credu- lity, or diftruft the veracity of almoft all humaa teftimony. After having long been the fport of fiction, he will perhaps probably run in- •tb the oppofite extreme, and give up all cortft- .dence in the annals of ancient as well as mo* rn timim t and thus the eafy- believer of fine ait4 ttiarv^MSilflpries will ftnd, at lafl,,* iitlM^ ^1^8^ ^ fcepticijm and ;ind in mfidelity^ • _The numerouis errors and faKehoods^|j^?i^ latlve to the birth and atchievemcnts ^(?5^[a* jor General Putnamiwhich#ive(ata^ip^ period) been circulated with aliiduity ^^on. both fides of the AtlantiCj^ ami the Uncertain- ty which appeared. to prevail with refpeft to fas real % eharader,. firft produced the tefg- I Tfie following liaea are extra^ tid^4 « • The Profpe^ of America :** i^l#l|i§eniou» Br. Ladd. ** Hail fmm \ h^,^^» vepe; -'^ -Itlfif^atsin valn-w^^limftjMilt^^pPI % ■ui '?'P"*k<»-jw ^ifc'-' #' aw' c II ) lotion of writing this cfTay on hi^life and in- duced the editor to, obtain * materials from that hero himfelf. If communications of iuch authenticity^ if perfonal intimacy as an aid-^e-camp to that Genera], or if fubfe- quent military employments, which afforded ftccefs to fources '\ of intelligence nK open to " When fourfcore vears had blanch'd thy laurelPd head, *' Strong in thine age, the Hame of war was fpreao." On which Dr. Ladd made this note : " The brave Putnam fcems to have beenJ^y^ <> fctlied aaiidil the £]are oygMbj, vi^^ ^' Hiii early and gallaht fervleii j^I^k Jai» tiian •* erlafttng remembrance.^ Oti^ bards have alfo averted the glory of this vener- V4^'ir«i^a^ In the firll cbndfe review of the princi- "**^* **^ri^ao herpes who fi|nalized themfelves in the ^ the (kme charader is thus reprefented i^.'-- ijBilodd ftern Patnaaijfeam'd with many a fcar« ^fetiraa honors jof an earlier war." IP Vifion of Columbus, Book y. - ftM5##i^ e«gernefs an opportunity of W» dl^^tioiis to Dr. Albigence Wal- ^ at to commit to writing many luniCitedtDhim by General Putnam in , jrdir. s . )e of proofs might be progduced to de- ll HiSUtary fads cannot always be accura|e6 It l^ihe commander ill rs. The i^arquis &^ ;«<|pNB l^nttine infbri iil|lHi^<^iKrar which' I pitirthui thatV acknowl do, who anecdof the M noi ly^ ^t opportal thdreps mentidn^ glvee an ' ordered * 'W^^ bfiBi..>r-n I wJfr'Jlliihftiail -'tettVi^ ( 12 ) ;, , * Others, give the writer any advantages ; the unbiafftd mind wiH decide how far they ex- culpate him from the i^nputations of that of- ficioufnefs, ignorance and prefumption^ which of 1780. The Marquis^ who wai prefenC when the de- tachment m|jrche4» andtto whom General Heath (hewed the orders that were given to General Stark* the com- manding officer of the expedition, obferves that he had never (ken, in .manafcript or print, more pertinent in- ilraftbnt. Now the fad is, that this detachment, under the prete^Qf a forage, was intended by theComiiand- 'li^iif^^i^P^ ^^'^EililJ^^^ ^^^ "^^ ^"™^ in an at- igftaplg^U^^JpO^^^ on York-Ifland; aii4| , l|li|^iicriaHeftdiikbif«l^was then ienorant of the r«T ^ 2^fign. The Con^n^er in Chief fpent $, whple Cam^gn in ripening thiff project. Boats, moamtfed ^90: traveling carriages^ were keptconftantly witht)^''^' The marquis de la Fayette, at the head pf th« "* fautrji^ was to have made the attack in #« ' Waiiingtofi. The period ^fen for thli the very time* when thepnajr were tdh camp and march into win«Br-qfi||ert : i» nander in Chief, movinj In t)#mi| wottldrliave been on thebauksl^Mt whole ibitcp tt> have fiiipportecltli^ft^a^ manner in which tlie ;Co-oper|itwil «ii troops fent by GenendMeatu, on the pi was to have been condn^^, wiU foe ,ism SMoinng leoret inftriilliont. «« To9rigidier CeQeratSTJtaii;' «« Sta, J^ «« Colonel f!lmphreyf« w^^mf. f^^j^j^^camp* is *' <^rged by me with oriirs df 4 p^v^ %d oaruca- «« {^nature, which he is to dli«er^|oii» and which ^S*!*^ with ms pautbus fthe the ( '3 .) ■*ik in others have been reprehended with feveti- tv. He only wifh<^ that a premature and unfavorable conllruftion may not be formed of his motive or objeft. Should this cfTaf you are to obey. He will inform you of the neceifity of this mode of communication. " I am. Sir, &c. «' Geo. Wafliington." *' To, Lieut, Col. David Humpbrejs, A, D. Camp, "Sir, *' You are immediately to proceed to Weil-Point and coniqftunicate the bufinefs comniitted to you, in anjl" Jcfici, to Major General Heath, and to no p|her per* foa whatfoever ; from thence yoa.will impair %vlliA detachment at the White Plaini, on Friday nexts ti|»> king meaftires to prevent their leaving that place, bi^ fot^e youget to them. And in theconrfe of the fy4^. «beingd«rcovcred, Sheldon's regiment and -the Con- nsr^ticiit §tate.boops (which may alfo be put in mo- tiaa as ibbH^a| \he tjt^eri can be commumcated'after 4 iTclotlt) ihoi^lWi^ttlbed forward |o intercept any 4* tt «* a- «« w *t 'f- c i 14 ) li;v«e any influence in corre^ing miftakea^ or '•^efcuing from oblivion thic actions of that diftinguifhed Veteran s -mould it create an emulation to copy his domeftic, nianly and ^t ■«« *t 'X-a, *'• of the enemy, wlio may attempt to gain Frog'«Neck». -'* and to cut o^ theJElefngee-corps at MorrilTania. A « few men, with fome aadrefs, may fpread fuch an a- ** larrn as to prevent an attempt of the enemy- to re- treat to Frog's Neck, from an appreheniion of fur- rounding parties.; " YoH will commankate tbefe in(lr«\£lion« to the com* '* manding officer of tl^e detachment, who, upon hit " ^proa^chtp King's Bridge, will receive orders froqime ■ ■■ ■ '^"""''■iloffible.:^-'. -^ . ■ ■ 'iv I the iignalf not be difcovered, the tfml' l^lialtatleaftfixtwlesfromthebridg^^ .--^ ^eft intelligence c&ii be obtained. ^** Tke abfwite nete^ty of the moft perG^ ^^ the Q<^ca&m'^of communicating my oriM^ >** this duuinel*" Givejn atHead-Qjiaf^ri if^ver urat a pto'b«t|#^ji|ai»g^ «ircnmfta«c«i: ' proimile mo^e iiiX^: ii'^ ^hc BritiflHMref e»not only un4lari^^|lpi|||||pii trtiope. Vere likewiie^ entirely mifgiiideclsn^l^il^^ Tbe accidental intervention of fome iriplipy^ij^ieEAt this time t^ attempt : which was mor^t^ on^f^efum^' c4 afterwa^d». >fotwitfaftand]ng this jlivorite ;pro>e& # vf&s not ttttimUtel]^ effed^d* it was evidently not loi bold iti conception or feafible in a6Comptift|qjpnt, than that attempted a> faiccefsfully if Treato^i % ^an tKat» ^"^-^ wu brojightto fogtorioiif It^ in the focccft. er did. ^ < *5 y heroic virtues 5 or Ojould it prompt "feme more (kilful hand.to^pOurtray> th*e i1ki(lrioii9 groupe of Patriots,. Sage& and Heroes, who ave guided our coun(els>.fought of Mr. John Futnaiii, wbd ividi two brothers came from ttie ibuth It it|^0 Mai^ideCkiftdlux, wfrnfeprarfefibn* alfcttbvi|m^iind fbttttaiii-head ictelligience havt «n4- bled liiifliriiefcribe lev^ral aAioiis better than they are cin^vhere diefcribed* f(>eakt in this inftance of an ulterior ^f£k : and lays thatfecrets were preferved moreinvio- &Dly in the American than in the fre^ch army, ffii wordtare ; ^ <* P'eftqoele (ecret eft garde tres >x«a!eae[ll(^a V I'liiiee Amencaiot ; peu de perionm 09t «* |irt a la coDlaBC^di} Chef, et ca ^tii^m^ j fitle motnt^danii'lctarniees Prancmip|irl^ m>. ^ m^ ti de ce ^tto f 'o^^il^ttf '-^» .*■■ ' ( 16 ) efEngland and were among the firft fettlers «f Salem* Whim wc thus behold a per fon, from the humble walks of life> darting unnoticed in the career of fame^ andj by an undeviacing progrefsthrough alife ofhonor} arriving at the nighc;ft dignity in the (late ; curiofuy is flrongly excited, and philofophy loves to trace ' the path of glory from the cradle of obfcurity . to the fummit of elevation. AjtTiiouoH our anceilorsy t^e firft iettlers of t^iloid, amidft the extreme preStire or . opoiverty and danger, early inftitut€d^iy^er<(^ > ^fei' the education of youths, d^Bgned' W thi ie»*ned dN>fefl[ions ; yet it was thm^g|| lu(- licient to inftruft thofe deftined to tlpdtr on the earth, in reading, writing and fuch rudi-^ ^in^nts of i^ithmetic, as mi^ht bert|^i(ite for keeping the accounts of th^ littl^ranfac- tions with each other. Few farmet-'s ions had more advantages, none lefs. In this flate of mediocrity it was the lot of young Puti^itii to be placed, ' His early inftrudlion W4a vn^t conllderable, and the aftive fcenes of 1^ lit * which he was afterwards engaged^ pr#^t:«^t^rpri2ar, adivity and perff- were; the &ft charafterfft>cs ^ hja Thei^isa kind of mechanical ^ouT'- qfft^^^ng of pride,v,jl0it or difci- ^,tb^ti£ii^||^lh a coward not only to ^^e^Gorm hisih^^^^a to venture on a% T^V ♦-WITa jr' 4* ( *8 ) *At. ferent fpecies. His undaunted feelings de- pended, lefs than the feelings of moft ochers, on external objedbs, adventitious aids> or the influence of example. He Itood alone,, and colle£ted within himfelf, always poflefied in- trepidity equal to the occafion. His brave-* ry, that appears to have been conftitutional, never for a moment deferted him in the try- ing fituations, to which his life was often ex- pofed. It was a fpecies of cool, deliberate fortitude, not afFedted by the paroxifm of enthuiiafm, or the phrenzy of defperation. It was ever attended with a ferenity of foul, if cl^rncis of conception, a degree o|(clf-po(* pioiif Jt(^ 4 fuperioHty to i^l the viciffiil^ lir jfoirtunc^ entirely dHtinft from aiif " at can Ke i>rodui^ed by thefei^^^ d fluct^ ^"^its, which, nli^tJiimlHWeit- , , pree^itate #en to a#tMi| #1 ed by ihtoiiicatkm or fdme orkef tFaikfient ex- hilaration. The heroic charan^er, thus found- ed on conftitutioh and animal ^irits, checiih- cd by education and ideas- of |)effoii^i£||ee- dom, cor^rmed by tcmperaneeapd ' exercifc, waa completed by thetlidfeJ ibn^e love ^f his country and an in feiiSPif diiry. Such were* the quali principles;, that enabled hini to rricet li tailed rh^ tTSaf V ^f ar'v«^i Hw, and to p^ t •-♦<)•"»-» 'il' •' H ,.,,,,»» Vt" 4»: ,»«••«•• .»»• /» » • *"' ' ff '^'i\n,'- '^ ■ n^-^.o' '^« m ( »» ) His difpofTtion was as frank and gencN ous> jft^ his mind was fearlefs and . independ- enc. He difguifed nothings indeol he feemed incapable of difguifc. Perhaps^ in the incercburie he was ultimately obliged to hfve with an artful world, his Gncerit]r> on fomeoccafions, outwent t^isdifcretion. Al- though he had too much fuayitv in his na- fure to coniiptmnc^ # ;<^^ ne had too much f«9ifibtliiiF not to le^ too much lK>nor ni^ 1^ r^fitpi ititetj^d iijfolr. v The firft lifoe he wenjt mBofl^V w^ inliiRed for hiirrufliicity by % b(^ cltwic^ ^fm iod ^^ifif b«»riiig the iSr^ wofii^^ he chaUaM llis 9|iixiiaQneC dii^i&i of a croMimr torlMIH£(i|%l^pt ing 'hii^lfn&^ioii| mu "V§ athletic 4iverfioiii^^^i,rorite an^iaeiiii ll^cifts^«:(ifli^-S . was>, i^iig^^i^:^ jditirai^ every rlng;^ Ar iuch Ivjduriflg the promife of* h^li^fjil^aim^&om www ( fio ) BiroRB the refinements of luxury and the confequent incrrafe of expences had render- ed the maintenance of a family inconvenient or burdenfome in America, the fexes entered into matrimony at an eatly age.' Compe* tence^ attainable tjry aiU was the lioiit of pur- fuit. After the hardihips of making a new Settlement were Qirercome and the evils of pepury removed, the inh^tants ebjoyed, in Ihe lot of ec|ua|ity» jiinQC^iHse and fecuritjr, &|nea eqaally #HghtfiH i^lii|h(Me, pi^illi^ W m. g^f t^g y^ poctsiu ^ dieif jnv^iie pamral lifij orlaifaA^fus g^l^ i^Jibk. Jtei^ inc^^fiiMf^ J|iiiR(M W .ijprjiic^pKteya^ • ._ ^ ■■-.•'■ ,''*',ir.^'.,"' ' ill ff'- ■■\^i ii?! mercepfl tm Jjcfbre h^ Waintrd the tftntj ;, :-:|iljildtfn». ft?& ., of :iRrfcoirt\irtr;|H '^'^'i.^' 'j^y' •tHn 'f .■ :<_^ iter. i-Si^^.'iux;\^'^iM^ J\'~ •f # F ( 31 ) ner's Idand, by whom he had no iiTue. died in 1777. She • In the year 1739 ^^ removed from Salem to Ponnfrety an inland fertile town in .Con« ne£bicut» forty miles eail of Hartford : having here'purchafed a confiderable tra^t of land> he applied himfelf fuccefsfully to agriculture. The firft ycars^ on a new farm, are not, however, exeori^; from difafters and difap- S^inttneii^i ii^hteh cw^ be remedied bf iibbdrnahii patient induft^y. Our tarit^^ ^ MMjc^^ in buildirij^ashmiie ^^^^^ llurh, feUlfig wbodsji making mce%i\Sifi^iM^r,§ ^in, panting or^liards and taliM^ ei his ftock, had to eilcpuiitcr, in tMB|^ the lamiiics otcafionied by drcMiJ^li^^ blad: in harved, lofs oricattle ill winter^ aA§^ the defol^cion of his fh^p^fold h^ wohres. .In one night he had fey^nty fine fheiep^^aiid goai^s J^lied, befides matiy lambs anaf]0ds Wffiiiiid. This havQp was commi|teciM« jurhith, with her annual whelpsjiSNji " years infeftcd the vicing, r^^fflb ^re commonly dcftfoyed by tKivfi- of ?|ic hunters, IlUt the old oijc waa iCto^s to come wiihi iipon being clofely ptti ily % tQ the wcilern ^pfgmr >' tl ) '^i'^' 'tvafn the next winter with, another. Utter of whelps*. ' ' -^ This W6I4 fttlength^ixcaniefiiGhan in--^ imrable nuifance, that Mr. Ptitaam entered into a combination with fiv:eof his iieighbon to h\tnt akemacely untiL they could deftro;^, her. Twoj bf 4roiattooKW«rc oo^be cohftaai* ' )y in purfill*. It vraa knbwn^that^ haV;-^ idg loft the toes frite mjtfypuby im fiee^ tmf, iheoiade cme «acji ^igrtvjr tliim^J|j^ flll^light fiiowi. the mtitt. of tbil' , bliwml^ * Haviftf'feMfwwd ikii milllir i>i^ and found ihe bad 961: ccNii^ towai^ds Pomfret, they leumedi ftt^d%rten o'dodi^ithe ' _^ th« b^^-'^^win*^* had driven jM!rla|9|*'4^^ miles diftant from tliehip^if Mr* Ifutnam; ^j:j^ people foon ic^lf^^ withdqgjW^ M" ^fl^itq attack the cdninrjon chemyy^ Wttfc «yi ft^iM'atOs kv'e^l unfucctrsf liere inadeto force iv» from the jf boiinds^ icaiTt^ back badly woiiitde wi-m¥^^ fafcd to retorii^^The fa^oke of had naeS^^^or did the l«0ie$ briiiiftoiie> with which the angry at the difl^^intment» and declaring that he was a- ilHunned to ht^ a eo^irj^ in mi |mniiy> re« folved himfelfto deftlflrjr the ierocioitt bea% licftllit (hoiildlfi^^ ibmeiinkDowo ^a^^^i^^m wild anliah 0t if ^ hbirtrMhe only Sriatiilih he^llbld^ 5rbeaini tfefi aBPbrd light in thi& dle^^iMl darkfi y^^-^tiik' prepared for his d^fcent. fiaving^a^^mg^ lyy divefted himfelf of his coat alifd Wai^coar^ and having a Iqiij^ rope /aliened rotilKl hia legs, by yiiiikh^ lli^rl^ back^ at a.- cbilcerc he de- fcendcd a fecond time. When he drew near- er than before, the Wolf, aiTuming a ftjll more fierce and terrible appearance, howling, rolling her eyes, fnapping her teeth, silid droppmghef head between her legs, wa$ cvi- dehtfy in jhe attitude and on the point of fpringijng at him: At'the ciHtical inflant he ' Wfd an4 fired at her' head. Stur|^ J^fli^kand (iim)c^dwithiheli«J% if)(^$^y found himfelf drawt'outdli cave. But having refreMd hiiiifelf and permitted the fmoke to difllpiite) h*; .^sr^ <** ( «6 ) opfiy related in feveral European publications, ft very much mutilated in the hiftory of nnedicuty a work as replete with falfehood a^efticute of genius, lately printed in IxMir dbn. . [ !■ -1-) ■ ■ ■ ', JProsperityj dt lepgth, began to attend the agiricultural,aSairs of Mr. Putnam. He liMl acknowledged tb bea (kilful and inde- igable manager. His iie}^^ Were nnoftly Dfed with ftone i«raijsy^^ "^^ illy lucccededr becaiifiS th#iind^i^^ ed and mar^jLiredk Hissp^uif s lu^d in^ m£^ lusitmant. fiiaf cmiilfe^ ed ahd'in goCK}^<*rdei^!^ it^tccs prolific;^ W^ |iiage w W^ pifeduce foreign S- Within. doors he fo^hdlllliG^p^nfation of his labors in thi plenty 4|f excellent provifiiinsy as ^IL as in ttaf haj^inels of domcftic focicty. - i?^oii? particular delcription ofliiltran- fuiof^ frfim narrow to eafy circtinbftances t b^ |iven ; but the mind, that fliall acquired an idea of the habits of lab(»v fimplicityi to which the induftrious coio- ^;fts^1irere tccuftomed, will readily fupply the omifllioh. The effc^ of this gradual acqui- fition of property, gcnci"ally favorable to in- jtitii •«. . .^* ( 27 ) dividual virtue and public felicicy, (houfd not however be paflcd over in (ilence. 4 JBT there is fomethjng fafcinating in the x^ftt^ of a^country life> from the conremplftton - of Biaojtiful landfcapes; there is likewife felne- thing elevating to the fou]> in the cofitciouf- nefs of being loird of the foil and haying the power of creating tbe^m.^^^^^^T^ caft icarcely be guilty of a (prdidT adioiij^Qr even deiceindirp^iiOfirneroosi^^^ wJiOj re- iaitn h^0cafi»to]p||^ ) iVtuti the fai-me^ ii^co a &ee^ . Jfi]^ ly yilpiriiig |^,_ ,^.~ - l^nfc is ^ fireenian» flattmag i^^ natural propenfity for peHbnal indt^iendlftS^ ^nd nouri§xing ah unlinQited iQim^ll^ «M philanthropy in his fpcial charadjl^ But the time had now arrived, w^eb ivfi' to turn the inftrumenta of hufba mfaji Jife weappMof hoftility, and to exchange^^^'^ tng of wolves> t^ho had ravaged ihejp'e^-' folds, forthc purfuit after Sav^es n^had iieS)lated the frontiers. Mr. '^titnarh wiia ibout 37 years oW^ when the War bctw^; SiidanGland France, which preceded the laft^ )>r^ oiit in America. His reputat]||Bpuft haviiLbccn^ favorably kAOwii/to tl^l^S^HS^ ■^^' ■:4,' "It :A%'^, . ( »« ) inent) fince among the firtt troops that were Icyicd by Conncdbicut, in 1755, he was ap-- Jbdifilid io the command of a company in Lyiillii's regiment of Provincials. I have tnf aponed hisiage at this period expi efsly to obviate a prc#akBt opinion, that he was far advanced in life when he commenced ^is mi- litary fcrvice. As he was cxtretriely populari ke* found 1^6 difficulty in iiiUfting nis component of ;1tecruits frpm the n»iftliaf#, aiterprrxmg in«J f^^p^^able young men of his neighj^h ' '\ l^lic regiment joined thte are&y^ ^ A^ ' * "^ " [e campaign, not far ,^1" fomtp Soon after hj^ «. «.JP^ became Intimately connefted p^^^ys pax#ifnCaptain, afterwards. Ma- ..jorRo|^$ with whom he was frequently afro^gipl& traverfing the wildernefs, recon- n^flni^n|*my's lines, gaining intell i- g«|HiF #»ng ftraggling prifoners J as wp^pill bealing up the quarters sind fur- iP^g the advanced pickets of their army, r!or ^he(c operations a cdrpft of rartgers, was formed frondthe irregulars. The firft time Rogers ahd^ Putnam were detached with a party of ti^e l^ght troops it was thft fortune ofthejittcj^^jpifcrve, with his qwn^j^d, the Hfe of the former, and to cemei^t their /'^tfss "^' K\, SI / - 'v' , ( ^9' ) :.-^m friend (hip with the blood of one of their tife- mies. The objcd of this expedition was ib, obtain an accurate knowledge of the pti^ltioti ahd ftate-of the works a^Cro'wnPoinr^ ttwas impra6ticableto approach with their pant jrliear tiioug^h for th« purpofe, without being dif- covered. Alon^j the undertaking was lufSb- cicntly hazardour, on account of the l^an«s of hoftile Ihdians^ who^iifeftcd the woods. Qor tw#kparti%aA|ik hijwcver, left al i thcir^tnea tkt a C€Ry<^ear ailt;lttcey^hftri(ft orders to <^ntmuifr; perceiving? the immi- m<5i5t danger of hisf friend, and that no titn^,^ -ifMtQ be loft-or farther alarnfv mvcn bj^Jf-^^ 1 S^^^- < 30 ) Ing, ran rapidly to them, while they were yet -^ftrukgHng,ancl with the butt-end of his piece laidlhe Frenchman dead at his feet. The partizans, to elude purfuit, precipitated their flight, joined the party and returned with- out lofs to the encampment. Not many pecaiions occurred for p^rtizaAs to difplay their talents in the coune of this- fummer. The #ar was ^ f|eiieh tfbops comman^il^ by tfee 'Baron £|eflEau. The^^i^^yiianic;^ f»f^^^^^^ Heceflary to conlbte the ^ttilric^slbr iMl< gf ace Jif that dilafter. Here I might, indt ^take a|)ride in contrafting the condud of the Britijb Regulars, who had been ambufcaded on the A^nongahela I with that of the t^ro- vlnciltfs (under Johnfon) who, having been attacked in th^r lines, gallantly repulfed the enenvf and took their General prifoner : did I confider myfelf at liberty to iWell this effay with refledbibns on events, in which Putnam not directly concerned, The time for which the coliwiijdtroops engaged to ferve, te:^nnin- ated with the campaign. Putnam was r^pp-* pointed and again took the field in I7i6i, ' Ft'ware r«l-nq;i\in:cf\va; t's nr^t^o know, ( 31 ) that military adventures, in the night, are tjt* ways extremely liable to accidents. Capui^ . Putnam, having been commanded to jI^qii^ noitre the enemy's camp at th QviMS^ licar ^itonderoza^ took the brave Lieutenant Ro- bert Durkee as his companion. In attempt- . in§ to execure thefe or<^ers, he narrpWly^ miff- ed being;- taken himfdf in the. firft inftance and kiiiii^ his friend in the fecond* It was cuftomary for ti:^ Briti& and Pnmncial troops to ,pliicc ti^Bres round thftir ^amj whi^fi fi^aii^iitlyeiKpofedthemtoth^eni iCQUt$ Mm patroies. A con^mrf pri fired and (lightly wounj^Durkee In i^^ He and Putnam h^i|^:ak«ri|S.^ im Thtyficd. The latt^-^iS^g, "^^^"^ moft andfcaccly able to fee fei^^^j^^ .^him, fboB plunged ijuo aclay-pit,%r ■^^-...,y^:^^'^^ ■ ♦ V,- ■ " •,,•''>""-'''' >' ■■"''•' ^* . ' ; ■■-fJ- ii^lli^li M fV*: *>«. .#< i 3i ) almolt at the identical moment, came ttrmo- ling after. Putnam, by no means pleafed at ■^ finding a companion and believing him to be one of the enemy, lifted his tomajiawk to give the deadly blow — when Diirkce, (who .had followed ib ek)fcly a)3 to know him) eiiquiTcd whethe^f he had efcaptd unhuit. r Captain Putnam, inftantly recognizing the voice> dropped his w^apo-n : «nd botk» fpringing frdmiie j|pit»imde g^d tl^ir^ tm >>ei^fc^ng lec%€is> atfnidft "a Ifeowcr <^ rai>- a^rgc l<%^^^b^ iJhc iWe of i«if^ thityioc^ -the remaindei' W the nigjit. It^ ^^a#ii^ Captain Putnanci Ikid hfehid i^ll j^naiijg his canteen, #hith c^uld never inpjpc tM^ce|>table or neceflKiry j but on exam- j^ining the canteen, which hun.g undir his ^Irm, hiifound theen^y had pierced it_wkh their l^aOs arid that there wai not a drop of liquot^ left. Th||pcxt day he found fourteen bulkt -holes yi^^blanket. In iht fanrie fummettbody of the enemy, confifting of 600 men, attacked the baggage and-provifioa waggons ac a place called p| half-way br«^k -, it being equidiftant -fr^iii : Fort Edwi^-dy. and the fouth end of f afce George* ^^aVing killed the oxen and plun- .de^cdty^ waggons, they leueat^ w^th tlitir ■Jf*-' ( 33 ) M it tt booty without having metwith iuch rr^iftanc^ "as might have been expeded fronntheu.en^th of thcefcort. General Webb, upon receiv- ing intelligence of this difafter, ordered the Captains Putnam and Rogers << to take lOO " volunteers in boats, with two wall-pieces '< and two blunderbuITes, and to proceed <* down lake George to a certain point : there to leave the batteau;^ under a proper guard, and Ihenoe to crofst by hn foas to harrafs and i|r |»rii^i($ail)|^ Intvrce^^ retreating i^ilfi^^i^Ml^ Theft ordcra ^jipfii^ei^ip^ much pupftualityi thsic ^^''"^'1iiii^*t;the'dcftiH place^feillfan' ll the iMtile boats canie in f lew. they^paited, udHer cover, until tht en- emy .(ignorant of thefe proceedings) entered the narrows with their batteaux loaded with plunder. Theii the volunteers poi^pd ujpon them volley after volley, killed m%nf qfthp oarfiff^n, funk a number of the batteauXf and woul^ fbon have dedioyed thewiK^e body of the enemy, had not the unit^llj^ic- cipitancy of their p^ffagc (favq^^pr the ^iN^d) <;:arried them through the hSrrO^s into ;^jl^e part of South Bayj wli«lt they were ^^^f th ( i^^. . ) iprtfli party was mAtntly detached to cut them in pieceis, on their return to Fort £dward. Our partisans, fenftble^of the probability of fuch an attempt, aiod j>eing full twenty miles from their boats, ftnl^ every nerve to reach them a| ibon as polTiblis i #h}ch tliey ^e^ed the tuiit inghr. Neitt day, wh^n ^tvsf had returned at fir asSafbbathday^Point, Jh^ ^fttmr^^ onftorei the before nientickned jietiic&ent df ^ob n^i^i^^ pail|d[theiA '•"* •'*■' '•/f., ^^otRrpiity^^took tothrir:l|^"'^''''' '''^^^ ^.v^-.-.^ .^. #r alacrity, 9i]d rowiej| ilk; Ti%^ jibi^ineiiit and H^idt^a^ng tlSlii| |bft^|iro^ fronflh^ Ijie^ j^ipef'i^ri^ i^liheir numbers. Fluihed aiSS^ <|^ff^ expeAations, tliey were perrtwtted ^%<^nil within pii^o^-fliot before a gun was "^r^/ vkt ortcc^^^^ and Wundcr- 1^^, which had been brought to rakethem M th<;;:ii>oIb vukcrable point, wer^ iiternatdy the mufcniet- ry to malaxiiwwKul havoc,. uft#%hciou^ m-' ( 35 ) ^y ^completed and the enemy driven back tjE» IPiconderoga. In this adtiofii one of th^ (MiriE ^pnoes contained twenty Indians, of #loifn fifteen were killed. Great nunnbers, frpfn: other boats, both of French and In* dianiwere feen to fall overboard : but the account of their total loft could i^ever be af* certaineti.^ R9gm and Suiiria^ but one maoMt^raiMt^^ They ^^^^ ^^ I returned ingaoAoi^ Provincial S^ rencounters, a finppafir run by our iiinnbieTf|«^edi^:, an adive young Freiiciuian. Thi|)ibferty of each was by t^rns j?rt ftftcf Gei§ral Webb,. wanting a prifo^^||| : the fake of ifftriligence, lent Capt. I^niiaai wtsth five men to prpcure one. The Captaih con* cealed him§lf near the road which 1^0 from Ticofide^a to the Ovens. His rniiijKefn^ ed ifbifidof ihewing^themielves, whi^ MfoU dierlike conduct lie jirohibited |rith the fe- vifi^ If prehenlion. This rebt#e they im- ptM^ f> AI0 fear. The phicrvatioO; IS y Jpic ifcilgar, that per(bns, #ftin^^ ablie fer tc^rity when there is i^ j^afq^^; ii la-e generally polt|o ran and ordered them tofoUo#v After roninng about thirty rods» he feized the Frcnchmaii by the flibukiers aijd fimred h1^ to Airrendq^! But iiis ^ri%nq^ looking found, percdyilig i^ other enediv and know- Mi the Indifaii w^Mil^be: rft||v^B f moment iojieii into a pe ' ft^pp^ back aAd i,., ,1 -—i, ^ Halted tt the ftti^^^sWSm: re^ Upon this, he l^iightlt moft retreat.; ThePrcnchiilw, lhli|imi i^ick ta his m^n, who, at laft'^if- ,^,-,.5,.^, ipi from the grafs J whi^^his purr ■^^r^dfyitig in good time for Mmelf, made ■:'Wi^^0§m' . Putnam, mortified tKat thefe f f^l^E^^pl^fruftrated his f\icce(#dilmi|[ed them ^-^irftllipicc i and^not long ^r accom- :i^* '^ilhed h^ S^h lirdc feats, as the Capture |pi&gle«prifbnct, may B^ ^ infi- nitely m^feconfequence chan^^fi^|i| who i^re unacqui^ffid with niilitary afliW^l^ould bi^ i^tic^iiri^ne. In a eountrjr c^ered Wi^ :woo^s, iiit that part of At^ric|#h«ii ti4_ feat of waff thcxiiiEcultyof |^curing^'«id. "Uid 'i' ««i^->»' «-■ ( 37 ) the impdtttnce of poffeHiogt good ii gence can feared y be conceive^ even bf E^U' lopcAfi cemmftoderii Tt^eyi liowevpr, who knq^flts valiieKV ill not'appr^di^ Ugntly the* i^oei of audible parti):a(K {^HoTHiNi^.lvarthyof r/cmvM^. hv z I tcgo. TiiiiJFdrt, v|r|ticii ^ been built ^ M F^%' rqw%th^ >i<^Mii^a(ioa'^C drfi^tt to «i^iiie ^^ *^^ifei«Jrt}ficatioHi whk^ J(P%ri^ ^tli^ iJisrtpfty of Ukc <3«%p Sw*«t «bo^feit^ai^ having been ni^ by Major 0n^M^l^ imi at NoiistmiBftJ^ and |»if if f kndi^j^hh^ onlyMi5%andfen4" - ,* ,^illl ■ ■,:i' f 39^ } iUs^ he^ltft two boacs^^ to gJb^ «tadift«K^, tiMC chcy QiMglM QQC oqciifiqtA an^ abrm^'and . j^jturntd: hitn&lf with ihfs mCi^jPcnatroif . Thjt GiNieral>feeing4iin(vrowipg WIc wUtvgrcat v^¥ kiciiy*. ift a^ ftf^gl^ km, cooclu^iid t^ otheca were capturci^jiii^; fenc a JMflTwitkp^ers for '^ Gm&^vfWm^f^m^ Jti? ujgcd the ctplllienc^ l^^returnlng 1^ fmm ^"' -*^ -- * * -igoflFthc boai^. Leave 'iliilBililiiiiM^ fow»d hif^ people, perC]^ ab»^ ar^ Wf tws time ftyer4 oiTthe ad- had iiearty jritrrotMidc#«h}ifi» fii^ltnQ&oC hit- whaTe^b^ajTs, he f fpaped fhiN)€igh the mi^ft of theim ^hia Ttv^rn ho informadi the Gf nei^i mif|i|iN^ of alt he had feen,, and iniiimied' ki%rjl^^m(Xk th^ theex^dilioamuft obirioM% iN» defttjir ed againft Fbtt WiHiam-lle«»y^^MCom^ maAdefj, ilt^Aif eojomi^^oce on tho fiib* |ed^i direSNwUito- pHljiW men under an oat^ cif IJBCrecy aod^ pnepii^,, wkhovt iois of dnne^ tMtttim mm (fi^ad C^uters of the mad but, b3r >r.- .m m m. \ M : ■^(^ ( 4& > Gieinral. Accordingly the next 4*y he ret ttfriled and the day after Colonel Monro was ordered from Fort Edward, with hid regf^ ifaent, to reinforce the garrilbfi. Thai; om^-' 'ter took with him all his rich baggage and caiftp c^ipagCi nptw^thftahciing Major Pui^ nam's ftlvke tcf the coiittary. The day /ot JowHig hiisarriyiliithe cncnrtf landed aiiflb^^ fieg<^thi?^e. ^ * ^ irh^Mai^isde0ontc|)f«^>€dinmanderifi . ^Cliieffo» the Frenchiii Cld^iAl^ndinQ to y tikl^fantige of the abfcnce ofa krge pro- g^6n of the Britifh force, which he undci^ *m#l to be employed under Lord toudo»^€- %aiift Louifbotirg) Irad affembled whatever tmi^ourd be fpared from ^Ticondero^a, CwHi^h #bmt and the other garrifonsj with *^ijl^lie#id eombined a confiderable cprps of i^^Ci^iadians and a larger body of Indians thaa ■ISiKle^er before been collected: making in --. .^^ ^if; '■■"^^ C «» ) Aouiaiiidi had beeir confidertbljr tugoiifinedl by Johnron''fcpoopt and die militia*' Q^ilir $A or fth daf after the landing of the- Fnineh^Geaeril JbhiifMi (in confe^oencc of nepeatedappliaiuoiii^ was Aiflfered to marcli fcr there^d^«f tk« fa^ the l^vinciiby Miltd«^aa4 Ptitlkam fUngen i. but btfere tiie]|%ad floiBiff^ miks^ iht ^Kkr If aa eciMtlimpdc^ re- IPW*rr aw^^jprtid^, iathdril^gii^ ^^.fkt;-Ml^jKs^- ffi^iidccl an4 nilde Ibf ^ 4mba»)ung^ wh^a ju foiilpMtt^^^^l^ iche dmciMHiiK hdd» fOfte4>a^ The M&rq«is de Mamcahny^ro- vid|#wk)r n goock^tr«ia<^ artini»7^ n^^ iHtbM aiMffaAca ftoiii^d^ bm ui coali | pr ilb ic t«teCT^>ti(BNi' fioa> ^ gani- feii» a m^^*51 C 42 > ?m^ garrilbn engaged ndc to fenre- for ^hteen months^ and were permitted to marcb out witht the honors of war.. But the Sava- ge^, regarded, not the capiti^tion^ nor could . they be reftrained». by the qtnioflL exertion of the Con)aiandiBgO|icer> from comn>ittfiig the moft outragj^uSv a6i:s of Cruelty.: - They ^pped aodipTuHidered all th^ prifonersy. and iiiiiiitiered great |iu(nberre>. n^o. th^ftjear iipicarc^ly Ikyond tfce :h of muiquet fhot. "^ They f bad carried «ff;ft)L the cannon^, ftofcs. and water-craft. ThcFort wa8.d«ltM4iaied. ThibarracksVthe O^tJimifes and futtltrs hooth| ii|pre heayps of i^n# r '^e^eesi, ?tot yetj eirti^lt^ :iiim the ]v:e ^x»^ thii mucilagi^s na-' 1, but dif toncealed ifuiiimera^ lan ikut^ mnd bones, rti^ ti^corifimR- _ iii>^oods^4«|ttie iry^wbere to be 4- wamon mutilations of favage iogfUQJlf.. vMorp than one hundred wonnen> foincil^v their brains Hill oozing from th^ battered lieads, others with clv^ir whole hair wrenched : - colledtively-wkK the (ki a from the bloody '■ fcwlb, ancifpaivy (with tfafiiihroars <*ii!) mpft. inliumanly ftabbed arfu bi||chettd s ^ay Itjrip- pcd^«iittReb naked,, with/4ihcw vh^^wcJs toriv. . out,, and afforded a. fp^dAcif too horrible &f ■'3~;i!' • f _^^^ cmtingi tup|p|b^^4 To qp w B0tl$iJ^gijaarsXat;the be#i^^ . ftlkmt lii^eliuiidred Wis ej^w^lrd o{ ^ ^-rlpwhick^ htfl^v^cpmmunicatioiiv I^. tongue of iMC&roEied mS^t oo.e fide iwanrtp aodJqfia credc^^oiii ck ditSlri*. -m Cliit:im)ritt«iB^ ladiftiiiaAffTifeveiiA^ as* hfe-cgS^ted, coinc fr^m thei fwaia|p[ and fly lisiiir-Wm wkh iiHpedible (wif^fs^ While K iogibttt liiffi^ lioiilerifulbirds and J^yi^fonN^M|^Q|4Mif color, ia iia:ow4>4ra kfclf in ihc ....?a4, ffi''*^J^" ■ It/*** -^fTJ^ ( 44 ) JMI ilky?e his ketd. He now difcbv ered cht ^^tty, aflid deftgn of thefe witigtd incflen* ftH% Of fite, Mfid gaye the alarm,. Inftantfy ttie working part)r beg«n to ivtrcat along the defile. A large body of Sairagei, had coii* cealed chemfelmtii^tKc isiorar» bcfiire the |iKtfa was pofted|, were atceoiliting in this way to kill tb9 leiiclliel without noife», Jiith tlefiga '^MM^iiid] (|Fcil^^ipliiHii«^ immmLmii^^ mifw&i :aAi|itfM^.1tt^^ ■.'eniwny wiW' •ti liUnd iMpcMl^^^ ibMngliaiid ^^•tiyi^|jft§ anA learned tlultjtib. fHtnd _ _ b^«» the fiver «i^^ ipUt^oflii^^ -•fti 1^ \^ L "A' J^ ^il,jtiki4-l, .,' ^Kf ( 45 ) the place of engagement. This brought h|^ foneanto the Fort, that General Lyman, sibM" 'prized of his deligQ and unwilling tha( uie Mves of a few more bravqpen (hould be ex* . poTed to what he deemed inevitable deftruc^ : tidn> mounfedthe parapc^ti^d ordered him to proceed no farther. The Major only* took tinie to itiake the beft (hort afiolpgy he could and marched bi|%, This is the only inftangp ^iihthc:jf^fc|»^^ l^:'hi»':military^, fevici?, ^'«ff6pe^ii|pi|^^^ obedienc<6 -l^ciip^li^l^i^^^t^ motive 6riNii^d|ible» But when (iicK ii^|^^% if ian&ified by fuci^, is paff^ jiihity, it*de«npnftratc$ dial in the military yfyftcm. i?Iim ^ difctplined army, fuch a% th{i| <>f the Uipited States became under General Wi^hii^^n, an oiHcer guilty of aHighter ytolatibn orco^erv. however elevated in rank or meritprioits' jti fervk^ would have been brought btefSre ^j|^ l^iiim^mn Martiiili Weie it^not l^rtht fedufiEive tendency dfa brave mail's eif^tsi^Ie,^ I mi^htlifive been fpared th^oioftiUcat^n of makhif^ dhglereniiurks on the c^ihy^ c^ #a d^cer; whofe diftinguiihing cfafiltfierifticii were promp^tude for dqty andj^^ of^bk^-^ didatioh ae^ell M cheerfulneiV^^^Plp^ t^ety ^(Mi of difficijlty and diangerif^,. 1* ■* :>j •s-vS.X;;J ■^ti^-^ . «^ . - ' -f-^W- «■ .. •'art. :^ !*,•?»>* /■ W ¥ ^ ( 4« ) ^ Tut Rangers of Futnam foon open^^ their ^y for a jundion with the little handful of Regulars, who (tilt obftinately maincaiAed tfiteiir groimd. By his advice the whole nifl»r- cd impetuoufiy with flioius and huztat iMi the fwamp.. * The Savages ftc4 on every fide and were chafedj^ with no inconfiderab^e lofs on their pHwt^ as lohg as the day-Kght lafted. Oft ours t)n)y one man wa^ Jeilled in the puv- ftiic H!s death was imibediateiy rcvfii|dt tf idiat of the IhAiMi wl^ <|im»( hkn. pus Indian was one ^Hie RdMiSl»*fH^!GJbfl^l ^ dy ofaaive young tneili if^^^^ Wt only tn procure inteBijgcnCfn^ ,5^-^^ tkSi^y, but alfa to guard^the iear;i^lpp||^,$i| » .H«UE k will hot be un^aTonable to men- tbti fome of tlus cufloms ia war, peculiar to t^ aborigiiies, i^bich, on the prei^nl as well as ot^ .pccafions, they put ih pradkicc. Wheiiever a retreating^ efpiecialiy, a flying party had gMned the Ainlniir^ a rilli^ grouftd 1^ tlwy fecreCed one or tw^ runners behind tites, ^OR** ^^ biibes to-,mt at the cwal^iiJ^ thci^ a^^ This i:dmnio were ol^ teniimea feen by their purfuera no more. Or if die'^purfuers were too eager tliey fcldoin fa^ to atone for their rafhnefs by falling in* toanainbutcide. The Mohawks, who wei^ afterwards n^chempkfyW^^ orders of Maj^r Piitnairi» and who wm pei^ fedly yerfedi m ^|be wiles an4 JRiatagems ^ibeiriieMp^ the mode^ ft qiiieieeht. This was ever the watcC wofdibr tte main body to advaiice. IkdiaJ% who went to war toi who for anl:reaj|bh found it neci ai^|c inlo diill^rent itHJtesj alwaj thiie Rlinnm at the jpiicc of fe^ give ttnieiy notice t|> either pa<^ll purfuit. Ir W§|rri0r ^chanood 41^1^^ Jl m ( 48 ) •.»«- m^ himfelf in the woods, or to ble retarded hj accident or wound ; the party mifling him would frequently, on their march^ break down a bum or a Ihrub and leave the top pointing in the direction* they had gone, that the ilragg)er, when he fhould behold it, might ihape his courfe accordingly. k^ Wi tome to tfa^ ;cat1^fp%n wl^n^ General J^. ■.J!iM)ercrombic to0k':the:«^^ij^^ I* - iiward. Thaf Generar'^'#iii*ii|^ South Bay on 'LaktGti^^^ of nukiftg difcoveries ani^ eheifi^'s parties. Tjie latter j with fh*?fe* ori^s, polled himfclf at Wood ^r^l^ hear its entrance inta South Bay^. »."^/ ■•jS- ( 49 ) ielf to (hoot a buck) which had jumped into the Crtek» in order to eke out their fcanty fubfiftence until the fourth day after the com* ptetiOn of the works. About ten o'clock that evening! one of the men on duty at the margin of j£e Bay infonK^ him> that a fleet of bark caiioesi filled wlJMi^'n^ was (leering towards the mojtitb of ti|j|PPt# He iitime* iiattly' caUe4|>^hl)^^ ordered ^^T^^'ftf^^^^?^* A pro(QUnd (biUhds ^i^^^^'^flPWil^^'t' and the full mooi|,. m brightndt* The ?ilir enemy entered^ is about fix llhebiankoppofltetothe parapet ^^liiJiSrc t^ty (eet high. It was intended to* permit the canoejs in front to pafs*^they had accordingly jufl: pafled, when a fddier ac* cidenrallyftruck his firelock ajRainft a (tone. The c6mmanding officer in the van csinot heard the noife and repeated feveral times the Savage iratcli^oi^^OWisH! Inftafltly the canoes huddled together, with their .^ttc precifely in front of tJie works^ coveriifg'thib creek> for aconfiderable diftanee> ab^ve and below, The officers appeareid ta 6c in deep cirnfultation aftd the fleet on thf point of rc- toriring^ wiic#M^ofPutnam,^)ii|io fei^ djered nisi hten in the mod peren^^ry man- tier, not to fire untill he fliould fctm; i^am- I*^ giMPt ihe fignal by di{chargi% K^ jptfec^ ■"*, * ^■a -. '-f^:' K 50 ) TJicy fired. NatKing could excised the in- extricable confufion and apparent confternt^ tlon occafioned by this well concerted attack. hut, at h(t, the enemy findings from the vty^ frequency (though there was no abfolute ill- termiiBon) in the firing, that the pumber of our men rauft be frnall^ rcfolved to land be« low and furround them. Putnam, apprehen- • live of this from the mt^trntm, km Lieute- ^iiit Robert Durkeef, wi|b iwdve men, a- fcoiit thirty rods down the ^flifc;^ i|j^ til tiniie to repulfe the paiity 1m4»<#)^^ €0 land. Ahother llnall w^ Lieutenant Parfons^ was ordered ttDf|ecredf', to prevent any fimilar attempt. In tibe mesur tli||^\:Major Ptitnam, kept up (through the ii^i^night) iii inte^ant and deadly fir« on tl£^n^%bodf oftheeneinyi without receive * iaj|j|iniy thing in return but lihot vok! of eFeft, «cp>ippanitd with dolorous groansj mifera- Me Ihikks aod difinal favage yells. After ___ nane of the faraye Dnrkee will occur no moK M thele fteets, I may be indiil^ed in mentioning hit Muandioly :f«te. He iarvived thii wgr« 4nd was ab- pointed aCapain in that war which terminated J|i tn^. mcknowliKyre^ent of our Independence. In 1778^^ was wwtl^M and taken prifoner by th| Savages, arthe battie, p^^pming on the Sufquehihnah, . I)av^ bten cO|d^ilM>ed to be burnt* the Indians kept Jiip ia (he flanf^mthpicchforks, until he expired inthe molt^ excruciiitiiiil; torments. \ ( 5« ) N .t f^ day- break he was advifedthatoitepait they hW, '^"*'|6ir enough up the creek ixk pm»ff^t^^ During this long ^lUinuii^f mm^^ w which the Americans v'kiM (lain il leaft five times their own num# ^ber> only one Provincial and one IndUn were grounded on their fide. Th^fe unfortunate men had been fcnc off for camg in the nigbr^ with two men to aflift them^ and diredtions^ to proceed by Wood Creek as the fafeft».. though not the fiidrteft>. route. But havfaig taken a nesrer iv»y» they were pur^^. afid overtaken by th(6 'jbidiana» who, from the blood on the leaves and buflies^^eiie vc»i t\m^ * they were on the trail of our^ wkole party. ' The woundedi defpairing of mer)&f awdlfliha- ble tbdy^ infifted that the well f6l<( make their efcape, which, on a nil liberation, they effcfted. Tlw I whofe thigh was broken ty a \^^' , approach of nhe Savages fired^^fil^^ •»•-• -'^f, «,» 'AM ^kr>. ..Ml ■ .^ ■ i s^ ) thrive of liiem» after which be was i)^iy hacked in pieces. Thejndian,hi^4kf 1?^^" Colonel'^Ua- ' v»i#««iiflM^ntotFort£dwardV% , rraoki: t^^^%to the nor ch- wed baftibn i^>flfc^fire.^|p»fey extended within twelve fcii 'wlfce Magazine, which contained three hufe d red barrels of powder. On |l« firft difcov-- - cry, the fire raged wJjth great violence. The Commandant endeared, in vain, by dir<- charging fome pieces of heavy artillery againft" thefupportersof this ^fiight of barracks>;to> le- vel ttem with the ground. Putnam stmi^ e^om the Ifland where he wa»"ftationl^^| which he, having mounted Oiml^ tai^ f vcs of th^ biding, rcrcived»|4 ifcre«^.^^.^ i -'*^^-- ■ > •:'.j*i 'yn\ C-u . \,V V I-?''.' d' m ( 54 ) le. It continued, ii|>firithfta|iy. from his hjinds-^he/^ ^u^plicd with fliiiother pair dipt in water.. Colonel Haviia^d fearbg that lieliroidafled over Judte George, and lind^ 1 with 'fH t% ( S6 ) 'i<. ^^4ny youf" rejoined the grflant youngf^ «,vJcinaii. In vain did Major Piitnam at- tempt to'iifluade him by fayiKig— ^ Mjf ^* luord, if I art) killed, the lois oCiny life «* will be of little jonr<^uence> bit thfc pre- ** fcrvation of your's is of infinite mpomt^W ^ to this army." The «nly anfwei;; Wa^, ** Putnami your life is ^% dear to you as ttAtCt «< k torftci I)|^ ckt^ij^fei^ ^o ^." ^^Oft€ fncM|^^'6f -ife-'^ani': '' "" ^^ MLof4 ^ ank oiflteT^ firft fire Sis Loi S|ind^>**adp^rtfcijliai _ ■4i^s vrhk^tit occurred three days « wj^rds. ,H;!K manners and his virtues, hM made Kitn the idol of the armv. Eronn hti rft^i^rii^al in America, he had accommoda* if iimfclf and his regiment lo the peculiar .^.tUI-c of the fervite. Exemplary to the offi- jcr, a friend of the foldier, the model of dif-. elpiine, he had not failed to ehco|Bnter ev^pf h^d^ip and hazard. Nothii^ coiilfd be ifttiill^ciilculated to infplre men \pnh the *^iifli ail^k^^ttbn of li|e, or to temper it with Af i^ Ifffeverance ofl'eveAgei^ than the GgUt '■•) "v -f. iy-rti ■0. V^ Cttthis hsur ihort andUli^tt^ the Re^iiiiient te liar \ht example. He Ut^pM tlietr eloacb%| %. i^ivity of I'ervice. and ctWeM hittiflf andiiAsOi •'artidooffupcifluOfttbiggAgt, r • - Jk* i» ( 57 ) pf iUch a hero, fobeloved»* fallen in hii 1^8 ciufe. It had tte eSea. PilMiii^ p^y baytng^ut their way obliqiiel|^fhr6ugh ^il^llil^ aod having been jmaed by Captaifi P'EU muh tw«g^y jmen, together :irii$ |pex>thtr^^^^f^ paries, charged them ^ll^lipi len^ ihat nearly three hundred :^im and an thft mean .•|pglder^;^^^fht-^ ff|i|^'i'|»arf;y ^ thedtadoddiesu>^i iSditmri^ a brtfk .and heavy tciUed a Serjeant and' fevi;^ pri' b^ could they; bylbundi;j^rfi|;|iPf b| cim^ vinced of their miftake» \imi M^ffittmi^ prc^rihg ^if Heaven had jrht^ian^ned ^ tiMilofsofhisown life to tl»f^lofi i>f the liyea of his brave aflbciates, ran tli^ough the midft of the flying balls and prevented die4a)pexid« ing cataftrophe* t# ■m' m tender feelings, which Major J^iil:^tfi| taught hinn t9^ y^i^m^^hfcirti^ nii foe and to ftrive by eve^Jenienr art m hK power to aUevtsite the mtwies of war* ]Fbk this purpbfe he mnained omjd]iliilditdi»^ M It^lq^ahjo grpw^diark, eiliplbyed tii d^«^ ^l,-,^^■■ -^ i- '^% U^SM fcJ^WV ■••'.■V ?W**«' '("■*■' ^i^ ,V' V' a' ,,r^vf!i A. K fi'^5*? ( i8 ) w^ooncpUcc; he gave them aU the Ug^pr arid little rcfwlhmcnts which he couW. .ftrj>- fcurc I he furniflicd to each of them a blaaK- ets he put three blarikcts ^under.^ F^ Scricant who wa^,badlf 'jfWMJiidcd ih»#m#^ bddy> and placed him in an eafy pol^f ;W the fide of a trec-^he fom ftWo^mlm^'' ly fouectc bis hand with an cxpiyffi^t, giftfp- « Xh,- (iia M«<«^?#i9^» '^ •f it, my brave SfMStmMi^^^ «^itiie the camp as «^'j^Gat«£haIlbet: « Were my brother." ,,^ ajor Rogers was fent to reconnOiti H and fta^ring off the wounded pri, b# fMiding Ihe wounded unaWe to help " >es, in order to fave trowblc, he dif- -^.^evcry^ one of them to the world of •^piriti. Putnam's was not the only heart tharWcd : The Provincial and Britifh Offi- cers who became acquainted with the fact fj^ ftruckwiihincxpreffible horror. . T!'icoRDEROGA IS furroundcd on th|;ee fides by water, on#e fourth, fi^ feme difta^ rei^ds a dangerous moi;afs, the rcmfinder %aa then fortified Ivith a line eight feet mgh Sa planted with artillery. > 3For one hui?|^ .iWsiin front, the plaj^ V|*S^vcr^i0l^ ' ^reat irtres, cut for Ac tiiiiilfe of '^fc^^^^- < i»l»fc-iiMertw^ arid Iharpenrf bwiitheC P*^!*!** «S?»»"^»- NotwhdandiBg AM- inifietSiiMiits, the Engineer, who had h«ii' cni^I<^iEd ;w reconnoitre, reported, as h||V P"Up«»,Jh« the works might be carried with mu%|oy The ^difficulty and rded fcarcdy tlm ftnalle(^chanc§ «f elaip^l%4^ a miracle. ;:^lPutnj^ " trufttng^himfeif to a good Provideilfie wl* kiii^fil he had often experienced^vra thiH^idmen, whofe tendereft mcrcicftiwe jpru* eUyjIwps, now fecn to place himlelf fedatei^ at the rhelm/ and aBFord an aftonilhing fpcc- tacfe of ftrenity : His companions, with a niiiture of terror, admiratioq^ and wondei^ lawWnH> inccflantly changing the courfe, to «roidthejaws of ruin, that icemed expanded to fwaltew the whirling boat. Twice fe ^fcd it fairly round to fliun the rifts of rocfesi j^ir^cHfethcfe eddies in which there W^6^ jiie daiiger of its fouaderifig^ . at 5. v.. t 9) ■' C «« ) %i^nt the i^dts were expofed to tbi fwy of tfit wiM^es> then the (lerny and next the bow glAf^cd obli*qiiely onwapdf^ with incoiiceiyi>;> £}e velocity.^ With not hk acnazjemeAl iiM S^ivagies l9ehe)d him fofnetimcs nriounti%;ait bslltfWSy then pluiigiitg abraptVy dii^, At o- thit trmei ftillfoUy vftrkig from 4|«'|i^ «ind (hooting throogh.the ^ky 0mim'ptS9> I, iiMfCi tif)tifK» at tflfti mdy gliding on tmi tfkM thidtrude hmti wUh the fame kiml of ibn, whkh jhe Euro^ie»ni in tntti^^fved lor ibme of their mod yaloiwi champions, llfey deemed tl«jii*n jlrr^V netablef whom their balls (oirii^ i^uft'mg from (We) would not toQch ;^ mi wiiom they )|idiem fteenng in (afety drmed %. jre-uiuon ttui^QiEicerted oieafures for «etiirmng to Ftart fiiim. Tfaicir ooarch *£U . The ^lA ju^t itMnks af€Uar Simr^ fort Anoj wiMch Had hf General Micholfoau thbon^Pn, from a ipirit of ialie enauHatioo* to be engaged in firiitig ait a^mark. Kothtnjg cptlkib^vt^lgeh more repugnant to the mili«- tary printijp^^cf Patnaaa t&n fuoh'Condjidi or repn>l>at Putnam bibing in froti>t, D*^ m cent^ and Ro^s in thei-ear* TI^4mperv^ous gKOWth of fhlFubs and under* bnujii t^atiiad fprung up, where the land had been faai^ya[eais^^^M|«ears before^ oc«< ^a%ned this .change^W^^irder of iparoh* ** Attillie moment of moving, the *faw]gU5! ^ftm$^ ^^<&rti«aii Molatng, who had bee^ ^ f ve .hitidfed men to intercept oii U t^ ■■*»-. ■A.*^ for his fupport. ^i>*Ell , ,, ihough wicicly fcattercd and[ l^^tween man and man, foon grelr]i|||ieial £id- fetcnfely warm. It would be as diUcult as ^^ j^elefs to defcribe this irregular and ferocious ^mpde of fighting. Rogers XMC not up: bur^ as he declared afterwards, Tormed a cir- cular iile between our party and Wood Creek , to prcTvent their being taken in rear or enfi- laded. Succefsful as he commonly was, his rcondudt did not always pafs without unfavora- bk imputation. Notwithflanding it was a current laying in the camp^ " that Rogers ** zhivfsjfenty but Putnam /^/his men to ac.- <* tion/* yet, in JjuftWi it oiight to bc^ re^ j«arkcd h^re, thitt ^fH? latter has never been known, in relating the ftory of this day^/dif- after, t&afHx any ftijgma ugon the condpEt df ^ the former. ^^ j ( 65 ) 4 Iverfiir Major Putnam, Derceivine it would be , \inpn&iftb\c to cro(s the Creek, determined 10 mti^liin hit ground. * Infpired by his ex- mple, the officers and men behaved with bravery t fometimes they fought ag^re- ly m open' view, and foitietimes indivi- itUy under cover i taking aim from behind ' tracs and afting in a. manner ' ' " other^ For himfelf,. ^{iizee feveral times, a^;^ "While the muzzle wai^ ^^aft 6f II. large ar*d ;we?> ipi*. This warrior , ava^Sl of the inde^nfible attitut: of his wjr with, a tremendous war-^hoop* ^rang (orward, with his lifted hatchet, and compelled Mm to furrenderi and having dif- armed Had bound, him faft taa tfee^, returneidt to the battle- Thz. tntfepid Captwrn D^EIrlnd ITamnan^ who now commanded, wck* forced to g^rc ground for ar little diftana^ : the Savage '' conceiving th^to be thctcrtainharbingcr;^ Ti£tory,.Tuflied imp^upufly on, wkh dreadful and redoubled cries- Jluc our two partizans^; c^Ucsaing a handful: ei bi^^ men, gave the ^ptirfjjcra-fo warm a itcepVfi^" ;a$ to cfbl^ ^ tbcniiia turn, to retreat a Iklllb" bcyo^thc^ ^fpocat which, the adion h^ ^06§^^iif F 2. :^-/^&^l^--- i 66 ) »>.» Here they made a (land. This change of ground occafioned the*tree to which Putnam was tied to be diredlly between thcfircofthe two parties. Human imagination cm hard- ly figure to itfelf a more deplorable fituation; The balls flew inc^ffantly from cither = fide, many ftruck the tr^e, while fomc . palled through the (leeves and (kirts of h^ coiNF. In this (late of jeopardy, unable to i^|$# his body^i to ftir his limb$ oir^eveii 10 il^y^fie his head> he remained more than an b^» j^So equally balanced and fo obftiiiale iirais, the i>^tl At one moment, wbilie tb|B battle fwerved in favor of the enemy, a young Sav- agCjChofe an odd way of difcovering his hii- niour. He found Putnam bound. He might have difpatched him at a i»low. But he loved better to excite the terrors of the prifoner, by hurling a tomahawk athis b6ad *--or rather it ftiould feem his object was to fee how near Ke could throw it without touch^ ijitt hith — the weapon ftruck in the tree a ni^ber of times at a hair's breadlJb diftance from the mark. When the Indian had fi- kifhcd his amufcment, a French Bas-Offict?f {a much more inveterate &vage by nature, thoug|idc{2i^hded from ib humane and polifh- cd a Aion) perceiving Putnam, canif up to him, and, levelling a fuzee within a foot iof lis bread attempted to difcharge it; it mificd #" .-...in ' ..,:«t,C ■3 'Iv ( ^7 ) 4 fire— incffcftually did the intended vldim, folicit the treatment due to his fituation, by repeatingy that he was a prifoner of war. The degenerate Frenchman did not under- ftanc^ the lariguage of honor or of nature: dieaf to their voice and dead to fenfibility, he ylo)|ti|ly and repeatedly pufhed the muzzle '6(hl^ l^n ^ainft Putnam's ribs, and Bnally . gavciift||f a cruel blpV on the jaw with the b^x.i^fO^^r'pe^'^-.'i^cr this daftardlydeed Atlinphim aftive ihtfe^ity erf IMilt and *Harman, feconded by tJie perfevering valor of their followers, prevailed. They drove frpm the fiei^^^Mi enemy, who left a- bout ninety A^id bchi hd therft . As they were retiring ^u^atp was untied by the Indian who yi(Mnade him prii^NOf r and whom he af* tcrwards called ma(fc^^^ Having^ bccrt cort^ duftcd fbr fi||)e dift|ig«^ from tfic pla^ of adion, he wb ftrifpE^ of his coat, vcft^ ftockings an!||(hqie%i ibi(^ with as many of the packs of the ^li^^e^ cmild be piled upon him $ ftrohgf^ j^ion^^ «nd;^ wrifts tied as cbfi^ly togethcr^thcy cQ^^I:pulU cd with |a cord^ mm%t hii^rmk throii^ ||) pleafamup*!^ • Thii wor*y officer h M^^^ ir the Sw» of MaiDKhtffeuJ^ •* ^ ^ '■■>S '■/ ' 11," . , ^^■ ( «8 ) manner^ for many a tedious iwik ; iB^ |»rey'^ (wfio 'were exccffively fatigucd> hfth«J to breathe. His hands were now imnjodtftie-; ly fwelled from the tightneis of the hgaturc ^ and the pain had become intokrable. . • Hh, fiet were fo much fcratched that rfic blood dropped M from them^ Exhaufted wtthj - beantig a bufdcn above his ftrc^gtlili/ and fri^^k: wiib toitioc^ts exqt^fHe bt|||ifjv|fn*» dtiraace ; he entitled tHc? : i«^ toifliplore asthe l«fl:^i :i8d*ir *fe Savages, thait^ _. , /W'xte^-heii^iittd take IWKaJp ^ ^^^ or loofe his hands. A French o^cer, «i- llaiitly ifltcrpoiicigi ofderai hislutids to be- ttnWtmd and fome of thil^kai to be taken off. BifMh time the Indiaa. h*g» captured him tttdhad been ato|ftt with, the wounded^ cmi^g upi^gi^re y«^ra ^tir of Mocafons tn^fi t^r^fitd g^ indigna^ofl at the uaworcb|K , licatmem his prifotier had (uINbcU *■' -I ' * ' That Sasrs^ Chirf ^n w«!^n«^ ^ the ^a6« of th^woun^^ l^1**;W ihovic twobuiM^ mnombe^ went before the reft df the part^ to the plaseii^Mrthe whole were, .thamirfit, toencamp. They tooJcwith them M«or Putnam, on lAom (bcfrfe* ffcumera-. hit oth^ outrages) tht y had the4»u;barttj( to iM& a deep wound widi a comaliawj|3^ 'in the o ■ > '..si 'S"' ( 69 ) lejfc cheek. His fufFerings were in this place CO be caiifummated. A fccne of horror, in- finitely greater than had ever met his eyes be-* fore, Was now preparing. It was determined to roaft Ktoiilive. — For this purpofe they led him into jBiri^ark foreft, dripped him naked, bound hUci to a tree and piled dry bruih with other fuel, at a fmaU diftance, in a circle roiind hinri. They accoinpaiiied their labors, 4ll^^|ti»iuQei«^dirg^ with (creams and i5s ) 'f- M i«membrance of doineflic endearments, of tite aficdioraate partner of his ^Gxj\, and of. tfieir bek>vWA&, iii4i4iiiabner,pa(ik— ^natupei mhik a f^bk i%rQggfCi 'w^ quitting its ]iA bold on fablURafry d»ingsr«-*ii(riieii a i^reneh fi^er rulhed thimigh the biin^^lfrands^ and ma-- feb«ini^ vi^im; It ^was Motang hAvt^Afm^ ii^lifSbmM^Sstyiigty xmmWleg to ^e ano^er h^man faciillce immolated, ^d run and com- municated the ridings. That Commandant j|)umed and feverely reprimanded the barba- mns, ^y^afe nodiiurnal Fo^wa« and heUifi^ 'Orgies he fuddenly ended. Putnam did not ^pt lar ftcliiig or gratitude. The French ^mmander> ^arin^ to tnift him alone with li^mi ^mained ^ntil he could ^iver him in '^11^ into the hand^ of h4s mafkr. -»-.. ■♦ * 3 ' T«B Savage appti^acbedWs^jwifeBerk^ .; hf mA itemed to treat him wkb^p^ ;^ilfe£^n. He offered hinifomehaid hircuit, ifl«lt 6adii%that he could i»t chew #iemj on ac^Dum ofthe blow he h^ i^Geivedirotii titc Fi^achmain^ this ^W^bpii^e Savage 1^^ -4i - m &fm of rk^ bifciik inwutcr and made him flick the pulp^lrkc part. Determined, how* cw,i»ttobfchit captive (the rcfVcflimew: bciMj^fiailhed) he took the mocalbns from his feet and tied tbem to one of his wri^s^: then direairtg him to He down on kts back ufson the bare gtoimd, he ftretchcd one arm tOK* foil lengthy and bound i| faft to a young trte i the otber arm, was extended and bound ill the fame maimer-^is legs were ftretched ^P^r^a^eMM^^ tWQ iSplings. Then |nwfeeprfttBi butflend«r^pol«^ were c^ dojn I wfach,.with feme %«rA«^^iifc laid acrofskis body from h^^^^-^^? «?di fide lav as n^y iUy^^^M c6t>ld convX niently find lodging, in ordrr to prevtm the poffibihty ofliijeftapc. ^ thji dijfagreeablf and painfiil p9j[l4ire he «rmincd until morn- *^Si^ ^^'"« *% ^*' «h^ loogeft r * ^^^twftontfiwm^mr \km ufed to ^te that h^^^oishmt^Amk come i«alljr acrofs his mind, and could not < refrain fronn fmiling, when he refcded o|™p ludicrous giwpeM^ of^hkh'h* inn^ell w#| the princy»l figure. '•^r . The xkxi day he w^ a^bwed tqd mocafons, and pirmittcd to mag* widi- m carrying anrpacky or iTceivin^^ 1^ in- mu Toailayhjscattranc toi^e^, ii : ■ '■ ( 71 )■ ■ bear's meat was given> which he fueled through*^hts teeth, i^t nighty the part^ ar- rived at TiconderogaAand the prifonir was placed under the care of a French guard. The Savages, who had bjeen prevented from glinting their diab6iical third for bloody took every 6]5pKirtunity of manifefting their male* vbtence for the difappointmenr, by horrid griniaces and angry gciilmss |||{#|€y^w^ iuffisred no more to o^irg;^^^ indignity to- him. '' 'WX0'^r-0§ ' ^^i<^^ieen>«amiqedi^^^^ cpside ipntcwlp. Major Putnam was coh^ lm#ed to Moritriiil by a F^^ ofE^fi who fi^atted,hitti with the gr^a^ ' attd ■■-■*#'-^* ■ -^ ■ y \' :■<'■'•'■' ' ■• ■■■:■'■'■:■!.. ■.;■■■■■;■•.. ■ ' ' ■ ^ . ' ■ ■A"' , ■ At this place wferefeveralpriibfse^ ^fcincl l^titer Schiiyl% l^arkable^^f^^^ I4nthi?^y, generpfity and frieri^lHlp^ was of the 1^ No (boner had he hjwird of Ma- jor Pllhkrn^s arrival; than he Mrent to the In- t^ijof^tef s quansers^d enqiiiw^ Whc:thei^ he ^Iliqa'Provincid Msydrfh^^M^ fbuDid Major Putnam in^ a comff^^{s cbhdi- tioa--?*withciut co^it, waiftcbaf # hijfe---the remnant i^fhityGbihing^iierably^^^^^^^ %d iagged--^r ti&ard lohf ^d icjualid<^mai,Iegs torn by A^s and bf|«r$-:^ir fice gafecd ■ - ■■?'; ■■ '"*■" ■•■■ ■.■.."■■ ■'*'^ ■ ■■■^ . ■ ■ .■ T^ V. 'i^f'* ...:^^- ( 73 ) widilloDndSi 9£mI fwoUen with bruiles. Co* liMiet Schvyler> irritated beyond all fufiTerance at filch a fight) could fcarcely reftrain his Ipce^Ii within limits, confident with the pru-> iKa^eof a ^H-ironei" and the meeknefs of a x^cbr^lan. Major Putnam was immediately OVited according in his ^ank, cloathed* in a de^oic maiui^i^iuid fuppiied with money by dm liberal and^vfyisptthetic patron of the m of FrontcjRac by General brded occafio^i^l^ an^c^^iige of prifoneri. Colonel Schuyler^ris connpre* heildediiithecartd. ^ generous fpirit can |i£T^r be fitti^fifd with impoflng talks for its ^aerofity to accompliih. Apprehenfivej if it %ou1d be known that Putnam was adiftiip^ ' giijEthed partizan> his nberaition might be re* sanded, ar^d knowin£^at there were officers^, who;^ ftomilve Ic^tWof their c^tivity, ha4 4 clajip^ of priority to exchange ; htM^p^ his happy addrefs, induced the Goi^nbr to llffistr, tnat whatever officer he ^^bt thi/ik fi^i}ertonomi|)ate>#iould be included in the (^^^^ <^el. With great politenefe itfi 0]uiiii)c49i^ Ar^g^n^ indificrencc as t^^b- Je^ j^^prcfied his wargrieft ackiioWledge- jmfii%Cp the Governor and ip^^ *^hetci is *^ ¥.-l^**V ■^: ijfV •;y "•■''}?* -^:,:^ "la '4 '*•'-"■ 'W ?4^ m. ( 74 ) * >■' ■'■"*.■. -^ ' •* jor and wilhes to be atftpmc with bf&i^ire ** and children. He can do no gO04b(ll^ej, " or any where*«lfc : I believe your 'E^'crd- «* Icncy had better keep fome of the. y^ '* men, who havejio wife or children tdsi ^^ for, and let the old fellow go hom« " me." ThisjuftifiaWc firtc;ff<;hRu the Jircd effe£b. At the houfc of ^ol^^nf^ |f^i Putnam becanneaci^uaihi^fiFi a fa^r captive, iiAdfe hiftory wi iK^i%0ut ^i|ii^ poor young creatures addeii infil^y ••>.'« ■*.■■'■■]. f ( 7«. ) ^, ;*<"■ to the forrows and perpl^itics^of thdr frail- tic nnfother, Tojprevent the hated cornieduon all the activity oL female refourcf wai eallcd into exertion. She found anoppoitpnity of conveying to the Otlrernqr a Petition tlut her daughters might be received into* a dra- vent for the fake offecuHng^the falvatipn nf *their fouls. Happily the pious frauiS fuC- cecded^ About the fame fjne^lte cd and carried off hir 6^t jdiflbrent tribei. She was rani ,0er for four hui^i the eries of this tender mo* defolited by At lofs of her r^ Ik^s torn from her fond , ^ oved tnany hundred miles Item each dther, into the utmoirrcceffcs 0f Canada, ^|th them (could they have been Ofnaavilte Acr%*-a to6t|^ cNlpreji) wKq^ eniibraces and togetlUr; (h# would mod widihgly have tired to the extremities of ilH worW, and >ted £S a defirable portion the cruel lot rery for life. But Ihe was precluded tht fweet hope of ever beholding them The infufferablejpaftg of parting and the idea of eternal feparation jplafit^ the ar- rows of defpair deep in hef loul. Thoi^gh all the world was no better than »?^efi^i a^ ait its inhabitants were then indifit! eiu toijier. V ( 77 J - *— yet the lovclincfs of her appearance in fop- tm/ had a'wakened affedlions^ which> in the stggr^avatio^ of her troubles, were to become a new (puree of afHldbons^ ' /^* The officer, who bought her of the In- #dia^> had a fop who alfo held a commillion juic^eHded with his father, during her corv- |inuaii|e iii th< faaie houfe, at St. John's>^ the licH^lli^Mpi^iili^ father and the fbn ^^Qil^p^l^&IWibn extrernely diflrefllng.- #^i|#jLie^^ of age delighted to ili^^tlmiily oil her bcauty> but the iin- ^ p^^fityof youth was fir#||t^ madnefk^l^ the fight of her charms. One 'day the ion,, whofe attentions had been long lavilhed up- on Iwr in vaini inding^ her alone in a cham- ber, forcibly feized her b||d an^d folennoly declared that he would now faijace the paiUqn which 'ihe had fo long refuTdtcp indulge. She recurred to intpeaties^ ftru M |^S and ^0rsy thole prevalent female weapor?^^ wlikk^Be didrai^ion of dangepnot lefs than the P jjpp- nefs of genius is wpnt to fupply : wjh^liei in the delii-iujTi of vexation and derirc^fnatch- ed a dagger and fworehe would put an end to herUfciflhe perfifte4|oftruggk. Mrs^ Howe,, aflbmingthe dignitv of confciopS' virtue^ told him it was what^be^;lJnofi: ardent- ly wilkedi/and. begged him to ^ jluiig^ ^ sS*** . •Is*. .*' * ( 7» ) poignard through her heart, (ince the motwil importunities and jealoufies of fuch rivals \^ rendered her life, though innocent, more irk- fome and infupportable than death itfetf. Struck with a momentary compundtion> he feemed to relent and to relax his hokl— -and (he, availing herfelf of his irrefolution or *b^ fence of mi nd» efcaped down the (lairs. In her difordered (late, (he tokl the whole tnmf- a6lion to his father : ivho 4ke^t^ her In fu- ture to fleep in a fmaU bed ifttbe foot of that in which his wife lodged^ The affair fblMi reached the Governor's ears, and the r]imng 6&€tr waSjdKSVtIy afterwards, fent on a tour pf duty ioBfiroff. IIS gavehqjj (hort refpite -, hut (he dread- ^s return ai# the humiliating infults for "Which (he mig^t be referred. Her children, too, were fver prefcnt to her melancholy mind. A|||angep^ a widow, a captive, (he kijgw not where to' apf^y for rel ief . She htfd fanp of the name of Schuyler — (he was yet to Mm that it was only another appellation for the friend of fuli^ring humility. As that excellent man was on ins way fi'Om Q«ebfc to the Jerfeys, under a parole for a limited thne, (he came wkh fetble ftifd trd[£pi% fteps to him. The fame ma^ern^ fi|||p|3, which, fometimesj overcomes thtt^tinnid^6f i * ( 79 ) fitmre in the birds when plundered of their c4k>w neftlings, emboldened her, notwith- ftancUngher native difHdence, to difclofe thofe griefr which were ready to devour her in fi- kncf» While her delicate afpedt was height- ened to a glowing bluJb, for fear of offending hy an irtexcufeable importunity^ or of tranl^ prelTing the ruka of propriety by reprefent- um henelf as bring an. objedi: of admiration s M told, wl^ iiitefs funplicicy, all the (lory of her w<»esi^ Colonel Schuyler from the mo- ment beottue her protedor and endeavored lio pmeuft^r liberty. Thefferfon whopjir- . chafed her from the Sai^^gfit uiiwiltinjy^ ; part with (6 fair a purchaie,^i||illctod a thou- land livres as her ranfom. Bjut Colonel Schuyler, on his return to C^ebec, obf^iied from the Governor an ordi^ in confeqiience of which Mrs. Howe was given up to him for four hwidred livres— Nor did his adivc goodnefs reft, until every one o|bcr ftve fons was rcftored to her. ^ifj-, BcsiNSss having made it nece^ry ^hat Colonel Schmykr Ihould precede the prifon- crs who were exchanged, he recommended Ihe fair captive to the protedtion^jpl' his friend Putnam* She had }iift recovered from the mearfes when the party ^fsjprej^ng^^^t^^ kt off %, Nc«:^England, , :^j|3r;^|i^ttn[i|5 tfee ,.#e, iP^r- ( «o ) young French officer had returned, with tm paflion rather encrcafcd than abatediby ab- fence. He purfued her wherefoevef fhe "wentj and, alihoDgh he could inake no ad- vances in her afFeftion, he fecmcd refolyedi>y perfcverancc to carry his point. Mrs* How terrified by his treatment was obliged to keep conftantly near Major Putnano, who inform-- ed the young officer thatf he ftouW pro|ed that lady at the rilxjue of his Iife|^ Howftfct^r^ this amorous and rafli lover, mwhofc boiling veins fuch an agitation was excited^ that white he was fpeakin^ of her the * blood wpukl frequently gplhir^hi his noftrilsi fbilowed the prifbfiers# Lake ChamplainV and when the boat iH which the fair captive was embark-- ed hud pufhed from the fhore, he jumped in- to the Lake and fwam after her until it row- ed our of fight. Whether he perifhed in tliis diftradted ftate of miad or returned tO' the fliore is not known. \ Is. tkelong march from captivity, through* Sin inhofpuable wildernefs, enciimbercd with five fmall children, fhe fuffercd incredible hardffiips. Though endowed with' mafcu- * This phyTical effeft, wonderful as it may appear* ts fo'far from being a fiditipus cmbelljihinent, thatitcnik be pcavjcid by the moti folemn teiliinony of more than ewe p«rlpn.6ill livhig. ^ r^ iiiiiidli^iiiVii"r^r ^m tt ml ( «I ) lid« fottitude, (He was truly feminine in ftrength and mud have fainted by the way, had it not been for the afllftance of Major PutniuY). There were a thoufand good ofH- eel Which the helpleffnefs of her condition de- manded and which the gentlenefs of his na- tjiire delighted to perform. He aflifted in leading her little ones and in carrying themo- verthe fwanqpy ^unds and runs of waterj ^lilh which||jpieil' qour& was frequently in- icricfted. ? fl#^ix« his own me(s with iiil^ ofthc i<^^^ ai^^ fatherlefs, and af- (^Ml||p^#} iupplying and preoaring their vproi^fioiift Upon arriving, within the; |^ tkments they experienced i^^^itkkl regret at ieparatioh, and were only conftled by the expectation of fbon mingling in the embraces of their former acquaintances and dearefl: con- oedio^s, After the conqueft of 4Cai\ada in 1760^ 0ie made a journey to Quebec in order to briirg back her two daughters whom ihe had left in a convent. She found one of them married to a French officer. The other, having contra <^d a great fondnefs for the rcligbus fifterhood, with reludance confen*- cd to leave tfeem and return. A FEW ye^rs previous to the war bctweeit;? ( 82 ) Great Britain and America, a ^ueftion of fome confequence arofe refpeding the title of the lands in Hinfdale (the town in Which Mrs. Howe refided) inlomuch that itjfras deemed expedient, that an Agent fhotdd*: be fcnt to England to advocate the claim of the town. It may be mentioned as a proof of the acknowledged fuperiority of the underftand- ing and addrefs of this gentlcwoinan, thatflie was univerfally delignated fcJr the mi#>n. But the difpiite was fortunately aceotpnaoda- ted to the iatisfa£tion of the people, withtidt , ^eif being obliged to make ul(ii#her talents. \ Wt^i^jiriiye at the period, when the provvcfs 5B]Britain, vidlorious, alike by fea fffli by land, in the new and in the old world, l^ad elevated that name to the zenith of na- tional glory. The conqueft of Quebec, o- pened the way for the total redudioo of Can- ada. On tj^e fide of the'Lakes, Amherft havii^z captured the i>ofts of Ticondcroga and Crowi^ Point, applied himfelf to ftrength- en the latter. Putnam, who had been raifed to the rank of a Lieutenant Colonel and pr«- ftnt at thefe operations, \wi^ employed the remainder of this and fome p%t dfthe fuc- ceeding feafon in fupefintending the partte's, which were detached to procure timber 4nd %ther matcrii^ls for the fortification. i''* ( 83 ) In 1760 General Amherft, a fagacious, humaine and experienced commander, planned thetemiination of the war in Canada, by a blo^dlefs conqueft. For this purpofe, three armies were dell ined to co-operate by different routes againft Montreal, the only remaining place of ftrength the enemy held in that country. The CcNtps formerly commanded by^encral Wdlf, now by General Murray, was brd- f «4 ) ^^fri ii^-- Other manosuvre. All the men in hU little fleet were ordered to ftrip to their waifteoats and advance at the fatne time. He j^i:omi- fed, if he lived, to join and fhew themchf WAf up the (ides. Animated by fo daring an ex- ample> they moved fwiftly, in profound ftE** ncfs, as to certain Vi6l:ory or death.^ Tfe^ people on board the ihipSi beholdii^g: the . good countenance with which they apprpiiii- ed, ran one of the velTels on(Horp in^ the colours of the (^her. Had If i^ beilfl^ £br the daftardljr condudt of the fl^^ eon^anf ^llfthe lacter,^ wh(it^^^ the llapl^tp to haul doii^^ii ehfign, he would have given t^e aj(lai]:3i|^ bloody reception. For the feflfels WCRplell provided with fpears, net« tings and ei ery cuftomary inftrument of an^ noyance as well as defence. It now remained to attack the fortrels, which ftood on an I (land and (eemed to have been rendered inacceJBble by an high abbat* tis of biack-a(h, that every where projeded i^¥tt the water. Lieurer^nt Colonel Put- natn propofed a mode of attack and OfflTered kislervkes to carry itintoeffedt. v^c Gen- tM approved the propofal. Our part usaii, accordingly/ caufed a fu^ient number of boats to be fitted for the enterprize.. i^f he fides of each boat were furrounded wldi fafi' C «J ) cines (mwfquct proof) which covered the men campkacly. A wide plank, twenty feet in length) was. then fitted to every boat in fuch manner, by having an angular piece fa^r* cd from one exirennity, that when fattened by ropes on both fides of the bow, it might be raifed pr lowered at pleafure. The dcfign was that the plank fhouid be held ered, while thdOjirfiTiep forced the bow with their utniofl: exertion againft the abatis ; and that^ af- terWarill^ being dropped on the pointed brulh^ 1t flliaiila ferve as a kind pf bridge to afllft the oien in palling oyer them. Lieute- nant Col. Putnam, having ma " tions to attempt the efcalade in at the fame moment, advanced ^. in admirable order. The garrifon, perceiv- ing thcfe extraordinary and unexpcfbed ma-< chines, waited not the affault, but capitulated. Lieutenant Colonel Putnam was paEjfeicularly honored by General Amherft, for his ingenu- ity in this invention, and proiTiptitude in its execution. The three armies arrived at Montreal, within two^ys of each other; and the conqf|iis military fortunes. '^ * When the belligerent powers ^eft con- fiderably exhaufted, a rupture took place bi- fMreen Great Britain and Spain in the njonth or J»nijjK|_ 176a, and an exped i tion W9» formed iMKcampaign, under Lord Alber- 0'inarley agnll^thG Havannah. A body of Provincial5, compofcd of five hundred men ii|i*om tht Jerfcys, eight hundred from New- Yodt said one thoufand from Conncdicut> joined his Lordfhip. General Lyman, who raifed the regiment of one thoufand men in Connedticut, being the fenior officer, com- manded the whole : of courfe the immediate commamd of his r^ipBent devolv€;d upon LicutCiani Colonel Putman. The fleet, that • ( carrier! thefe troops, (ailed from New- York and arrived fafely on the coaCl of Cul There a terrible ftorm arofe, and the tn port, in which Lieutenant Colonel Pui bad emb^ed with five hundred mtn, yrS I |i % • 'X-Ajftii*-*!™.^ ( t7 ) wicc&ed on a rife of craggy rocks. The vreatber was fo cempefluous and the luif, which ran mountain- high, dafhed with fuch vioience againit the (hip, that the mod expe- rienced Teamen expected it would ibon pare idunder. The rclt of the fleet, fo far fro«TV being able to afibrd adiftancey with difHculiy fbde out the gale. In this deplorable fitua- |ioiru '^ the only expedient by which they could b<^ fayed, fttidt order was mainuined Mie jpfople» who be(l underdood the lirfe of t^U^inftantly employed in conftrud- i^g rafts from fpars, plank and whatever oth« ^ materials could be procured. There hap- pened to be on board a large *(|^sltntity of ftrong cords (the fame that are p|d in the . whale fifhcry) which, being flltened to the rafts, after the firll had with inconceivabla hazard reached the fhore, were of infinite fer^ vice in preventing the others from driving out to Tea, as aifo in dragging them athwart^ the billows tothe beach : by which means, ' every man was finally faved. With the fame prefenCe of mind to take advantage of^^ circumdaflccs and the fame precautibri^l^ ** ventconfufion,on fimilar occafions,.Kow i(l&-e> ny valuable live?, prematurely loft, t«^^t? M\^ been preferved as blcfSngs to thwfa- lirinies, their friends, and their Country. \ As. ^1^ as all were landed, LieuteiiafUr C^liet W9'. ( 88 ) f. «t«.. Putnann fortlfiecl his camp, thathem^taot be expofed to infult from the inhabtiflfilift of the neighbouring dlftri^s or ^om tjboCe of Carthagena^, who were but twenty - four tliikt diftant. Here the party remained unmcldlt* cd feveral days, until the (term had fo mtus^' abated, as to permit the convoy to take tl|ji«( :: off. They foon joined the troops before i4il^^ Havannah, who, having, been feveral f|Kf|kt JO that unhealthy climatf) ^already ||itj^^ grow extremely *iickly* .^i «^:^||i|j|jM||.;^. arrival of the Provliicial reinfbi'ciiieidii^ jperfect health^codpipbuted not a html(l^K»%^^^ wurd the works ip^haften the reduiEtlkm # that impi^ht place. But the Provinci^s - fufiered fcimiferably by ficknefs, aftt:wards, that yery fdl ever returned to their native land again. JfkhTnovcH a general peace among the £u- * Qolopel Haviltid (flu accoonpliihed officer feveral times mentioned in thefe aienioirs) who brought to A- merica & regiment of one thoufand Irift veterans* had ^;^|bnt fcventy men remaining alive when he left the Ha<^ vaiii Colonel Haviland, during thii ilege,%avrngj with his regiment engaged and routed five hasdreiilj riardft, met Colonel Putnam on his return and Piitnam, give me a pinch of fnufF.'* " I never ((p'* ry any/* returned Putnam.--—** I have alway$||l fuch luck,*' cried Haviiand, ** the raically k%yi ^ot awiiy my pockety ihuf-bQ^atid all/' <( (( «< (( N %M -'-■ i '} I- *v-.. Nj ( «9 ) IV. li:>is ¥>-- i rbpetit powers was ratified in 1763, yet the fa^ag^s on our weftern frontiers (lill continu- ed their hoftilities. After they had taken fc- fCfii podsv General Bradflreet was fent in ,1764 with an army againft them. Colonel ^utnanfi, thm for the firft time appointed to rtc command of a regiment, was on the ex- l^ltion ;, as was the Indian Chief (whom 1 ']i|tl#\l^veral times had occafion to mention turer) It the head of one hundred a warriors* Before General Brad- lEedlletroit^ which the lavages in- aptaiift D'ElJ,tptfaithful friend aird Intrepid fellow-foldier # Colonci Putt^ino,. had been flain in a dfefperatc falJy;' He, hav- ing been detached with tive hundred men in 1763 by General A'mherft, to raife the (lege, fbund means of throwing the fuecour into the fort. But the garrifon (commanded by Ma- jor Glad wine, a brave and fenfitxie officer) had been fo much weakenedi by the lurking md irtfidious mode of war^pradtced by the favages, th^t not^ a man could be fparcd to co-operate in an attack upon them. S^: c^it^mandant would even have dKTua^^d in D*E1I from the attempt, on accdijK great difparity in numbers ; but Hit r,.relying on the difcipline and courage his me% replied "God fortiAi/^at I ifiiouid ever 'iiforbey the ordcrsjgf my' Gerv^ H-2 '^ ' ^'''\,^ }**rs .-,W..*« f 5- ■ ■ ■ -* 'I'^P-^^. -P^' t 90 ) V '* era),'* and immediately difpofcu thtm for adiion. It was obdinace and bloody. But the vaftly fuperior number of 'he favagcs enabled them to enclofe Captain D'Ell's par- ty oa every fide> and compelled him fiijally to fight his way in retreat from one ftonc- boufe to another. Having halted tobreatlie amomenr> he faw one of his braveft fcrgeants lying at a fmall di fiance wounded through the thigh and wallowing in his blood. WJii^rc- upon he defired fomc of the men to rujQi 'a|i4 bring the fergeant to the houfe, buttiw^^c- clincd it. Then declaring *f that he |»rave a foldier in the fields '^^ f be tDrtvr''id by the favages," he ran and endeavored to help him up — at tfce inftant, a volley of fhot dropped them both dead toge- ther. The party continued retreating from hoiife to houfe until they regained the fort ; where it was found the conflidl had been fa ^)Hrp and lafte4,ib long, that only fifty men peniained alive df the five hundred who had faliied. Upon the arrival of General Bradftrect> the Savages faw that all further e^orts in 9^s wpuld'bcvain, and, accordingly, after many fallacious propofals for a peace, and frequent tergiyerfations in the negotiation,, they c;ort- eluded a treaty^ which ended the war la ^d^^ inerka» ! ^•f' l m n)mm t " t.-r- ( 9> ) I ' CotON£i. Putnam, at the expiration of ten 7eai;» from his firll receiving a Commif- fion, lifter having leen as much fcrvice, en- dured is many hardihips, encountered as many dangers and acquired as many laurels as 9ny officer of his rank, with great fatisfac- tion, laid afide his umfom and returned to his plough. The vario aftd uncommon Icenes of war in which he ^a aded a rel- pedable parr, his intercom . with the world andJMni^y with forne of the ftril characters iniJb^Jirmy* joined with occafional reading, bi^BiM: qnly bragght into view whatever ta- kjnts he poflefl^ from natuire; but^ at tM fiuTie time> had extended his knoi|rkdge and polifhed his manners to a confiderftble degree. Not having become inflated with pride or for- g(;tful of his old connections, he had the good fortune to poflcfs entirely the good will of his fellow citizens. No character (tood fairer ia . the pufelic eye for integrity* bpivery iwid p4- : triotifrti. He was employed iii feverat offices * Jn his own town and not un frequently eleded to reprefent it in the General iyTembly. The year after his return to private life, tftc mind^of men were ili;angely agitated, by an att^mj^t of the BriliihP^liAniienrx to intro* d|y(|C the memorable Stamp^^ in America. Tj^s teerme of policyywfic^ growth was re- prtficra by the nooderstt^ t^B^rature Ia which I ..r... IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 7 / _< m/.. k. 1.0 I.I lU 12.2 2.0 1.8 L25 i^ 11^ Kiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716) 872-4503 u. w^ SS > ( 92 ) #■ I& it was kept by feme adminiftrations, d;d not fully difclofc its fruit until ' ncarlj^^ eleven years afterwards. All the world khbws how it then ripened into a. civil war. • On the twenty- fecond day of Match. 1765 the Stamp Afl received the royal aiTent. It wa$ to take place in Arherica on thefirft day of November following. This innovlirion fpread a fisdden and univcrCall alafrn.^^he political pulfein the Pi-ovinceiB|fn>nnFill%||9 to Gevrgiay throbbed in fyncipath^ 'ttii^ Ai^j ftmbliesin nnqfl t>f thefe co^iiie^^ ttiac dky ||igy Q^ple it le|ally and in conccrt»v &- pointed; fi^fg^^cs to confer together on tfie ^ftibje6t. .Tfiis firft Congrefsmcr, early in ■pdtober, at New- York. They agreed upon a Declaration of Rights and Grievances of the Colonifts 5 together with feparate Ad- drefles to the King, Lord^ and Commons of Great Britain, ^tt the mean t!me,;thc people- had determine, in order to prevent the. ftamped paper from, being diftributed, that the Stamp Matters fliould^ not enter on the execution of their office. That appmnt* mcnt, in Connedbicut, had' been: coii|prrcd' Upon Mr. Iftg^ribl, a very dignificdi fehfifa^e ^nd learned native of the colony 5, who, upw' b^ing folicited to refign, did nqt^ in th^ lijft' inftance, give a fatisfactory anfwcr. Inifep- i, '^ >' ( 93 ) fequei^f of which, a great number of the Tub- ftatitfairyeomanry, oh horfeback, furnifhed with prWifions for thcmfclves, and proven- der for their horfes, alTembled in the eallern eounties and began their march for New-Ha- ven to feceive the refignation of Mr. Inger* fol. A junction with another body was to hjEve been formed inBramford. But having learfed at Hartford/ that Mr. Ingerfol would b€[ id town ;he next day to claim protedlion hp^^J^twl^^^ there iqp|||pi^iQ^|i^^ during the whole night, tictl/mkt^-^^ it^^iout their know-* iitllse. The Aiebeeding fiiornifl^ they re^ m^ their march and met Mr. jpjgerfbl ifi Wethcrsfieldi They told him d^ir bufintfsi and he> after fome little hefitation, mounted on a round table and read his refignation*. * The curioas may beplcafed to know that th* RefignacloB wai exprefled in thefe Ci|j|licit teritit : WethersfieU, Se^mber ^tbtX-j^^,' " I do hereby promife, that I never will receive any '* ftamped papers which may arrive from Europe* in *' COnfeqaence of .an A<^. lately paflTed in the Parliament " of Great Britain ; nor o%iate as Stamp Matter or *' Dil^biitor o£$tamps* wicbin the colony of Connec- ticut* either diredty or indireAly. And I do hereby ^notify to all the Inhabitants of his Maj«lly*s Colony of, Conneflicut. (nipilwithftanding the faid office or truft ** jias been comntli^d to mt) not to apply to me. eve^ fl^U ior any jlimped paper ; $tr*hjididanni tkut I *t ti (t <( ■A' ■■ if.' 'i ' "^ • ♦ -j-"^ ■.^'A ( 94 ) .• / That finifhed, the multitude defircd him t» cry out **- liberty and property" three times -y which He did, and was. anfwered i^y three )oud hu2zas. ^ He then dined with* fome of the principal' men at a tavern^ by whom he was treated with great politenefs, and after- wards was efcorted by about five hundred horfe to Hartford : where he again, read his refig^ation amidft the unbounded acclima- tions of the peopled I have choTen to ftyle this collection the jr^0nitfffi7» the li^ the people, becaufe I could ndt ms&^tife of | the £ngliih word mot (wh||h lei^iWl' %- ' nilie^ adtfonlerly ^incurrence 6f the ri^|)i wkhoutfiliilr^ erroneous idea, it is Icarcely necllQ&ry to add, that the people,,their #bje^ being effedbed». without offering di(lur- bance^ difperfedto their homes*. ^^r^figntbe/aid'tffictt^A^tntvalit thefi Frbsents ** ofmyowo. FRirwiLL and accord* without anyi *^ eqai vocation or iaental refervation. '* In Witncft whereof Ihave hereaifto itt my hand>^. Ji IMGERSOL. * t*o ^1 ve a trait of the urbanity that prevailed, }t^.. may not? be amift to mention a jeft that paued in the et vaicade to Hartford, and was reeeivr' ^vsth the mol| per* £ to w^it on Governor Fitch on the fame fubjeA. The queHions of the Governor and aniwers of Putnam will fcrvc to indicate the fpirit of the times. After fome converfation, the Go- vernor afked, " wh^t hc«ihould do if the ft^p^ paper fliQuld be fent to him by th^l* ICing*j5 authority ?*'^ — Putnam replied, Jod^ ^ up tfnti| jpihall vifit you again." — ^nd iH^ do then ?" " We fhall V cs^^ yoii to give us the key of ^ room *^ yfe^hich it is depofitedj and, if you think " lit in order to fcreen yourfelf from blame, ** you may forewarn us upcn our peril not to " enter the room." — " And what will you " do afterwards ?" — " Send it fafely back^ " again."—" But what if I fhould refufc ad- " million?"—" In fuch a cafe, your houfe " will be levelled with the duft in five mi- " nutcs."— It was fuppofed that *«tport of this >onverfation was one reafoi\ j^ the flampif^ paper was never fent frOsm New-. York to Comaefticut. ■ :'#\,';\;;-^ ' --v ' Smn unjHiiniity in the Pfoyirtciid Affem- bSei and dec^ifioil In the yeonm»^jpi^^ M CC I ( 96 ) wrpedicncy of attempting to fcnforc* the new Revenue Syftem. The Stamp Ad being re- pealed and the apprehenfions in a meafure quie«^: Colonel Putnam continued to la- bor ^h his own hands, at farmings without mterrtiption, except, (for a little time) by the lofs of the firft joint of his right thumb from one acddent, and the- compound fracture of his right thigh frctn another — that thigh, be- ing rendered nearly ah inch (hofter ihaai the lefti occafioned him evtj*|fcer tolki]^ in hi walk..- ^^'"Wm-:-':^'^k.^-^':'^' .^ The frovinciatOfficcrs anSi SdJdSii»?j|iMn Connedticut, who furvived the conquest dftjfhe Havannah, appointed General Lyman to re- ceive the remainder of their pri«e money in £ngland. . A company, .compo&d partly of ^Dliktary and partl^f ^f other gentlemen, whofe ebjeift was moblaln from the Crown a grant, of Land^gj^iCN Miffifippi, alfo commiited to him/4il?iifi|otiation of their affairs. When fev^al years had elapfed in applications, a Grant of Land was obtained. In 1 770 Gen- eralLyman, with Colonel Putnam and two or three others went to explore the fitti^ion.', After a tedious voyage and a^ laborious^ paf* %e up the Mifiinppi, t|l^ iiccQnifm^^ their bufineii* '< \:^.* ■'^f. M '^, v^ '^'mt PAV ( 97 ) General Lyman came back to Connecti- cut with the Explorers, but foon returned to the Natchez : there formed an Eftablifhment and laid his bones. . Colonel Putnam placed fome laborers ^ith provifions and (arming ucentils upon his location, but the encreafing troubles fhor|ly after ruined the profped of deriving any ad^fantage from that quarter. Iir ipeaking of <^e troubles that enfued, I ndt'bn^oi^it to i^lny thing, on the obnox- ious oiaim afiertCQ in the Britifh declaratory ad, (1ie;.(^^|^iion of the duty on tea, the < atcenc^W iE^rude that article upon the A- nii^^ans, the abortion of this project, the ' Bofton Port Bill, the alteration of the charter of MaCachufetts, and other topics of univer* fal notoriety; but even wave all difcuifionof irritations on the one part and fupplications on the other, which preceded the war between Great-Britain and her colonies on thisconti« ' nent. It will ever be acknowledged by thole who were beft acquainted withi fadbs, and it ihould be made known to pofterity, that the king of England had not, in his extenfive dominions, fubjedts more luyal, more dutiful or more zealous for his glory than the Ame- ricans ', and thac nothing Hiort of, a meUm* >choly p(erftiafio% tha^:tbe ** meafuc^ whicit ^^ £o€ m^ ftm lyfemiati^]^ ■'■■%" -. 'f; ^m ^•s . V. C 9» )• ;-..^^ ^ purrued> by his minifters, were cdtilliN^ *** to fubvcrt their conftitutions," could have ^ifiblved their powerful attachment to thac kingdom, which they fondly called their jp*- renf country. Here, without digreffing to develope tiie caufe, or dcfcribe the progrefsv it may fuffice to obferve, the difpute now verged precipitately to an awful cnfis. Moft confiderate men forefaw it would terminate in bipod. But, rather than fuficr tj|e chains (which they believed in |)|ft|>«im^Oi^^ rivetted, they nobly deteriW^M^ to : J^^ their lives, la va|ii 4M Wllp^ t^ infatuation of th^ tranfammt^j which drove them to deeds of defperl Convinced of the reditude of their catire> and doubtful of the ifiue, they felt the moft pamful foUcitude for the fat« of their coun* .^ try, oa contemplating the fuperior ftrength of the nation with which it was to contend* America, thinly inhabited, under thirteen dif- ' tindt colonial governments, could have little hopeoffuccefs,, but from the protcftion of providence and the unconquerable fpirit of freedom which pervaded themafs of the pco* pie : it is true, fince the peaces (he had fur- prifingly encreafed in wealth jpd population —but the rcfources of Briui^ jUmdft exfrced* cd credibility or conception. It is not won'* derful thenj that fome good d|itiefis» of wf»ik« 1 kav ^be . ■ . Prifi^ \ H.^ •SMte h^KjmL ciUiie» ^Hr^ : moft ^V coun- H r^ngdi ■ ntend^ ■ ^ndif. ■ e little ■ Ion of fl / ■ iric of H epeo>» ■ »1 fur- H iladon ■ x^cedv ■ t#OR<» ■ '•' wtaki ■ \ C »9 ) If licti^, recoiled tt the profped : while #chera» lirho had bten officers in the late war», Dir-wHo had witnefled by travelling the force of Britain, (lood aloof*. All eyes were now fumed to Bnd the men, who, poflelTed of mil^ itary experience, would dare, in the approach- ing hour of fevereft trial, to lead their undif- ^iplined fellow- citizens to battle. For none were (oftupid as not to comprehend that want of fucceik woukl involve the leaders in th|,^^f))AliiflMlif^ Putnam was> ^' 'ite £&^ confpicuous who (iM^^i |!|^^ the /Vmericans bad ^y^itiifty who Wi^ffidfthetrfbt^ugation,, rcetly as ilidifcritihinately ft igmati fed the imputation of cowardice — he felt — "he knew for himfelf, he was no coward |, and from what he had feen and known, he be-- lieved that his countrymen,, driven to the ex- tremity of defending their rights by arms^, would find no difficulty in wiping away the ungenerous^ afptriion. As he happened to be often atBofton, he held many con verfations ^m thefc fubjefts with General ^Gagc the Bri- tish Commander in Chi<:f, Lord Piercy, Co- lonel SheriflF, Colonel Small and many officers with whom hr)iad»formerly ferved, who were now at th^Hcad Quarters. Being often Queftionedy *5*in Gafe the difputc (hould pro- ^' cccd iahoftUi|i€s,^whatpajrt Ke wQuld^rcaUjfii ^i:" 'H^- ^,»^^ ( «>• ) u ^ take ?*• He always anfwcrcd, *' nfith hb country, and chat, let whatever might bap- pen, he was prepared to abide the conle- quence." Being interrogated " whether •* be, who had been a witnefs to the prowefs ** and victories of the Britilh fleets and armies, *^ did not think them equal to theconquellofa ** country which was not the owner of a fin- ** gle Ship, Regimtnt or Magazine?" He rejoined that ** he could only i^y juftice « would ^ on our fide aii4 the eveij^t with . particular, afked, " whe^cr he did not/" ui-l-Ar M ''•^ ■**.■ C ^^' ) :\ • M ^* mifly believe that a wtH appointed BritilK '* armf offivc thoufand veterans could march «* through the whole corilinent of America V He replied brifklvi " no doubt, if they be- ** haved civilly and paid well for every thing " they wanted"—** but"— after a moment's paufe added-^—^'if they (hould attempt it in a* **^ hoftile manner (though the Amei'ican meit' " were out of thequedion) the women, with ** their ladies and broomf^icks, would knock ** them all^oii^l^e head before they bad got^ *< bi^f #§y thp|ll|^v' This was the tenor^ our heri»hii|l|pimM^ me,^ofrhefc amicable. {tcns^in diff^utes, ji^uti|^^ oveiits,.. which stipend OB opinidn): they plarted without con-^ viaion : no more to meet in a friendly man* ner, until after^ihe appeal fhould have been < made to Heaven and the ifTue confirmed by the fword.. In the mean time,, to providt a*- gaind the ^Hl contingency, the militia in: the feveral'lpolonies was fedulouHy trained 5 and thofe feleft companies,, the flower of our j^^^, which were denominated minutemcn, , liplably to the indication of their, rumey. IH^ themfelves in readinefs to march at a mo«- n^ift's warnins^ )^^; A*' length thi fatal day arrived, when hoft. Ji^e^ coipn^fiited. Gencfal Gt^ge, in the / :"V ■■ '. I a- f \ ( 102 ) .t«cning of the i8th of April 1775, detach- ed fi om Bodon the Grenadiers and Li|;ht In- fantry of the Army, comnnanded by Lieuten- ant Colonel Smith, to deflroy fome military and oiher (lores depofited by the Province at Concord. About funrife the next morning the Detachment, on marching into Lexing- ton, Bred upon a company of militia who had ju(t reaffcmbled : for having been alarmed late at night with reports that the Regulars ivere advancing to demoliih the (lores, they cpUeded on their parade* and were ^IfmifTed \ #ith orders to reafiembl^^fc beal^otdrum. It tsdbibiiihed l^y the afficUilitoC more than thirty |^rfon9.wh9 ^ere prefent, tjiac the iirit fiie> which killed 'eight of the militia thin beginning to difperfe, was given by the Brit- iih without provocation. T4)e fpark of war, thus kindled, ran with unexampled rapidity and raged with unwonted violence. To re-- pel the aggreflion, the people pf the border- ing towns fpontaneoudy rulhed |i» arms and poured their fcattering (hot from every con- venient ftation upon the Regulars j who, af- ter marching to Concord and deft royingf the Magazine, would have found their retreat wi^ tercepted, had they not bee^ reinforced by Lord Piercy with the battaliOT companies of three rcgimtnts and a body of marines. ^Not^ withftlanding the jundlion they y ere '" ^ i..j:- ' ■■ *i ■> -^(W23' . ( »03 ) pufhed and purfiied imtil they could find protection from their (liips. Of the Biitifh two hundred and eighty-three were killed, wounded and taken* The Americans had thirty -nine killed, nineteen wounded and two made prifoners* , Nothing could exceed the celerity with which the intelligence Aew every where, that blood had been (bed by the Britilh troops. The country, in niotion, exhibited but one fcenei tt|| ouiTy» preparation and revenge. Putnim, «»ll0i ifttpoug^ when he Imii the titm^ lefiili plough in the middle dJPlie field» unyoked his team, ||»d withbiit waiting to change his cloaths, fet off for the theatre ofafbion. But finding the Brirrfh retreated 10 Bofton and in veiled by a fufHcient force to watch theirmovements, he came back tp Q)n* ' nefticutj levied a regiment (under authority of the LegiQature) and fpeedily returned to Cambridge*. He was now promoted to be * An article (void of foundation) mentioning tn int terview between General Gage and General Putnam appeared in the BngHih Gazettes in thefe wor^: «* General Gage viewing the American army with his «' teleicope, iaw Qien^r^l Putnam in it, which (nrprifed . ** him ; and he diHtlrived to get a meflage delivered^ " him, that Ite wanted to fpeakl^m. Putnam, with- <* out any hefiutiont w«itc4 jiMlilNii^ GtnecalGagd f fliewcd hia hk^ iY^tii;«t£ipii^ji^«H^^^ him to iSy -ijJSj' . (' 104 ) Sf:^ 1*-?. a Major General on the Provincial Staff/ by his Colony : and in a lictle time confirmed bj Congrefs in the lame rank on the Continen- tal Edablifhment.. General Ward of Mafia- chufttts^ by common confent,.. commanded the whole : And the celebrated Dodtor War* rcn was made a Major General.. Not. long after this- period, the Britifh* Commander in Chief found the means to con- vey a propofal, ,pr\y^tdy^to General Patnam, that,..if he would rdinqul{|f theHebel party,| h^ pight rely upon beingiiitIcA £||^rGen- ^^(e^m the Eiitifh Jift^bl \m^im inA isecei V- Ifl^ a greatpectHTia^ tompe^iiadon for hUfef- vices. General Putnam fpwncd at the offer:: ^ at the moment of vi(flory> with arms in their hands and with- out any juft compenfation for their (erviccs,^ will only ceafe to be celebratedi when time ihall exift no rnore^ Enthusiasm for the cajife of liberty, fub- ftituted in the place of difcipline, not only kept thefc troops together,, bu^ enabled them, at once to perform the duties ^ftdifciplined army. Though the Comjrnanding OlBcers| ftom the four coloities of Hew-Bntgi^^ were irt a manhejTMndependent, they^aded haimo-. nioully in concert. The firft attention had been prudently direfted towards forming fome little redoubts anil entrenchments; for it was well known that lines, however flight ei|*intenable were calculated to infpire raw ibldiers with a confidence in themfelves. The next care was to bring the live flock fromthcJ; Iflands in Bofton bay, jn order to prevent the/ cnenfjy (alreadv furrounded by land) from matting ufe ot them for fre(h provifions. In the latter end of May, between two and three hundred men were fent to drive off the ftock from Hog and Noddle Ifland^,, which arefi-' ^atcdon the North-Eaft ^e of Bodop har- bour. Advantage having^been taken of the ebb-tide>. when the water u.finrdj^bk between V «> i to> ) the main and Hog Ifland, as it is between that ami Noddle IQand, the defign was effe6t«> ed. But a fkirmifh enfued in which fomc of the Marines^ who had been (lationed to guard them> were killed : and as the firing continu** td between the Britifh water-craft •and our party^ a reinforcement of thr^e hundred men, with two pieces of artillery, was ordered to join the latter. General Putnam took the comn(^n<^ and haviii|^|iimrelf gone down on the blicfc^^hin co^ydrfing diftance*^ in- i0fl^kofdtr€^ike;ptOT^ on board an arnv- ed Scliibner6|^ JS^^^ he pHed her witb fl^C %■ ib fai|ou% that the crew made,^d^rleicapd aoSlii^ veflel was burnt. An ^%mm flo^p ^was like wile lb mtich dilalilidv^as to be towea off by the boats of the fleet* Thus ended thii affair, in which feveral hundred (heep and fome cattle were removed from under tl|i l^uzzles of the enemy's cannon> and our nfi^H accuHoitted to ftand fire, by being for wrihf thours expofed ta it without mieetlng with a«^ ny Ids. > Thi Provincial Generals having reottved ' advice that the Britilh Coiiiinander in. Chief ^efigned to taj^pofleffion ofxhe heights qH the peninfula of Charles T^^ri, detact^vi thoufand men in the night of the ii6tkof Jufi|^ ' the on^moi Gftiiiii Wa^^^t^ jnP •■ti«i'.' *» ^^ *• ( loS ) m trench thcmfelves upon one of thcfc cmincnc- cs» named Bunker Hill. Though retarded by accidents from beginning the work until nearly midnight, yet, by dawn of day^ they h^d conftrufted a redoubt about cight« rpds J(|uare and commenced a breaftnwork* from lliyert to the low grounds y which an infuf- fe^le fire from the (hipping, floating batteries andcannpn on Cop's Hill, in Bofton, prcyinco ed them fi*6m.com pleating, i^ mid* da^ four battalions of foot, ten companies lof Grena,- diers, ten companies of Light Infantryj, witl^ i|iroportio(vot artillery, commanded by Maj. Gen.f^Qpi^ landed under a heavy cminonade from th^ mips aad advanced in three liites to the attack. The J4g^t infantry, being form- ed on their right, was direfted to turn the left flank of the Americans : and the Grenadiers, ibpportcd by two Battalions, to ftorm the re- doubt in front. Meanwhile, on application, idgfe troops wereaugmented by the 47th Regi*- mifi^,.the id Battalion of Marines, together with fome companies of Light Infantry and Grenadiers, which formed an aggregate force of bitween t'nyo and three thoufand men. But £0 difficult wa$ it to reinforce the Americans, by fending detachments aci-^ihe Neck which ytf^s raked by the cannon of tb^ fhippipg, that not more thin fifteen ' hutidifd ; mea were brought into aftionti >, Few ialliiices clip bf ,* ^ .1 k: ,,»j«»l|P5»|*<'!*^ijj| r ( JOJ ) produced in the annals of mankind where Soldiers, v^ho had never before faced an ene- my or heard the whiftling of a ball, behaved with fuch deliberate and perfcveriog valor. Itiliras not uotll afcer the Grenadiers had been twice repulfed to their boats, General Warren (lain, his troops exhai^fted of their amnt^uni- tion, their lines in a manner enfiladed by ar- tiljcryi and the redoubt half filled with Bri- ti(h Regsilars*, that the word was giv?n to re- tire. Ii| that forlorn condition, the fpeftaclc was aftoniihing as new, to behold thefe un- difdplined men, moftof them without bayo- nets, difputing with the butt end of their muf- quets againft the Britifh b^ayonet and reced- ing in fullen defpair. Sj^^ the Light Infan- try, on their left, would certainly have gain- ed their rear and exterminated this gallant little corps, had not a body of four hundred Xonnefticut men, with the Captains Knoul- ton and Chefter, after forming a temporary breaft-work by pulling up one poll and rail fenQc and putting it upon another, performed prodigies of bravery. They held the enemy at bay until the main body had relinquifhed the' heights and then retreated acrofs the nfck with mo^ regularity and lefs lofs than could have been expelled. . The Britifh, who effeftcd nothing but the dellruftion of Charles Town by a wanton *con flagr at ion, h ad more ( "o ) than on« halfofcheir w hole number killed and wounded : the Americans only three hundred and fifcy-fivc killed, wounded and mifTing. In this battle the prcfence and example of 6tncral Putnam, who arrived with the r€in~ forcement, were not lefs confpicuous than ufeful. He did every thing that an intrepid and experienced officer could accomplifh. The enemy purfucd to Winter Hill — Putnam made a (land and drove them back under co- ver of their fhips. , The premlture death of Warren, ont of the mod iliuftrious patriots that ever bled in the caufe of Freedom; the veteran appear- ance of Putnam, CQ|k6ted yet ardent in ac- tioh ; together with the aftoniihing fee Aery and interefting groupe around Bunker Hill ; rendered this a magnificent fubjecSt for the hiftoric pencil. Accordingly Trumbull, for- merly an Aid de Gamp to General Wafhing- ton, afterwards Deputy Adjutant General of the northei^ Army, now an artift of great ce- lebrity inEurope, hath finifhcdthispifturcf with that boldnefs of conception and thofe toiiches of art which demonftrates the mailer. Height- ened in horror by the flames of a bufiiing town and the fmoke of confliding armies, tSc principal fcene, taken the moment when Wwen fell, reprefent« .that hero in the ago^ ( III ) nics of death, a Grenadier on the point ofbav- onctcinghim and Cjlond S nail (to whom he was familiarly known) arreding the Soldier's arm : at the head of the Britifli line Major Pitcairne is feen falling dead into the arms of his fon : and not far diftant General Putnam is placed at the rear of our retreating troops, in the light blue and fcarlet uniform he wore that day> with his head uncovered, and hi& fwoW waving towards the enemy, as it were to Hop their impetuous purfuit. Ij> nearly the fame attitude he is exhibited by '^irlow in that excellent Poem the Vifipn ot Colum-* bus. ^ . ** There (Irides bold Putnam and from all the plaiot» '* Calls the tired huil, the tardy rear fttllains» <' And, mid the whizzing death's that 611 the air, *' Waves back his fword and dares the folFwing war.*^ • The writer of this RiTay had occanon of retnarkinj to the Poet and the Painter, while they were three thca- fand miles dilUnt from each other (nt which dillanc* they had formed and executed the plans of their rerpcJe confidence in^themer-^ «< ck% of the fupre.Tic and impartial Judge •^ and Ruler of the Uhiverfe,, we molt de- ** voutly implore his divine goodnefs to con- " duft \is happily through (his great confiidt*,. "to difpofe our adverfaries to reconciliation* •< on reafonable terms, and, thereby, to le- ** lievethc empire from the calam:ties-of ci- **• vil war."A-As f^n as thefe meinonible words were pronounced to General Putnam's- Divifion, which he had ordered to be paraded: on Profpedt- Hill, the/ (houted in thic: Huz- zas a loud amen 1 Whereat (a cannon froiu the Fort being fired ar> a fignal) the new Simid* ^rd^ lately fentfrom ConnetftkiK,; was li«l'- dwly fcen to rife and unroll icQlf to tlievvih baone fidc was in^ribed U>iirge«icK oi' . .* T^ • ■- ^^"^ ->> ••T4 -^-^iirf-iikv* ^ ■'*'y^ ( 114' ) Gold " An Appeal to Heaven," and on the other were delineated the armorial beai»- ings of Conncdlicut, which without fuppo?t- crs or crelt, con fid unQ(lentatioii.fly ot tjoree Vines : with this motto, *^ *^i irapjfulu, " Juftinet i" alluding to the pious confidence our forefathers placed in the protcftion of Heaven, on thme three allegorical Scions — Knowledge — Ljberty — Rejligion.i- which they had been indrumental in tranfplanting to America. The ftrength of pofition on the enpiny's' part and want of ammun^on on ou|»^$ pre- vented operations of magnitude from being attempted* Such diligence was ufed in for- tifying our camps and fuch precaution adopt- ed to prevent furprize, as toenfure tranquilli- ty to the troops during the winter. In the (pring a pofition was taken, fo menacing to the enemy as to caufe them, on the 17th of March 1776, to abandon Bofton i not with- out confiderable precipitation and derelidion of royal (lores. As a part of the hoftile fleet lingered for fometime in Nantalket road (about .nine miles below Bofton) General Wafhington * Literally, " Hgwh trttnfplantid'wiUfipporttifVn,** ^- ■9 #' ( "J ) continued hicnfelf in Boiton, not only to foe the coail entirely, cltar, but alfo to make' ma- ny indifpenfable arrangements. His Excel- lency, propo.fing to leave Major General Ward with, a few regiments, to tinilh tiiefoK- tifications. intended as a fecurity againd an attack by water,, in the mean time difpatched the greater part of the army to New- York, where jit,was moft probable the enemy would make a defcent. tlpon^ the failing of a Beet with troopMn the month of January, Major GeneTjjLL<^e bad been fen^to the defence of that^j|||r ; ^o, after having, caufed fome workf^.be laid out,^ proceeded to follow that ^et toSoutii Carolina* The Cooi.- minder in Chief ^as now. exceedingly folicit^ ous.that thefe works fUould be completed as foon as poITible, and accordingly gave the following <( Orders and InflrudUbns for. Major General Putnam., " As there are the bed reafons to belie\« that the enemy's fleetand army, which left NantafKet road laft Wednefday evening, are bound to New- York to endeavor to Jjoffcfs that important poft, and> if pofli- ble, to fecurcthe communication by Hud- l^n's River to Canada | it mult be our ,-^-'- f ti6 y M care to prevent them from accompli (King their defigns. To that end,. I have de* tached Brigadier General Heath with the •* whole body of Rifle men and five Batta- ** lions of the Continental Army, by the way ** of Norwich in Connedicut, to N«w-Ybrk, Thcfe by an exprcfs arrived yeftcrday from General .Heath,. 1 have reafon to believe arc in New- York. Six more Battalions,, under General Sullivan,, march this morn- ing by the fame raute, and will^] hope,, arrive there in eight or ten dayi at fartheil.i The re(^ of the army will immediately fol- low in Divifion^, leaving only a.c()dveni- cnt fpacc between cach^ivifion, ta prevent ** confudbn and wantofiltcommodationupK., f* on their marelvi You will no doubt make the bed difpatch in getting to New- York, Upon your arrival there you will affume the command and immediately |>roceed in continuing to execute thejDi/^» propofcd by Major General Lee,. for fortifying that ci- ty and fccuring the pafles of the Eaftand North Rivers. If, uponxonlultation with the Brigadiers General and Engineers, any alteration in th^t plan \s thought necefTa- ry, yoii are at liberty to make it : eautiouf- ly avoiding to break in too much upon his main defign, unlefs whercj it may be ap* parently nccellary fo to db> and that by the «c c< ) fblvedto adopt cfFcdkual nfieafures forputtingt period to this intercourfe and accordingly ex- preffed his prohibition* in the moft pointed terms, Nearly at the fame moment, a detach- ment of a thoufand Continentals was fent to occupy Governor's Ifland, a Regiment to for- tify Red Hook, and fome companies of Ri- flemen to the JcrfcyJhore. Of two boats, (belonging to two trtncd veffcls) which at- tempted to take on board fre(h water from the waieiing pMce on Staten-IQand, one was •^PROHIBITION. «• Head Qnarten, New- York, April 8, 1776. y ** The General informs the inhabitants that it is be- •ome abfolutely necelT^ry, that all communication be- tween the miniilerial fleet and fhore (hoald be immedi- afely ftopped ; for that purpofe he has given pofitive or- ders, the ihips (hould no longer be furn^Hied with pro- viflons. Any inhabitants or others, who fhall betaken that have been on board (after the publifliing this.order) or near any of the (hips or going on board will be confid- ered as enemies and treated accordingly. <* All boats are to fail from Beekman*s flip. Cap- tain James Alner is appointed Infpe^or and will give permits to Oyflermen. It is ordered and expeded that ftone attempt going without a pafs/* V.*^ Isa ABL Putnam, Major Oencral in in the Continental Army and Conr- . ^ mander in Cliief of the forced in New- York. *K ;'■■■■ ,''>?g ( "O ) •'^- 1^ driven off (by the Riflemen) with two or three Teamen killed in it ; and the other cap«> tured with thirteen. A few days afterwards Captain Vandeput of the Afia man of war, the fenior officer of the fhips on this ftation, finding the intercoufe with the fhore inter- di6led> their limits contra6ted, and that no good purpofes could be anfwered by remain- ing there, failed, with all the armed veffels, out of the harbor* Thcfe arrangements and tranfadions, joined to an unremitting atten- tion to the completion of the 4ef<^ces, gave full fcopc to the adtivity of General Putnam, until the arrival of General ll^dbington, whiph happened about the middltbf April/ The Commander in Chiefs in his firft pub- lic orders, " complimented ibe Officers wbi badjucceffively commanded at New-Tork, and returned his thanks to them as well as to the Officers .and Soldiers under their command, for the many works of defence which had been fo expeditioufly ereded : at the fame time he expreffed an expcfta- tion that the fame fpirit of zeal for the fer- vice, would continue to animate their fu- ture condudl." — Putnam, who was then the only Major General with the main army, had ftill a chief agency in forwarding the for- tificacions; and> with the affiilance of the cc cc «. ( 121 ) Brigadiers Spencer and Lord Sterling, in af- figning to the different Corps their alarm Pofts. Congress having intimated a defire of confulting with the Commander in Chief on the critical pofture of affairs, His Excellency repaired to Philadelphia accordingly, and was abfent from the twenty-firft of May until the fixth of June. Genelral Putnam, who com- manded in that intenf^al, had it in charge to open all letters direded taXjeneral Wafhing- ton on public Jervkei^iniy if important, after regulating his condudt by tHeir contents, to forwardtiiem by exprefs ; to expedite the works then erecting ; to begin others which were fpecified i to eflablifh fignals for com- municating an alarm ; to guard againft the poffibility of furprize j to fecure well the Powder-Magazine 5 to augment by every means in his power the quantity of Cartridg- es ; and to fend Brigadier General Lord Ster- ling to put the PofVs in the Highlands into ^ proper condition of defence. He had alfo a private and confidential inflru^ion to afford whatever aid might be required by the Pro- vincial Congrefs of New- York for apprehend- ing certain of their difaifedled citizens : and as it would be moft convenient to take the detachment for this fcrviec from the troops ,.fj^i (vv 122 ) en Long-Iftant?, under comfmimcl of Briga- dier General Greene, k was re'comgiendcd that this officer iliould be advifed of the plan, and that the execution (hould be conducted with fecrecy and celerity, as well as wi'fh de- cency and good order. In the records of the army arc prcfrrved the daily Orders which xtrete ilTued in the abfence of the .Commander in Chief, who, on hi^ return, was not onl^ fa- tt^fied that tH ^^af- ftgp fottic marine preparations had been made. Ckncral Putnam, to whom the diredionsof tSie whale boats, fire rafts, flat-bottomed J^ats and armed veflelsr was cpmmitted, af- ^^.^Sbirdcd his patronage to a projedl for deftroy- :'^^; wing the enemy's (hipping by exploiion. A ? * Machine, altogether different from any thing .rv hitherto devifcd by the art of man, had been ' ihvented by Mr. David Bu&ntU*, ioiJUima' * David Bttlhnell« A. M.' of Sj^ybrook m 0^iiwti^^^ x.'ox, iaveAted feveral other machines for th^ «l^;f^ii9ce of ^ipoiag ; thefe from accidenU* not mibtatii^i^afnft thepkaofophical priiicapl«i» on wMch tl^ i^^^'iie* 'P'^-':f: •jj;*** *M- ( »23 ) finf natigatiofi, which was found to anfvvcr th€ purpofe pcrfei^y 6f rowing horizontally at anjiigiven depth under water, and ofrit- ing o@Kiking at pleafure. To this Mashifie (called the American Turtle) was attached a Magazine of Pow^^r, vfh'ich it was intended pended, only partially fucceeded. He defiroyed a vrfTel in the charge of Commodore Syoimoids, wMc report to the Admiral was gubliih«d. One of his ki|gi(«&I^ro de~ XDoliftied a veifelneaF the Lo»g-Iiland ibbre. Aboat ChriUmas 1777 he oonaijlted to theDeUware a namber of Kegs, deilincdto fall ainong the Britiih fleet at Phila- deljphia : bat his ^- i-..' .>^,.-v' It^i :i', «...»«»f<» , ( *24 ) .•lr:-.';vi. '*?•■.■■■ .? '^f* to be faftened under the bot^im of t fhip with a driving (crew ; in fiich Kbrt; |that the fame (Iroke which difengaged it flte the Machine ihould put the internal ^clqHhWork Mi§Jl^ a fcore of ]K^«gi or more, -Cpme floating down the tidcj Sir. Afailor* faei^iii je^ln bltte« llii^iiie i^arance viewine, JFlrlldamii'ti Ikueyet, in great riirj»riz«# |%fii ^^'* $mit i^pitTf brewing, s- f> :;5i^^£rar'd almoft to death, %, "^^^^ their ihoe«, to fpread the news p M^ ran till out of breathy Sir^ 1, '^ * .?Silf i kh^% ;jip aiif^ down, throughout thfi town, ^^ V ^Ml^l^l'^ frantic fcencs were afled : ^c'^^ra ^^ ^^"^ ^^''^ ^^^ fox^e rad there»^ ^*^'** ££^ jj^gjj almoft diftra^ed* ^ *--i..-iJ^. 4^* -V ^* p-^^ ,^_^'^Pie cried, which f^me dentedt m*l ^^^M^^ '^^^ ^^^^* ^^^ Bideous lioifev y\ lUl through the town half naked. P . ^ :, Sir Wftliam || he, fnug i»€ttA, T'^^iii^" ^^5^ *^^ ^" tiiae^a fnori»^ j^ ^F^^^H Sir WUHam Howe. > s fa 'W •'« ( 1 '^'^'^ - C «^s ) ih moftiofi. This being done> the ordinarf . t>per4ti(iis of agufi-lock (at the jn,r*ir5li # With Saian foi#S^g«ide, .$__ M up in bag4;or^ftw / were acknowledged by thofc (killed in Piiyf- icks, and particularly Hydraulics, to be not lefs ingenious than novel. The liiventor^ The^yal band new ready (land, ^ a!) rang'd in dread array. Sir, WitH ftoinacn's (lout, to fee it out. And make a bloody day. Sir. 11«c«|inon9 roar A4m Ihore to Ih^re s The fmall iirins t^p,)$ig t" i wart began, rmXi^i ^Withr .\ l^ •lit Jfh be)ow fwam to and fro, «4^t. Attack fl *« Wi^ fnrf ," thoughujbey, " the DevTs to pay "" ^<* Motigit folks alove the water." 8, *ti« fai4, though ftiongly made ;l>elftaves and hoops. Sir, ^ „ ^ not oppoi^ their powerful foes, ^•C^»e CQnqu'ring Bntifti troops, Sin i«U)rn to night, thofe men of mighty ^^'^it jDtlpjayM amazing^ f^ \?ik»d ^-hen the Sun wit f)iiKdowii, ^ :^!^ ^r'd to fup- Ifi^prridge. .:;i^«*«3&^4fl^i&^|jHver^ fo ^gd *^ th^ K4iK>fi ab#ifry. :'k-'\ i^'"^; ^ I. whdle/'M^^pHtioa was too feeble to permit himtdpcjipin the labour of rowing, the Tur- tle, had ^iy^bt his brother to iDanage it iBi||i perfect ^cmterity i but unfortunately his bro- ther fell fick of a fever juft before the arrival ofthcfl^t. Recourfe was therefore li:j|^ a Serjesii|t in the Gonnedicut troops ^ ^li|^^ having received whatever inftru^tipns coi^€' be comnrHijri^ted t^ him ia i^ihort tincM^ went (tobiitj^it^ ^ii^ all the^l^k^ ratus un<* '•"-"'• -"^•■- .a ..,--«...• .......^ .. four .««.„.^.«™™_»^ li^ conaedcd witji thfefterii; >^TWi^ (q ^itndfed men, witli each ai f eiu Or more, upon mjr word, Silfc: Itit moft true, woaki be tioo hw, ^ '' ^friletr V'^lour to record^ ^1*. r'' .^ "''l.-V(lA''i - Hf^' -VHal ,„;>.* i ; ■■{-* Sachftatft di'il mske ttteir boalU an^^ ^f%0f«»ppersafii mmm ' ^^' ■*■ i'. -A! i*!lf ■^.'' '•sfc--^ h-^v ( "«1) >ci(knrr added to the drength of tide which 'prevailed and the want of adequate (kill iri che Serjeani> occafioned fuch delay that the dawn began to appear : whereupon he abandoned ihe Magazine to c h an cc> and (after gaining a prdfirr diftance) for the fake of eipedicion, Fowed on the furface towards the town. Gcnerilpucnam^ who had been on thewhaif tnxioudy expedling the refnlt froiT^ the fiiil gtimmering of JigJi^,^ beheld the Machine near Goireinor*s Iuii^|ii^d fent a whale-boat to brlligitoniborc4^ ik#^^ mU tmtti& Jterward^tipriul^^^ anci ^ blew a vaftxCoi^Mii *f w^ m aAzin (> height %tbfaii04.*s^^ boen^cpt ah inviolable lectet,^ he^^l|i^||^ little diverted with the. various confemircsiv whether this ftupendodi nofife was.pniduceii by a bomb, a mwew^ a Water-fpout or an earthquake, Otm^r aperacions of a moft fe- rious nature rapidly fiicceeded and prevented a repetition of the experiment. On the twenty-fecond of Auguft the vaa of "the Britilh landed on L*ong-Illand, and was foon fbUmyed by the Whole army,, except one Brigadc*WHeSians, a fmallbody of Bri- iVih and fome convalefcentSj left on ftatea Itland. Our troops on Long Ifland had: been commanded during th«i iummer by_ . ( 129 - ) General Greene> who was now fick ; and General Putnam took the command, but two days before the battle of Flatbufh. The Inilru6tions to him (pointing in the 6rft place to decifive expedients for fupprelTing the fcattering, unmeaning and wafteful fire of our men) contained regulations for the fer- vice of the guards, the Brigadiers and the Field Officers of the day'} for the appoint- ment and encouragement of proper fcouts i as well as for keeping il»pneh conftantly at their pofts I for p^eveitog the burning of bpildii%s (excej^r tt'J^iiM bene^^y for mUityypwpofcUrf^^ privayc, piOTcri^A^piQagc andlO^^ To Clit&j|i|jiIations were added, in a^ofidif- Jfufe though not Jefs fpirited and profeflionid ilyle, reflexions on the diftinsftion of an arnriy from a mob j with exhortations for the Sol- diers to condud them felves manfully in fuct ' a'caufe, and for their Commander to oppolc the enemy's approach with detachments of his befl: troops : while he fhould endeavor to render their advance more difficult by con- ilrudlin^ abattis, and to entrap their partiet i J>y forming ambufcades. General Putnann was within the lines, when an^ engagement took place on thea7th, between the BritifhiV army and our advanced Corps, in which w«- Igft about a thoufand men i|^ killed and milT- 'M V \ ( »30 ) '4 jina:, ^ith the Generals Sullirin and Lord 1^ Sceriing made prifoners. • But our mcrn (though attacked^)!! ail fides) fought with great bravery -, and the enemy's loTft was not light. Tkc unfortunate battle ofLong IHind, the mallerly retreat fronn thence and the adlual paffage of part of the hoflile fleet in the Eafl River above the Town,preluded the cvacua- tion of New-York» ^^ proqnotbn of four Major's Qcneral and fix Brigadiers had pre- ▼iottfly befii made b;^ Ocingrcft. <4iler tli|e jetreac fromljcmp^MI^ con- ^^i^lti!^ ^^ 1^^ of jixty iii^pili^^^ whftm tjHenty were Continental, A|-r^^ Levies and/Militia) was, confornialiF^ to the exigencies of the fervicc, rather than to th^ rules of war, formed into fourteen Brigades. Major General Putnann commanded the right grand Divifron of five Brigades, the Ma- jors General Spencer and Greene the center of fix Brigades, and Major General Heath the left which was pofled near Kingffaridge and compofed of two Brigades. The whole . ne- ver amounted to twenty thoufand cfFcAive tmti^ while the Britifh and Gemian forces wrtfd|r Sir William Howe exceeded twenty- tW bodi commanded by General Spencer in the fickncfs of General Greenr» moved towards Mount Wafhington, Harlem Height* and Horn's Hook, as foon as the final refoiution was taken, in a Council of War, on the twelfth of September, to aban- don the city. That event, thus circumdanc- ed, cook effedk a few days after. On 3uodj|y ti^c HfiBfenth |he Britilh, •ftcr (endip||di^ ihtep^MM^ up^C ^Oftli Rli^ ver tol^liJiotmiiM^ ^fV f#! fome h0UT%^iiip»tf caftMl|miT^ oiir frorfi .^mjweadr in the Ejll River^dld in force l^Pur tie JBay^^-ovirncw Levies com- Pmanded by a ftate Brigadier General, fled ^ without making refiftance. Two Brigades of General Putnam's Dividon, ordered to their fupport, nocwithitanding the exertion of their Brigadiers, and of the Commander in Chief himfelf, who came up at the inftant, conduced themfelves in the fame fhameful manner. His Excellency then ordered the Heights of Harlem, a (lipng pOfition, to be occupied. Thither the forvxs la^fthe vicini- ty, as well as the fugirfvff^-f^wredrt^^^^l^ m^timeGeneral Futnmn^vtitii the irecn^^ dei^fhis command and J^l«i^^>!iry ^sHi^ pofts, was in the city. Mxtm^f^c^uMi * J ^^1^.1 ( i3« ) the Brigades to begin their retreat by the route of Bloom in gd ale, in order to avoid the ene- my, who were then in the pbfleflion of the main road leading ro Kingfbridge, he gal- loped to call off the pickets and guards. Haviag myfeif been a Volunteer in his Divi- fion and ading Adjutant to the lafl: Regiment ^hat left the city, I had frequent opportuni- ties that day of fcicholding him, for the pur- pofeof ilTuing orders and ^couraging the troops, iying, on life Jjorft covered with foahv wherever his preftec vi^ mpft^ece ^. VS^itjfe^ his e^l^ilitsW tne guardsrintj^il^^^^n Si|B|mi|y^^ and it iiipro^ble cn^re Corps woul|^vc been ^ cut in pieces. Wh^n we ^trc not for from Bloomingdale, an Aid de Camp came from him at full fpeed to inform, that a column of Britifh Infantry was defcending upon our right. Gur rear was foon fired upon, and the Colonel of our regiment (whofe order was juft com- municated for the front to file off to the left) was killed on the fpot. With no other lofs, wc joined the army, after dark, on the. Heights of Harlem. \ ' Before our Brigades ^Itne in, we were given up for loft by all our friends. So cri- tical indeed was Our (ituation and foK f^arrow the gap by which m efc^pedi tfiai the iiiftant 'V ( »33 ^ wc had paiTed, the enemy clofed it by extend- ing their line from river to river. Our men, who had been fifteen hours under arms, har- rafled by marching and countermarching in confequcnccof inceflant alarms, exhauftcd as they were by heat and thirft (for the day pro- ved infupportably hot and few or none had canteens, infomuch that fome died at the brooks where they drank) if attackedi could have made but feeble refinance* Irm t^ke|p|o confiderstion the^^ebUitatin^ (ickiteJIs wkiwwe4kjeiM!d|tlmoft the hard duqr fey vHi(5fc 1^ iifereiR^rn down in COfifthi^nff nijimbmq i^{{^d^ Th^is lie%f)^ in c^f^n^^ with a fixed belief that iM^enth^i^iiKic ifif^of Our Dppofition mufl:'*'foon f^iide> and that the snexhauilible refources of Britain would ulti* mately triumph without leaving any thing to c^hsHlce (not the avarice or treachery of the ^ritifli General, as the factions of his own nation wifhed to infinuate)retarded their oper* Ution and afforded us ieifure to re^ue from annihilation the miferable relics of an army, haftening to diifolution by the expiration of enliftments, and the country itfclf fromirre- Ireivable fubjugation. In truth w^ arc NOT LESS INDEBTED TO THE MATTOCK At ONE PERIOD, THAN TO THE MUS ky delay. Advantageous and fluttering as the compariicm ac firft appears^ it wilt be found tin examination to ftinc. the Aniimcan to t^eifa^talkr moiety of hi& merited fame.. Bid Ht i«H jfi (cenes.^ al^ftoft m^ parallelied adivity ^ov«t ^^ectii^ of tranfcei^^eikt abi^ties^ md m^ftc it not be proved to prof^lonal men, that boldfiefa^ in council, and rapidity in execution were, at leaft, equally with prudent procraftinacion, and the quality of not being compelled to adion, attributes, of his military genius ? Tbii, however,, was an occafion, apparent aj* preiTing, for attaining "his object hy, d^lay. From that he had every thing to gain,, nothing to lofe. Yet there were not wanting PoHfi:- iiansy AT THIS very tim «. , vHi ' rW'x...^ * ■ •■ •..•. .■.■■■-* ■^. . i*'^ ... ( 136 ) preparations, we might as well relinquifh the conced at once, for we could no where make a iland i and thar^ if General Waihingcon, with an army of (ixcy thoufand men, ilrongly entrenched, declined fighting with Sir William Howe, who had little more than one third of that number, it was not to be expedted ne would find any other occafion that might in- duce him !o engage. — But General Wafhing- ton, content to fufifer a temporary facrificc of perfonal reputation for the fake of fecuring a permanent advantage to his country, and regardlcfs of thofe idle clamours for whicjh he iiad furnifiied materials by nbaking his countrymen, in order the more eflfeflJuaUy to make his enemy, believe his force much greater than it actually was j inflexibly purfued his fyflem and glorioufly demonftrated how poor and pitiful in the eftima$ionof agreatmind I are the cenforious ftricturcs of thofe Novices in war arid politics, who, with equal rafhnefs and impudence, prcfume to decide dogmatical- ly on the merit of jilans they could neither originate or comprehend l-r- That night our foldiersexceflively fatigued by the fulrry march of the day, their cloaths wet by a fevere Ihower of rain that fuccecdcd towards the evening, their Wood chilled by the cold wind that produced a fuddeo^change •\ c »w y ^the temperature of the air, and their hearts- funk within them by the lofs of baggage,. actiliery,. and works in which they had been taught to put great conftdence>. lay upon< their arms>: covered only by the clouds of an uncomfortable ficy. To retrieve our dif- 0Fded afikirs and prevent the enemy from profiting by them, no exertion was relaxed^. no vigilance Femitted on the pait of our high- er officers. The Regiments which had beeip lloaft expofed to fatigue tlifat day,, furnifhed; ttienecefi^ biq^ets^ to iccure the army fronr.^ (arpini/c. Tnote,, whofe militaiy liv^s hadi been (hpit and unpra^ced, felt enough be- ftdeil^lkutdeof bcxty tc^#(c^ %uilIity|^theiritep0fe*^l?or had thole, who* •wei^ older in ftrvice and of more experience, any fubje(5i^ for a>nfolation4 The warmth t of enthuiiafm. feemed to be extinguifhed. The force of difcipline had not fufficiently occupied its place ta give men a dependence upon each other^ ' We were apparently about to reap the bitter fruits of that jealous policy,, which fome leading men (with the beft mo- tives), had fown in our foederal councils, when* they caufed the motte to be adopted, for carrying onthe war by detachments of militia ;. feom appriehcnfion that an eff»bliihed Con- tiocntal army, aftci' defending the country . againflt foreign in vafion, M X feibvert iifc -■ -i'. •■•'•if «*»^ ■»;-■; ,"■ ■- av \i . (' »3« ) liberties themfelves. Paradoxical as it will appear» it may be profitable to be known to pofterity, that^ while our very exiftenC'e as an independent people was in queftion, the patriotic jealoufy for the fafety of our future freedom had been carried to fuch a virtuous^ but dangerous excefs, as well nigh to pre- clude Uit attainment of our Independence* Happily that limited and hazardous iyflem foon gave room to one more enlightened and falutary . This may be attrib^wtb the rei- terated arguments, the Qpim^'i^^ iKid the cooli^enti^^^ th^ Cotofinypnckr in Cliiifi -^i^^^t^^ |o dclpmr of^^ Reinibll^lfi ihiij^ ptpreued himfelf 1^ li^ill^fluAm ddjp^n- dcncj. . He declanid Ja his letters thiirhe found, to his utter ailoniihment and mortiii- cation, that no reliance could b^ placed on a great proportion of his prefent troops» and that, unlefs efficient meafures for eftabliming a permaneht force fhould be fpeediiy purfued^ we bad every reafon to fear the final rpin of our caufe. Njext morning fcveral parties of the ene- my appea.ed upon the plains in our front. On receiving this intdligcnce. General Wafh- ingtcn rode quickly to the out poft*, /or the purpofe of preparing againft an attack^ if ihip m t^ ^' ( «35 ) V •^ enemy (hould advance with that defigii. Lieutenant: Colonel Knowlton's Rangers fa fine feledion from the eaftern Regiments), who had been (kirmifhing with an advanced party> camt in and informed the General that a body of Britifh were under cover of a fmall eminence at no confiderable diP^^hce, Hia Excellency, willing to raife o^r men from their dc^6tion by the fplender of fome little fuccefs,^ ordered* Lieutenant Colonel Knowl- ton withlh^^ lUngers, and Major Leitch widi three Co^ipaiiiiidf Weedon't Refftment of jmw fiiQii^^ attack il^ ^^^^'"^^^^^K^^ iaw . the '(itib^ft ^ tfaemi tiiP^|ypif»^ iswn ilt,^ took poiTeffioti of fomefencciand bul es> and commenced a briik firing at long (ho^. Unfortunately S^nowlton and Leitch made their onfet rather in fiank than in rear. The enemy changed their front and the ftirmift^ at once becanie clofe and warm* Major *Lcitch having rc^ceived three balls through his ftde was foon H^e from the field, and Colonel Knowltoni^wha had diftingui(hc4 himfelf fo gallantly at the battle of Bunker- Hill) was mortally wounded immediiitely af- V :j^> *, |i locked jaw* . r.;;^ ^^" **.<■ ( t4o > f I tcr. Their men, however^ undaunted^ hf thefe difafters^ ftimulated with thethirftof re* venge for the lofs of their leaders,, and con-^ fcious of acting under the eye of the Com- snander in Chief>. maintained the con^flidk wi^b vnconunon fpirit and perfeverance^ Eut the General, feeing them in need of fupport,. ad- vanced part of the Maryland Regiments of ''Grifikb and Richardfon, together with fome detachments from fuch eau:ern' Corps^» as chanced fiobe moft contiguous tothpplaceof i£Hon. Our troops tKi& day^ withom except lion, behaved with the greate^ tntrepidity. S|a bravel^y did they repulfe the Brh*i^«. that Sir Wirti«tt Howe moved his .R#^rrt;r with two. ^l^ljl^e^^ a battalion of Heffian Grena*^ die^i and%^mpany of Challeurs to iuccour lus rctreati^ troopSi- General Wa(bingcon„ not willing to draw on a general a^on^v de* dined prefling fihe purfuit, Ixy ;his ei^age- ment were the iecond and third Battalions of Ught Infantry, the forty-fecond Briiilh Re- giment and the Gierman Ghaffeurs^ of whomi eight ^0cei»s and upwa^ of fevency privates* ^f« wounded* and our jpeo|^e buried nwly twciity who were left deaa on the field. ■ hf^ aboiit forty wounded :. our lofs in kil except of two valuable Offiicers> was very ia ^ confiderabic* ^ ' " ^ i ( I4X ) An * advantage, fo trivial in itfelfy pro- duced, in event, a furprifing and almoft in- credible cffed upon the whole ?»-my. A- mong tiie troops not engaged, who during the a^ion were throwing earth from the new trenchef , with an alacrity that indicated a de* termination to defend them, every vifage was fecn to brighten, and to affume, inftead of the gloom of defpair, the glow of animation. * A tranfcript from General Wa(hington*i Pablic Orders of the (eventeenth, will, better than any other .docuntent that could be adduced, {hew hit fentimant oa the condnA of the two preceding days and how fervent- ly he wiihed to fofter the good dupofitions difcovered oa thelaft. «« O R D E R S. '* HeadQaarters, Harlem Heights, Sept. 17, 1776. ■*^\ Parole Leitch. Counterfign Virginia. *< The General mod hiArtily thanks the troops com- manded yefterday by Major Leitch, who 6rft advanced vptjin the enemy, and the others who fo refolutety fup- ported them. The behaviour yeiierday was fach a con- trail to that of feme of the troops the day before, m aauft ihew what may be done where Officers and Soldiei^ will exert themfelves. Once more, therefore, the General calls upon Officers and Men, to ad up to the noble caufe in which they are engaged^ and to fuppo^ the A«»0r and / prevent the Bri- tish from gaining either Hank in the fucceed- ingnight. General Putnam, who command- ed on the right, was directed in orders,, in cafe the enemy ihould attempt to force the paf^, to apply for a reinforcement to General Spes^- eer, who commanded on the left* Geneaal Putnam^ who was too good a. hufbandman himfelf not to have a refpc^ for the labors and improvements, of others, ftre- .hupufly fecgmded the views of the Commanc|; vjn Chifl^in preventing the devaftation of firms aad the violation of private property. or under pretext that the property in, this 4u^^^t belonged to friends to the Britifli go- vernment (as indeed it moftly did) a fpirit of ^rapine and licentioufnefs began to prevail, which,, unlefs repreflfed in the beginning, fcre- '|)iQ4ed, belides the fubverfion of difcipline,the dtfgrace and defeat of our arms. Our. new defences now^ becomin ODg «:;■.**.'• "■"•■■•:. ■ , .J. " "SI" ■ ■ ' ■ - ''■*'- '- ". Vt ■ ■ * ■■ ■ . - — * . ** » « '■*-: Ul*!^' ' ;.- ,^.>jk^ * v.:.* f ( X44 ) it fubfcqucnt incidents that might fwcll a folio, though here cornprefTed to a Tingle paragraph: ^without attempting to give in detail the fkilU ful retrograde movements of our Command- er in Chief, who, after detaching a Garrifon for Fort Walhington, by preoccupying with extemporaneous redoubts and entrenchments the ridges from Mile-Square to fTbite Plains, and by folding one Brigade behind another in rear of thofe ridges that run parallel with the Simnd^ brought off all his Artillery, Scores and Sick, in the face of a fuperior foe : without commenting on the partial and, equivocal bat- tle fought near the laft mentioned village, or the caufe why the Britilh, then in full force (for the laft of the Heffian Infantry and Bri- tifh Light-Horfe had juft arrived) did not l|^;p feriouQy endeavor to induce a general "^^tugagement : without journalizing their mi- litary manoeuvres in falling back to Kingf* bridge, capturing Fort Wafhfcgton, Fort Lee, and marching through the Jerfeys : with- out enumerating the inftances of rapine, mur- ders lull and devaftation, that marked their pitM^fs^ and filled our bofoms with horror and indignation : without defcribing how a divi(ion ofourdiflblvingarmy, with General Waihington, was driven before them beyoud the Delaware : without painting thi; naked ' and forlorn condition of thefe much enduring men> amidft the rigors of an inclement Tcafon; v^^ I ( »45 ) and without even (ketching the confterna* tion that fcized the States, at this perilous pe- riod, when General Lee (in leading from the North a fmall reinforcement to our troops) was himfelf taken prifoner by furprize) when every thing feemea decidedly declining to the laft extremity, and when every profpedb , but ferved to augment the deprelfion of defpair^— until the genius of one man, in one day^ tia Tingle ftroke> wreiled from the veteran h^" talions of Britaiaand Germany the fruits i<^ quired by ch^ total operations of a fuccefsful canfipaign, and reanimated the expiring hope of a whole niiiof)» by the glorious enterprize atTxeo^. ,"»^V WKlc the hoftite 1|rces, raflily inflated wicht)ride by a feriei of uninterrupted fuc« eeifes, and fondly dreaming that a peflo^ would foon be put to theiriabors by the com- pletion of their conquefts, had been purfuing the wretched remnants of a difbanded army to the banks of the Delaware : General Put- nam was diligently employed in fortifying Philadelphia, the capture of which appeared indubitaoly to be their principal objed^. Here, by authority and example, he ftrovc to conciliate contending (a£|;ions^ siiid to excite the citizefis to uncommon^efFori^mdt^^eof cv^y thing intereftinff to Erifi:ti^o|^^^ J^ '^ < t4^ ) Ipcrfonal induflry was unparallelled. Hi« ^Orders with refpeA to cxtinguifhing acci- •dental fires, a.lvancing the public works, as well as ifi regard to other important objedbs W€re p>crfed]y military and proper. But his health was^ for a while, impaired by his un- f«lax!6d exertions. ' TxHE Commander in Chief^ having in fpitc ^(^all obftacles made good his retreat over the jillaware, wrote to General Putflam (from 4iis Camp above the FaHs of Ttciiton, on tl^c #ciy day he fccfbffed the i-ivcr tbliirprife the "■'■'■". v. ''■*■'. . ■ ' ■ - ■ ■ ''* As #^diiien;t]ie foHowiiig^ is preferxtdi «« Head Qgartei^iiiIadelpbia,JD All Orders from the General, through him, either written or verbaL are to ht iiri&ly attended to and punctually obeyed, ^ ** 4n cafe of an'alarm of fire, the city guards and pa- tnc^s-veto fufferthe inhabitanu to pafs unmolefted at any hoijr of the night $ and the good people of Philadel- phia are earneftly requeued and defired to give every af- fiftancein their power, with engines and bucketi, toex- tinguifh the^re. And, m the Congrefs have ordered the City to^lie defended to the laft extremity, the Gen- eral hopes that no perlon will refiife t6 give every af- fiftanee poUible to complete the Fortifications that are to lie erefted in and about the City. ry, '■¥ Heflians) cxpreflVng, his fatisfddion at thcre^ fftablifhmcntof thatGfneral's hcakhi and in- forming that, if he had not himfeif been v/cW convinced before of the enemy's intention to pofTefs thennfelves of Philadelphia, as foon as the froft ihould form ice (trong enough tx> tntnfport them and their artillery acrofs the Delaware,he had now obtained an intercepted letter which placed the matter beyond a doubt. He added that,, if the citizens of Philadelphia had any regard for the town, noc a moment's tvmt was to be lo^ until it fhould be put in the bfeft podible pofture of defence t but> leaA tdhat fh^uld not be done„ be direded. the removal of alt pu^ic $|u^ii4 prifon«rs, and repafled thefSimi^ ^0%^ his cncampnient. J^^ trom^ were recovered fronnti^||g||prive fatigu^#ej|er» al Walbington rec^lid a fecond t])^f||to Trenton. On tht^lecond of January, fiW Cornwaliis with the bulk of the Britilb army advanced upo^ him, cannonaded his pod, and offered him battle : but, the two armies being feparated by the interpoOtion of Trenton Creek, General Wafhington had it in his op- tion to decline an engagement; which iie did for the Take of linking the mafterly ftroke that he then meditated. Having kindled frequent fires around his camp, pofted faithfal meato keep them burning, and advanced ' ff C i4«r )• X centincis wfrofe fiilclity might be relied up- on, he decamped filently after dark, and,*by a circuitous route> reached Princeton at 9 o* clock the next morning. The noife of the firing, by which he killrd and captured be- tween five and fix hundred of the British Bri- gade in that town, was the firfl: notice Lord- Corriwallis had of this (tolen march* - Gene- ral WalKif>gton,^he project fiiccefsfully ac- compliihcd, inftanrly filed off for the moun- tainous grounds of Morris Town. Mean- while Hi3«LiOrdfhip> who arrived by aforctd'> march at Princeton, juft as he* hadicfc it,t finding the A fiwricans could not be ovcrti^- kcn^ p««ceei^f vitkouthakiiigfoBronfwkk. ^'tnoim'j^eneral WiK^^gf^^^||ii^ an ac- - 0^hf thi ^ fecon^llpiK£{s to General Pui:- i^iim and ordered him t# move imraediareiy wit^ dl his troops to Croffwix, v for the pur- ' ppfeof co-operating in recovering the Jerfeys : an event which the- prefent fortunate jupc- tore (while the enemy were yet panic^flruck) ♦appeared to promife. The General caution- ed hinij however, . if Ae enemy ihould ftiil continue at Brunfwick, to guard with gteiit circumfpcdion^again(ta furprife : efpecially, as they, having recently fuffered by two at- |aclts> could fc^rcdy avoid being edged wiih ■N 2 '^ f (■ • ,'V.'-*'. i ( t5o ) rcfentment to attempt retaliation. His Ex- cellency farther advifed him to give out his Arengch to be twice as great as it was j to for- ward on all the baggage and fcattering men belonging to the Divifion deilihed for Morris Town I to employ as many fpies as he fhould think proper ; to keep a number of horfcmen, in the drefs of the country, going conftantly bacliwards and forwards on the fame fecret fervice ; and laftly> if he fhould difcover any V ; intention or motion of the enemy that could be depended upon and might be of confe- quence, not to fail in conveying the intellil gence as rapidly as pofixble % expreis to ^ead Quarters* Major Central Futnam was diredted fbon arfier |^ l^^ft «%^^^ He had never wiA^^ more tha#|^ fc^^ hundred troops, thoiph he was only i| fif- teen miles diitance/rom the enemy's ftrong garrifon of Brunfwick. At one period froma £]dden diminution, occafioned by the tardi- nefsof the militia, tur'^ing out to replace chofe whofe time of fervice was expired, he had fewer men for duty than he h^ miles of fron- tier to guard. NoS:^ was the Commander in Chief in a more eligible (ituarion. It is true, that, whik he had jcarcely the femblance of an ar«ny, under the fpccious parade of a park of artillery and ihe impofiiig appearance of .fp*-'^ his Head Quarters, eftabliflied at Morris Town> he kept up in the eyes of his country- men as well as in the opinion of his eneniy> the appearance of no contemptible /orcc. Fu- ture generations will find dlfBculty in conceiv- ing how a handful of new-levied Men and. Militia> who were necellitated to be inocula- ted for the Small-Pox in the courfe of the winter, could be fubdivided and pofted fa advantageou(ly> as^ effedually to pcoted the inhabitants, conB^ the enemy,, curtail their forage, and beat'%p their quarters, without; fi^aining a fijigle diiiifter.^ In thf ba^eofl^rinceton Capt.McPherfoii^ of tl«^i^th Bi^^ti^Rejpme^ i very worthy Scoi^hman,. wa& i|j|»erately wounded in the lttri|^and left witi|||pfead. l}|>on General Pu^iam's arrivahhep^hefbundhiirfilanguiillh ifi|| Iti extreme diftrefs^ without a furgeon^ witiio«t a Angle accommodation, and with- out a frknd tafolace the finking fpirit in the gloomy hour of death. He vifitcd and im- mediateljr Caufed every poilible comfort to be adminiftered to hiai. Captain McPherfon, who contrary to all appearances rccovercfl, after having denfionftraeect to General Putnaiin the dignified fenfe of obiigallonawlikk a gen- erous mind wifhes not to conceal, one day tii familiar con vcrfation demanded-^* pfay* Sir, ■T ( *52 > " what countryman are you ?** — '^ An Amc-' " rican," anfwered the lat/ter. — " Not a Yan- " Jkee P'^faid the other J *^ A fuU-blood- " edone/' replied the G^^neral. " By G— d, " I anr^ forry for that," n\ioined McPherion, ** I tdid not think there couidbe fo nnuch good- ** ncfs and generofity in an- i\merican,pr, in- ** deed in a^iy body but^ Scotchman.'* Wkile the recovery of Captain McPher- |bn was doubtful, he defi red that General .Rutfl^m would-permit a friend in the BritifK . Jirmv at Brunfwick to come and alTift him ih rn^^ing HIS Will. General Putnam, who jrid ijticn My fifty naen iii tls whole confj- v;^a«d> wadfodly etnb«rral^1>y the propoa- ^on. Oni^e ci^c h^M5^te Was n<» co^ ^'thata BritJih Officer |^Sld have smt^^por-^ -tuaaky t«|||pr but thic^^iplknefs of his pbffi^a t th.c other^ it was fcafiC^ly in his nature |0. re* -fufc complyiryg with a diftate of humanity, : Hciuckily bethought himfelf of 4*1- expedi- 'Cnt, which he bifiened to put in pradice^ A Flag af Truce was diffatcbed wkh Captaia JMcPhenTofi's requcll, iiuc under an iiijunc- . tion not; to retui;n «^i^h his iriend until after dark. -^n^i^iii&V^rting lights were placed in aUtlae*^Q0msaf the Co31e«?e, and in every a- parfmcnt of the vacant hotifes chroughout ihe te«» This winter's campaicn (for our ti conflantly kept the neld after regaining a footing in the Jerfeys) has never yet w:n faithfully an d feelingly defcf ibed. The fu^« den re(toratio|iOf our cauf^ Iron) ' the .Very rgc (£rtui^lim intenvoven whhiWh j^ cfkufes and extraordinary of doing the fi^l^^ ^ Itaiii^l^ghthe lei- the Bri- tiffi'dbu^efs contributed to acWerate this event. Ilpr the manner, impolitic as inhu- man, in Vmich they manag^ their te^^pora- ry conquers tended evident to alienate the affedttons of their adht|ents> tojl^nfir^in the wavering in an op^fite intfltft, l|i Youfe the fupine into adtivttv^ to afleml^ the difperfed to the Standard of America, and to infufe a fpirit of revolt into the minds of thofc men, ivhohad from neceffity ful^irii^^ to thek tfti fnjuftict' Burpofed Ufl^t abler pens. -■■sj ,y <» » ■ w ^ . « % ( 154 ) power. Their Gondu6b in warring with fire and fword againlt the imbecility of youth and the decrepitude of age ; agaiull the Arts, the Sciences, the curious Inventions and the ele- gant improvements in civilized life ; againft the melancholy Widow, the niifcrable Or* ' l^han, the peaceable proFrflbr of humane Li- terature, and the facred Miniikr of the Gof- pcJ, fcemed to operate as powerfully, as if purpofcly intended to kindle the dormant fp^k of refillance into an inextinguilhable fittme. If we add, to the black catalogue of |)fovpsations akcady enumerated,, their infati-^ ai^f rapacity itr plundering friends and foes in^i^riminately f thiirlibidUio^is brutality in yic^ipg th« '^hafiity of (h«^a|^||^^^^ their iJioi^/ ,tkart> ;Got hk r^st^,^^^ACi^^hnviiit 'f^^*«B|^'publiG'Re ingiDW€l|t^;0|,lT^ials, Edifi^fbi^^ cducaii^w^^dTeri^liWoF the Deity ; l||ptl!v., crwith lOmr infiiferable ferocity (iinf^liEle- dcnted indeed among civilized iiitionti) in murdering on the field of battle the wounded while begging for mercy, in cau^ng their pri- foners to famifti wi^ hunger and cold in Prifons and Pjifoiv- Slips,, and in carrying their malice b^f onddcath itftlf by denyingthe decent rites of fepukure to the dead, — we ihali not be aftoniflied chat the Yeomanry in "the two Jeri:ys> when the firffi glimmering .of ?ft*W,V* ( «S5 ) hope -bcgari to break in upon them, rak a$ one man, with the unalterable rcfolut^ion to pcrilh in the senerous caufe or expel thrfr mcrcilefs invaders. The principal Officers, ftationed at $ vari- ety of well-chofen and at feme almoft in- accefTible pofitions, fecmed all to he £^iftuate4 by the fame foul and only to vie with each other in giving proofsof vigilance, enterprise vand valour. From what has been faid ref- ,pe6ting the feantinefs of our aggregate force, 4t will be Q<>ncluded .that the number iof rncn, iunder tlviilites'r^ each, was indeed v«ry mon alcr^neft of ^hi fantly hovering roun4 mi the K^n&^at com* w|||^g,(e'veral contiguouSinpacndlHmgteea^ Inftrudlions of the^Bmcral i^ t "Theiplped private Orders to Lord Stirling i^H Ihewr, in a laiioiik and milicaM|pianDer, the fy&cm of fer^e then purfned. ' .J^^^ ■■m' .^ " ToBri^tdier G^P jL,oa;%,iRLiHe. «• Yon are to repair |o Bailehridge ;irid take tftwrn yoa the conimand of the uoopt nbw ^astjc, and fAch ai :ikiay be fent to your care. ' ** You are to endeavpur, as m«ch as poffibic, to feir- ' rafs and 'aninoy. thie enemy by keeping ico«^ing parti^ conftantly (or at /rcque^tly at poffibic) iioand their ^uartcM* >^^ -^ -^ , ^::-. ■^^^^••. -••.;|fV''."-4 , y •;•.««•!•.«••.■.%*!, :')'■■ 'A**' m ( 'S« ) fe'" whief) together with their readinefs in giving and confidence of receiving fuch reciprocal aid as the exigencies might require^ ferved to fupply the defedt of force. This manner of doing duty not only put our own pofls beyond the reach of fudden mfult) and furprize ; but fo exceedingly har- raffed aiid in timidated the enemy that foragers werciilAdom fcnt out by them> and never ex- cept in very large parties. General DLckenfon^ who commanded on General Putnam's \e(^ difcovered about the 20thof January, a forag- ing patty confiding of about jfoiir hundred 19 keep \ then, on the oppofite Mt0 f? At]^ wilt be in tlie fiypo«rh< Dii ( '57 ) two miles from Somerfct court-houfc. As the bridge was pofTefTed and defended by 'three field pieces lo that it could not be paffed ; General Dickenfon, at the head of four hundred militia, broke the ice, crofled the river (where the water was about three feet deep) refolutc- ly attacked and totally defeated the foragers. Upon their abandoning the convoy, a few prifoners, forty waggons, and mor.<: than a hundred draft horfes with a con fideralif; booty of cattle and fheep fell into his hands. ' Nor were our operations on General Put- nam's right: .finnk lefs fortunatCo Togiv^' 1^ numerous friends ptthc K|^ in the county of Mon- ars l|(^|iye been ajpriiicipa) mok^ ir W^^^^I|(tiTC; ;^.|ftre«ii[ing J his c^ W|||fe ftts tjM ^ own Qili^reviouny wRis dii^KBIf rather 9t Geoeral Sir William > HoW, "^m d New-York* De- P'^A • Extraa of ii litter i to Lord Georgi# (lei cem)jer2o, 1776, Having mentioned the Iraicfefs attetrip^f LoM Corn- walli* to find boats at Corryel's ferry to ^||/'^ the Dela- ware — he proceeds thus : ^ ** The paffage of the Delaware beihjff^^ dips rendered imprafticable, his Lordfliip took pott at Penrtington, in which place and Trenton the two divifions remained un- til the fourteenth, when the weather haying, becoaie too fevere to keep the &t[d, and the winter caatonmenty be- o ■y ( »s« ) !^: <©o far. After that chain became broken, 4IS I have already relased, by the blows at Treoton and Princeton, he was obliged to colledt during thereft of the winter the tife- lefs reoiains in his barracks at Brunfwick. In the meantime General Putman was much more Aiccefsful in his attempt to protedt our dif- pei'fed and difpirited friends in the fame di- ftfi6fc i who, environed on every fide by enve- nomed adverfaries remained infeparably ri- vctti^d in affedion to American Independence. He firft detached Colonel Guern]r and after- wards Major "* Dave in p a copy of ^,_^^,,^i|J|i|tliOttgkt worthy to^ IlioMttlbrtte kis iatisfafUoa V ^ As theft happened t( one t^ his letters to ' " ttf infcrtion her^ with dieir cone " To Mijor jHlBsni* of the third Battalion of Cum- "^ierhnd County Militia. *» Lipiillpl libUged to yott for your aaivity, vigor. tMddSwffuilmityoaliktLvchttn under my cominand : yoa wiu7th^3bre» march your men to Philadelphia and there daSS&sue§tt^mi Tetttrning ioto the ftore ail the I ( »s> ) LjT militia as could be fparcd, for their fiipport. Several (kirmifhes enlued in which our peo- ple had always the advantage. They took, at different times, many prifoners, horfes and waggons from* foraging parties. In effect fa well did they cover the country as to induc'e fome of tfie mo(b refpcdtable inhabitants to declare, that the fecurity of the perfons, as^ well as the falvation of the property of many friends to freedom,, was owing to the fpiritecl exertions of thefe two detachments :: who o.l the fame time that they refcued the county from.the tyranny of Tories^, afforded an op« portunity. for the militia to recover from their confternation>;to ennbody themfelves in war* like wt^mjii^mjjlmnd on their defeftqcf^ '')t^^3' thi^MM General. ]^^ Ii^wrefie(i^$iF|ck. (cnt ColonclNdfiif^itii one hundr^ati^m^hUtiatofurprize tiftm. That officer condu^pPftJIf o, jg u^f^^^y and deciiion as to ilitt tlPliKe fTf ^^^ ammunition, arms aiidaccottU«iaiit»*^tt?Ktehe«l at that place. ^. ami $j^,X9«f hiunblc Savant MtUteUM Filruary $tbg 1777 . . - C J6o ) cij,: Thcfe * Refugees commanded by Major Stockton, belonging to Skinner's Brigade and amounted to fixty in number. A SHORT time after this event. Lord Corn- wallis fent put another foraging party towards Bound-Brook. General Putnam, having received notice from his emifiaries, detached Major Smith with a few Riflemen to annoy the party and followed himfelf with the reft of his force. Before he could come up, Major Smith, who had formed an ambuih, attacked the enemy, killed feveral horfes, took a fewl prifonersand (ixteen baggage^ waggons, with- out fuftaining any injury. By fych opera- tions, our hero, in the courfc pf the winter, tajptqred. nearly a thoufand prifoners. ' V IiM;J Waflii ^:^ebruary General eral PutQjBn,:^llt, in « «c (C *l *t << Rxtra^ ot a Letter from General Putnam t? ihe Coun* #1 of Safety of PenRf^^plii^; dated at Princeton Fe- ^.bruary 1 8th, xy^fe ^< YefterdaMmiplr Cplooel Nelfon, with a hundred and fifty ni|^^ Laurence's Neck, attacked fixty men of CoJptnd Skinner's Brigade, conimanded by the enen^i RikowNBD Lan d Pi lot Majar Rich- ard Sitc^fiiw, routtd them and took the whole prifon. ers — among them the Major, a Captain and three Su. balterni, with feventy Hand of Arms. Fi/iy of the Bidfird ftnnjyl'vania Rifitmtn hekavedlike 'veurant*** ^,1 V'fev-' C i6* ) confcqucnce of a large acceffion of ftrcngth; from New- York to thcBritifti army at Brunf- wick, it was to be apprehended they would* foon make a forward movement towards the Delaware:, in which cafe the latter was di- re6ted tocrofs the river with his adlual force,, to aflume the command of the Militia who^ might a(Il:mble, to fecure the boars on the weft fide of the Delaware andiofacilitate the paflage of the reft of the army. But the ene-. my did not remove from their winter-quar- ters until th feafon arrived when green for- age could be fupplied- In the interaiediiitc period,. the correfpondence on the part ofGcn- eral Putnam with theCbmmanderinChief con* fiftcd priiiei|l#y of reports and enquiries con- cerning tKetret^ao^ilt of fome of the fbllowf^ kgdcicifiptions^^^ either of thqft #lKi-j6»me I'i'i'tfMfcJllflL^^ "'*"' >, or'ISHHpP^B or. ^Il^had M^Pepuced: 'llifallediQlt#>i^r cauiev or who w^^deilgn- «d to becompreheQctt4ln the Amerkan^o- clamaiioni which reqiiirid c^t thofe who had taken pfoteftions Inoiild gke them to the nearcft American Officer,., w. go within the Bricifh lines- The letters of his Excellency in rccupn> generally advilWy, were indiciiiive of confidence and ajT^jrobacion. O 2 '. i^ ( i6i ) When the Spring had now fo far advanc- ed that it was obvious the enemy would foon take the field ; the Commander in Chief, af- ter defiring General Putnam to give the offi- cer who was to relieve him at Princeton all the information nect^Tary for the condiidt of that pod, appointed that General to thecom- 0)and of a feparate Army in the Highlands ^New-York. It isfcarcely decided, from any documents yetpubliihed, whether the prepolterous plans prpfecuted : by the Britiih Generals in the^ Campaign of 1777, were altogether the refult -ofltheir Orders from home^ f«! ^p^bethcr they -partially cjrigHrHcd fr^ ,|hM^jj^^ of fi^Mded to puii^i^Ubman'tfpNHre, to con^iiliicl 9ll rcaibI|^HHpP9S|HH#^ert ai 1 niericlJ^^Rnmancl^pn Chiefj McrabKime fo i'rrp]nnwljpK''^fitiTridii^n' ry appearances^ chaj^fl^^pimc how todif- tfibuce his tm|tt ^ |j p |^\liis ufuai difcern- mentj (b 2is,0^^0m$memy with equal pro(pe£^ olpiCGels in jdlflferent parts. The gathcring^^jcmptfts menaced the northern J rontiersi the p<)fts in the Highlands and the City of Philadelphia : "but it was ftill doubt- ful wheic the fuiy ofthcftorm would fall. t^'^9i^f ■>>m /?■■'& ( i63 ) Atone time Sir William Howe was forcing his way by land to Philadelphia, at another relinquifhing the Jerfeys, at a third facing round to make a fudden inroad, then embark- ing with all the forces that could be fpared from New-York, and then putting out to fea —at the very moment when General Bur- goyne had reduced Ticonderoga, and feem- ed to require a co-operation in another quar- ter. On our (lde> we have feen that the old Continental Army expired with the y^r 1776: fincc which, invention had been tortured with ^^i€r.t$ and zeal iritfe'ef- forts i;okj6 " "" the o£i ry The ;he Geri ofa^H. that in ihi'^ Hampihirc Bri|i chufetts and the Bri) For on the fttccefi of ^ di^nikdv the f;i^vi "^ ^^ ^^^^ under ^ in ClN^H^nfifted Ibuth of tlW3u to* gether with fome ifri^gular Cc^^* ^nd thac in the Highlands of the remaii$||^t1iro Bri- gades of Maffachttfetts, the Gohnej^ut T .ine confiding two Brigades^ the B^)|de of Rhode-ldand and one R<|piment p* NeW" ( t«4 > York^ Upon hearing of the loft of Ticon- deroga and the progrefs of the Britifh tow- ards Albany,. General Wa(hington ordered ihe northern arniy to be reinforced, with, the two Brigades of MalTachufetts then in the Highlands — and^ upon finding the army iin^ der his immediate command outnumbered by that of Sir William Howe» which had. by> the circuitous route of the Chefapeak invaded ,Pennfylvania,.he alfo called from the Higlv- knds one of the Cbnneflicut Brigacies and. that of Rhode44land ta his* own aflHlance^ M • I f iN.thc neighborhood of General Futnaiyi> there was ho enemy capiUe of eaieitiikg. a^ farms.. The army kft^aeli|l|# i(M^edfb»it» '■'^'^'^ ■ ■*^-''-' ' ';.il*!t*i^'Corfi|i;'^j was,, ^^ not prfaflpiaroll Gheft^J^wm wh^o try betweeathc tie and carried It was an u jO patron^ii^^ndltti.. The Whig inhabit- ants on tlij^dge of our lines and fiill lower down,j|^ had been< [Sundered in a merci- left n^aer, delayed not t« IJirip the Tories in reti%.. People^ moft nearly connected I Cctun- 1^ the cat* mhabttanis. ^pl^ Brltlfb Generals ( «6S ) and allied, frequently became mod exafpera- tcd and inveterate in malice. Then the tics of fellowfhip were broken — then, friendfliip itfdf being foured to enmity, the mind readi- ly gave way to private revenge> uncoatroul- ed retaliation and all the deforming pafTiOQS that difgrace humanity. Enormities, almoft without a name, were perpetrated — at the defcription of which> the bofom, not frozen to apathy, muft glow with a mixture of pity and indignation. To prevent the predatory incurfions from below and to cover the Coun- ty of Weft Chefter, General Putnam detac$i- cd from his Head-Quarters, at Peeks-Killr Meigs's R^gi^ent,. >vhich in the courfe of tjsfi Camp^^^ripji^lfrol partizan ftrokes and He too] mm^tii. jfbr whict» jtwas VKIKDt ^r--^ .■ ■■ i^ -¥^ J .^-.'■. -'.s »■■;•! >>^ 0: ■■■wit:.. f •.f^ifc.^TiSt fica kad )ur| enterpriz«, a channels, was. edit and tranfmitted by ^:m^^mm ^I'rtVi^.tv-::.;.^--- s by of thMKendc^ through federal that obtarned in Chief. It was not wonderful that ma^ of th^ Tories were able, tindifcoveced,. to jwetrat^ far into the country and even to go i^|kl€t- ters or meflages from one Britilh Ara||^Faik- ( i66 ) !»!'<*.'. '. '! .S'l ether. The inhabitants, who were well af- fedtcdto the royal caulCjafForded them every pofllble iupporc and their own knowledge of che different routes gave them a farther ^cil- ity in performing their peregrinations. Some- times the mod adtiveLoyalifts (as the Tories wifhed to denominate themfelves) who had gone into the Britifh Potts and received pro- mifes of Commiflions upon enliiling a certain number of Soldiers, came back again fecretly with Recruiting Inftrudions. Sometimes thefc and others who came from the enem7 ilithin the verge of our CannpSyweredetede^: and condemned to death in conformity to the iiifages of war. But the Brl^SMjcnerals, who "lad aflunlimkcd Aip]ptelfi|| ^jEiMiifnd,, were able at their X the ^^^ ^ of S^military ling merC^ inpr^ al] ;es. ^f* Fith^i M Kvfiy -^ ^iiiittbility rfecrct fer- andmerit. A f Ei^pp^ t^ liajjfjc ,4>f Palmer,, who ii»k a Li^enant S^ thf Tory new Levies,, wasjigli^ed ia the ^atap at Peeks Kill. Gq^por Tryon, who commanded the new IxvK^iftcIaimed him as a JijriciihrO£c^r4;-e- -v. .*;>i'.*',- { i«7 ) prcfcntcd the heinous crime of condemning a man commiffioned by his Majeily and threatened vengeance in cafe he fliould be ex- ecuted. General Putnam wrote the follow- ing pithy reply* •cc S I R, ^* Nathan Palmar, a Licutenwil it. ^^ your Kmg's fervice, was taken in my ** Camp as a Spy — he was tried as a ^jr— he " was condemned as ^^^St/^^-^fnd yo^ ^9^ ^* reft afTured* Sir» he fliall be hanged as « honor to be. &c. i'^^^MiiM <■» , \^< .,,-_i»'j ,3tAsi It.!'. "5 Ht- "* I! ^'%if-'W^"M) Imfortant Not long after the ifrom Peeks Kill to Pifliii&ania, a ment arrived atNew-YorklromEu pearances indicated that offenfive would follow. General Putnaiti, been reduced in force to a finglc Bri theiieldand a fuigle R^inijeot in pcccnreu^ rchtd Ap*- ' ,V » ■f- ^■^\i\ '<*• -;^.' ( '68 ) at Fort Montgomery, repeatedly informed the Commander in Chief that the pods com- mitted to his charge mull in all probability be ]o(t, in cafe an attempt ihould be made upon them ; and that, circumilanced as he was> he could not be refponfible for the confequen- ces. His fituation was certainly to be lament- ed, but it was not in the power of the Coir. • mander in Chief to alter it: except by au- thorifmg him to call upon the Militia for aid -^an aid always precarious ; and often fo tar« %, «as when obuined to be of no utility. i . On the fifth of Oftober, Sir T^enry Clin- tpn came up the North Rivf§i|ish:^ree thou- * -i|kod nrien. After mr ' - ' ithc attentiojy '' . ,at his gom^^H&over lute ^ii^^^^^^g^^^BiflHP^'^^^ the Garrifon, ]jJ^^H^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ m6vement^M||PH||Rtcr by exprefs to Gener^d|PP^<»i^^Qur. By the treach- ery of ^P tlneiTenger the letter mifcarried. ;,GencrJputnam, aftpnifted at hearing no- *fti|i^|K^£ting;|l)fc«iie^^ with Gen- Tirfons and Cohmei Root his Adjutant Gc|H||| to reconnoitre them at Kingi Ferry. In tSmean time> at five o'clock in the ^fter^ to ( >69 ) nocMii Sir Henry Clinton's columns, having furmounted tlie obftacies and barriers of na^ turc, dcfcended from the Thunder- Hill, through thickets impaflable but for light troops and ♦ attacked ;hc different redoubts. • The Author of tKefc Memoirs, then Major of Bri- gade to the firft Conned^icttt Brigade, was alone at Head-Quarters when the firing began. He haftened to Colonel Wyllys, the fenior officer in camp and advifed/ him CO difpatch all the men not on duty to Fort Mont- Somery, without waiting for orders. About five hun- red men marched inftantly under Colonel Meigs ; and the author, with Doflor Beardfley;m Surgeon in thell|«. gade, rode at U\\ %eed through a bye-path, to let tlie! garrifori know^ rkli^ a reinforcement was on its march* *'\,|h^ haile thefe officers made to and ''*^^a«,fo completely in veiled, on ^Mbletpemer. I^JwrjP Notwithlta over the* theif c 4;.' lorei rhen well plat< up the ti\ the crew fire, to prevent her wUbfeihips were appri _ ^ of the night, the profbttfttflSHliS . . tetrupied flaflics of the )|aiaes'^L ill»im tcrs, the lopt ftiadows of JAke'ClifF& that Eft The her lut the her on were feen, the exploiion of the Qaqnon whi*,, loaded in the ftiip, and the revei-bciting echo ™ 'founded, at intervals, between the ftupendOu« W i^ri both fides of the river, compofed an awful pi ^. ior perfons prepared (by the precediuflt ic^ •template fubjeas of horrid iublinM.tfo- * **"' s of the enemy ; ing darknefs , the in- the wa- nd thfn ?re left %''.>'''W^^^S!Mid,'* ?*»* %. j *(.« V? ( no ) .%. Thegarrifon, infpired by the condud of their leaders, defended the works with diftinguifh- cd valor. But, as the poll had been defign- cd principally to prevent the pafling of (hips and as an aflault in rear had not been expcA- cd, the works on the land fide were incom- plete and untenable. In the dufk of twilight the Britifli entered with their bayonets fixed. Their lofs was inconfiderable. Nor was that of the garrifon great. Governor Clinton, his brother General James Clinton, Colonel Du- l||ts, and mod of the officers and men cfFed- cd their efcape under cover of the ^bick^fmoke and darknefs that fuddenly prjcvaycd. The capture of this fort by .Sir#^j^knry Clinton, j^^l^her wi|h \hc c Turgo] Jelled to^ .11 lis of the viga- |cern- at Bi '. / 4ay] ofMilitiahav- d, the fucceteful —yet not before in iti under the Orders of an, had burnt the defencelefs Efopus, and feveral fcattering build- n the banks of the riven thii event, and iiig arrive^ army r a det Gcncri to rwiTHSTANDiNG the army in thelf igh- C »7i 0) \r lands had been To much weakened (for the fake of flrengthenirig the armies in* other quarters) as to haVe occafioned the lofs of Fort Montgomery, yet that lofs was produft- ive of no confequcnccs.. Our main army ia Pennfylvania, after having contended with fu peri or force in two indeci five battles, Hill held the enemy in check. While the fplendid fuccefs, which attended our arms at the Northward, gave a more favorable afpe6t to th« American affairs, at theclofcof this cam- ;pajgn,.ihan they had ever before affumed. WrfEi* the enemy fell back to New- York by water, wef<|llowed them a part of the way by land mcrtf Pa ^cl Meigs, with a detach- Regiments in General •iga( irot ce up lying made a f| >ropgi andHSl they had recently 1 <;SooN after this €_. nam advanced towa!^?&Uf Bfitifh he had received intelJigence that dies of the enemy were put with orde«l Governor Tryon to burn Wf ight's Mi preyehted it by detaching three parties hi\ ^-'■. .\ ^j*. t-.y ( 172 ) hundred men in each. One of thefe parties fell in with and captured thirty-five j and a- nother forty of the New Levies. But as he could not prevent a third hoftile party from burning the houfc of Mr. Van Taffcl, a no- ted Whig and a Connnnittec man, who was forced to go along with them, naked and barefoot, on the icy ground, in a freezing night : he, for the profeflcd purpofe of retaU iation> fent Captain Buchanan, in a Whale- boat, to burn the houfe of General Oliver Delanccy on York Ifland. Buchanan effefted his objedV, and by this expedition put a peri- od for the prefent to that unmeaning and wan- ton fpecies of deftrudlionw ¥ »- W»tt^ General Pucniill^ ft feoiitin B rhicl furro Deia crept ed, brought hj morninp:. tte Briti cd at t Corps wit ged, the bc< uch conceal - jaitcrs before ^as exchanged by lay, and plac- of llhe C^Eite-Boys^ a licentious egulars,. wlio^ in thr fcquel, com- heard-of depredaftiofts and excedes* I- didrefllng tafee fo beautiful a part m.. . ^,-.?4'Hr : a*:?**. ( 173 ) of the country fo barbaroudy waded; rtnd, often to witncfs fomc peculiar fcene of female mifery. For mod ot the female inhabitants had been obliged to fly within the lines pof- fcflcd by one army or the other. Near our quarters was an afTefling indance of human viciflltude. Mr. William Sutton of Maro- neck, an inoffenfive man, a merchant by pro- fedion, who lived in a decent fadiion- and whofe family had as happy profpedts as almod any in the country, upuip fome imputation of Toryifm went to the enemy. His wife, op- preffed with grief in her difagreeablc date of derelidion*. did not long fur vive. Betfcy Sutton^ iheir tljdtd daughter^ was a naoded and .)Qyf||^roi|M^^^i^ of about fifteen death of her mocher» younger childrc%,i the vol! ivc he( idhe1 sdto wa9.xU£?reet cc cc cc He in Lt^oly, whicl ccly Sheftitl^tlia^ " milk (oir thecKII en awayi — that plundered of their;pcwing appi niture, die believkl>.|t>y both pi they had litile more tcj^lofe-^am *' knew not >^h"re to proGUHfit bread " dear iiale ones, who nai lio father Pa feTiaw rbrok- Jcdted. Prnidiec rn tak- indlSi^ :^.: • » m: ( »74 > ♦* Vide for them" — no mother — (he was going to have faid — but a torrent of tears ehoaked aFticulation. In coming to that part of the country, again, after feme campaigns had e- lapfcd, I found the habitation defolate and the garden overgrown with weeds. Upon enquiry I learnt, that, as foon as we lefc the place, fome ruffians broke into the houfe, while fhe lay in bed, in the latter part of the night : and that, having been terrified by their rudenefs, (lie ran half-naked into a neighboring fwamp, where (he conrinved until the morn- ing—there the poof girl caught a violent k:old, which ended in a confumption* It fi- Inifhed a life without a fpot— and a career of fufferings commenced ^nd co^#||))ed without a 'fault. ^ ■'-'■ -t ?■'■■%■■■.- ^ Sll^iits of wi^tc|itNti«^#wayi^- tbtipf d with CO Putna fpccour pliich agai|){l his d unpppu) pie in cdnc ' pyo Otiird n^ indcilgenee^ itcfid rtotnriiilitafe the defcrted and is of the Tories in the State of was the ca«fc of his becoming ith no inconfiderabtlc rlafs of peo- State. On the other fide, he had an unconquerable averfion to ma- srfons, who were cncrufted with th' c **•■■ :\ .. \ ( 175 ) difpofal of Tory- property, becaufe he believe- ed them to have been guilty of peculations arid other infa.uous practices. But, although the enmity between him an.i the St*<}ueftra- tors was acrimonious as inucual ; yet he lived in habits of amity with the mod refpedable charadters in public departments as well as in private life. His charadlcr was a-lfo refpe(fled by the en- emy. He had been acquainted with many of the principal Officers in a former war. As flags frequietvtly paffed between the out-pofts, during his continuance on the lines, it was a common pra^icc to forward News-Papers by tlwna J ami «t thok printed by Rivington, the Rcyal#rintcr4n i^ew-Yor^ were infa- mous for ^ffalfe^pds with which they a- boundedj^09nfra^|fi>4m once fent a Pacli^ ct to Mjltxtd Iriendf G lJiiiil Rc^btrtfoili^ with thJsp^Wtt ^ Major VBral F^^|pre- ,^^ f^hts his ^^^<^f^0^MS^ Maj^HpneraL *' Robertfon and re^^l|kipvne Ameri^an^ " News Papers for hi#^^PfW|^^ien Gear " eral Robertfon (hall Hive done^||k theifi^, ** it is requeued they be given to l^pigtoi^' " in order chat he may print fome ti LatCe in the year we left the lines art( paired to the Highlands, For ujpon t^e!l>(s , -* -...*>.,* 1 ■ ■'■it, ■ - ... ■ -.4,;. ¥'"" *'" ¥ ■«*■■.. ■• n ( »76 ) of fort Montgomery, th« Commander in Cheif determined to build another fortifica- tion for the defence of the river. His Ex^ cellency, accordingly, wrote to General Put- man to fix upon the fpot* After reconnoi- tering all the different places propofed, and re- volving in his own mind their relative advan- tages for offence on the water and defence on the land, he fixed upon West Point. It is no vulgar praife to fay, that to him belongs the glory of having chofen this rock of our military falvation. The pofition for water batteries, which might fweep the channel where the river formed a right angle, made itthemoft proper of any fpr commanding the navigation ; while the rocky ridges, that rofe in awful fublimity behind c»ch other, fudered it impregnable^ >^ eveii^ilieapable tijg invefted by Ic^^pn t^i% thou- land rmf\* , Jn jthe month of Januiry 1778, when a fno^tewo feet dctp lay on the earth, Gcnetal ( 177 ) Parfons's Brigade went to Weft Point and broke grounds Want of covering for the troops, together with want of tools and mate- rials for the works, made the profpeft truly gloomy and difcouraging. It was neccflary that means (hoiild be found,, though our cur- rency was depreciated and our treafury ex- haivdcd. The eftimates and requifitions of Colonel la Radiere, the Engineer who laid out the works, altogether difproportioned to our circumftances, ferved only to put us in mind of our poverty, and,,as it were, to fatirize ouf refCiirces. His-petulani behaviour and unac- commodating difpofition added further em- barrafsments. Icw^astben that the patriotifm of Governor Clinton flione in full K^flre. His exeriions^ to fumiik fupplies can never be too much foiBiTiench^*^ His inBuence, arifing fronts ht* popwlaJ^>. was unlimited : yet He hefita^ not to put all •««&|fe(ever the feder Notwithftandi^ the i pofed our progr^f&ij wi opening of the camfr|i great forwardnefs, opularity sM|ri iq'J^* ntcrefts>^ ^g[| nded .^:, ** ^'^ ( 178 ) f Wigglcfworth compofed the Court of En- quiry on the lofs offort Montgomery. Up* on full knowledge and mature deliberation of fafts on the fpot, they reported the lofs to have been occafioned by want of men and not by any fault in the Commanders. General Putnam, who during the- invefr ligation, was relieved from duty, as foon as Congrefs had approved the Report, took command of the right Wing of the Grand Army, under the Orders of the General in Chief. This ^as juft after the Battle of Monmouth, when the three armies which had, lail year, afted feparately^, joined at the Whitc^ Plains. Our effedlive force, in one camp was at no other time fb re^jfeflalS^ ^as at* thi^/§un6ture. The a^y con^jed of fikt}^ rcfjular Reginrients c^/oot forniefd into firfteen ^gades, foivyfijttalions of Arfflery, four l^iiphts of llpe and feveral Co^ StatflJiProops. Bi^t a^the enemy kept fe within their ^|esoi)3^York-Ifland, na-. thiwg coul d jig lpi^fedv Towards the end* of Autun[^||||#lm>k:e up jihe Camp, and went firftf|pFrede|?ick(bu^^^^ and thence to wiat^t qJBftcrs. Ilpjrder to cover theCountry adjaining to' the JwMf and t6 fupport the garrifon of M^eft ( 179 ) ■> Bointy in cafe of an attack. Major General -Putnam was ftitioned for the winter at Read- ing in Connedicut. He had under his- Or- ders the Brigade of New-Hamplhire, the two Brigades of Conneflicut, the Corps of Infan- try comnaanded by Hazen and that of Caval- ry by Sheldon. The troops, who had been badly fed, bad- ly cloached and worfe paid, by brooding over their grievances in the leifure and inactivity of winter-quarters began to think them in- tolerable. The Connedicut Brigades form- ed the defign of marching to Hartford, wh^re the General jjVffembly was then in Seffion, and of demanding redrefs at the point of the Bayonets Word having been brought tp. GenerarPqtn^rtT ijat the fecond brigade was under arms for this gurpofe, he moijued his horl^ galloped to tliMHItntonmlijj^S^ thus aint by the iHght Infantry under the condudt of General Wayne, and the furprifeof the poft of Powles Hook by the Corps under the com- mand of Colonel Henry Lee, When the „ army quitted the field and marched to Mor- ris TdlKrn into winter quarters. General Put- nam's family went into Connedicut for a few weels. In December, the General began his journey to Morris Town. Upon the road betwcdb Pomfrct and Hartford he felt an un- ( '83 ) ufual torpor flowly pervading his right hand andl foot. This heavinels crept gradually on, and untill it had deprived hinn of the ufc of his limbs on that fide, in a confiderable degree>. before he reached the houfe of his frienil Co* lonel Wadfworth. Still he was unwilling to confider his diforder of the paralytic kind and endeavoured to Ihake it off by exertion. Having found that impoflible, a temporary deje6tion, difguifed however under a veil of affumedchearfulnefs, fucceeded. Butreafon, philofophy, and religion foon reconciled him to his fate. In that fituation he has conftant- ly remained, favored with fuch a portion of bodily adivity as enables him to^ walk and to ride modo^ately -, and retaining unimpaired his retifh for enjoyment, his love of pleafan- try, his ftrength^if memory and all the facul- ties of his mind. As a. proof that the pow- ers of memory arc n^weakened, it ought to be obferved, that he nas lately repeated from recolledtion all the adventures of his life> which are here recorded, and which had for- merly been communicated to the compiler in detached converfations. . In patient yet fearlefs expedation of the ap- proach of THE King of Terrors, whom he hath full often faced in the field of blood, the Chriftian hero now enjoys iadomcftic retire- ( »84 > nr-nt the fruit of his early induftry. Ha- ving i n youth provided a competent fubfiftcncc for old age, he was fecured from the danger of penury and diflrcfs, to which, fo many Of- ficers and Soldiers worn out in the public fcr- vice have been reduced. To illuftrate his merits the more fully, this Effay will be con- cluded with a copy of the laft letter written to him, by General Waftiington, in his mili- lary eharader. ^ ^ » I Head-Quarters, 2d June, 1783 " Dear Sir, .0 " Your favor of the aoih of May I rcceiv- " cd with much pieaiure, For I can aflurc **. you that a^iong the many worthy and me- " ritorious Officers, with whom I have had ** the happinef*? to baconnefted in fervicc ** through the courfe of this war, and from ** whofe cheerful affiftance in the various and trying viciflitudes of a complicated conteft, the name of a Putnam is not forgotten "i not "^•will be, but with that ftroke of time which **^ Ih all obliterate from my mind the remem- ** brance of all thofe toils and fatigues, ** through which we have ftruggled for the prefer vation and edablifhment of (be 'ten r nor le which remem- ^atigues, for the of t;h« m - !•-». «( Rights y Liberties and Independence of our Country, ** Your congratulations on the happy- " profpei^ls of Peace and Independent fecu- ** rity, with their attendant blciTings to the " United States, I receive with u fa- ** tisfadtion -, and beg that you will cept a " return of my gratulations to you this " aufpicious event — aq^event, in .vinch, great as it is in itfel^nd glorious as it will probably be in its confequcnces, you have a right to participate largely, fronn the diftinguilhed part you have contribu^ '* ted towards- it& attainment. . €t tc Ci a c<-. Biit while I (contemplate the greatncfa > " of the obje<5t for which we have contended, ** and felicitate you on the happy iffue of our **■ toils and labours, .|vhich have terminated **" with fuch general fatisfa(flion ; I lament " thatvou fliould feel the unQ;rateful returns "of A Country, in whofe fervice you have *' exhaufted your bodily (Irength and expen- " ded the vigour of a youthful con(?kui ion. " I wifli however, that your ex[7eftdt'ions of " returning liberality may be verified. I ■■ have a hope they may : — but fliould fi^ey not, your cafe will not be a fingular oH^/ '/v- graiitud, hai hen experienced in alia^^f, CC (C €t m ^J^r- V •M/ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 us I.I m 1.2.2 K 2.0 11.25 1.8 U il.6 Photograpnic Sciences Corporation Z 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ^ & u ( i86 ) " and Republics in particular, have ever been famed for the exercije of that unnatural^ *' and SORDID VICE. « '■*, " The. Secretary at War, who is now ** Jigpic,. informs me that you have ever been ** coftfififjced as entitled to full pay,, fmcc ** your abfence from the field j, and that you *^ will ftill be confidered in that light untill ** the clofe of the war : at which period you ** will be equally entitled to the fame emolu- ** meats of half-pay or commutation,, as other " officers of your rank. The fame opinion is alfo, given by the Pay Maftec General, who is now with the army, impowered by Mr. Morris for the fettlement of all their accaunts,, and who will attend to youfs irhcnever you ihall thii^ proper td fend on for the purpofe i, y^blch. it will proba- ** bly be beft for you^^ doia a fhort time* " I ANTICIPATE,, with plcafurc,, the day *' (and that I truft not far off) when I fhall " quit the bufy fcenes of a military employ- " meiil^nd retire to the more tranquil walks " ofdom^fticlife. la thatyOr whatever other " Tituation Providence may difpofe ofmy " future days, the remembrance of :|^JtE "many friendships and connection^ I " HAVE HAD THE HAPPINESS TO CONTRACT cc lu- ther lion iby :hcir )ur*s fend ba- " WITH THE Gentlemen of the ArmTi cc cc C( « cc WILUBE ONE OF MY MOST GRATEFUL RE- FLECTIONS. Under this contemplation^ and imprejfed with thejentiments of ^enevolenci and regard, 1 commend you, my dear Sir^ my. other friends y andy with ihemy the interefts^ and happinefs of our dear Country to tb§ " KEEPING AND PROTECTION OF AlMIGHTY " God." I have the honor to be, ficc, George Washington.. To the Honorable Maj,of General Putn|p3> »?'*■ le* 4,^ ■'A;\ day IfhaU >loy- alks »ther mi !^ I .ac^ v^-.f^ ■'ia>: f