USA > Ohio > Biographical and historical memoirs of the early pioneer settlers of Ohio, with narratives of incidents and occurrences in 1775 > Part 5
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In August, Congress appointed him engineer, which was announced by Gen. Washington to him, as follows :
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"NEW YORK, August 11, 1776.
SIR : I have the pleasure to inform you that Congress have appointed you an engineer, with the rank of colonel, and pay of sixty dollars a month. I beg of you to hasten the sinking of vessels and other obstructions in the river at Fort Washington, as fast as it is possible. Advise Gen. Putnam constantly of the kind of vessels you want and other things, that no delay that can possibly be avoided may happen.
I am sir, your assured friend and servant,
G. WASHINGTON.
P. S .- Congress have just sent two French gentlemen here as engineers. Will either of them be of use at Fort Washington or Kingsbridge?"
A vast deal of labor and expense was bestowed by the Americans early in the war, in placing obstructions in the North river, such as chains, booms, chevaux-de-frise, sunken vessels, &c., to prevent the ascent of the enemy's ships of war to the highlands; but all of it was useless expenditure, for with a leading wind their large frigates and seventy-fours could with ease break through any obstruction of this kind, and only excited their derision. After a year or two of trial, this mode of defense was abandoned. Their entire control of all our harbors and mouths of rivers by their vast fleets, gave them a great advantage over their foes, in the transport of troops, munitions of war, &c., from one point to another.
On the 8th of September, 1776, a council of general officers had determined on holding possession of the city of New York. On the 12th, by order of Gen. Washington, Col. Putnam went out with Gen. Mifflin to reconnoiter between Kingsbridge and Morrisania, and on their return Washington met them near Harlem hights, where they made their report. This led to a council of general officers, in which it was decided to abandon the city, and this measure was based on their
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report, being the means of saving the army from total destruction.
Col. Putnam remarks that his appointment by Congress as engineer, was wholly unexpected. That his first attempts in that department arose from pure necessity, in place of a better man, and that his continuance in that service was more out of respect to Gen. Washington, than a sense of his own qualifications. After his arrival at New York he had greatly improved his knowledge, by the study of writers on that subject; and his daily practice in that profound art for more than a year, had now made him a much more skillful engineer, yet his natural modesty had never led him once to think of being appointed to the first post in a corps of engi- neers. His observations on the deficiencies and difficulties which attended that department, led him, in September, to draw up a plan for a distinct engineering corps, which was presented to Gen. Washington, and by him laid before Con- gress, with the following letter, of November 5 :
"I have taken the liberty to transmit a plan for establish- ing a corps of engineers, artificers, &c., sketched out by Col. Putnam, and which is proposed for the consideration of Congress. How far they may incline to adopt it, or whether they may choose to proceed on such an extensive scale, they will be pleased to determine. However, I conceive it a matter well worthy of their consideration, being convinced from experience, and from reasons suggested by Col. Put- nam, who has acted with great diligence and reputation in the business, that some establishment of the sort is highly necessary, and will be productive of the most beneficial consequences."
In his letter which accompanied the project, Col. Putnam disclaimed all pretensions to being placed at the head of the corps, but expressed a desire to serve in the line of the army. In this modest rejection of so distinguished a post,
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he was, no doubt, in some measure influenced by the well known deficiencies of his early education, but his love of country being greater than the love of self, led him to prefer the appointment of some better educated man. His judg- ment and practical skill in this branch, was no doubt equal or superior to that of any other man in the army, while his knowledge of surveying and drafting, with his mechanical turn of mind and sound judgment, rendered him a far better master of this branch of science than he was willing to admit.
On the 19th of October the enemy landed their army on Pells point, and some skirmishing took place between a part of Glover's brigade and the advance of the British troops, near East Chester. The following morning Gen. Washing- ton directed Col. Putnam to reconnoiter their position. For this purpose he left Kingsbridge, in company with Col. Reid, the adjutant-general, and a foot-guard of twenty men. From the hights of East Chester they saw a small body of the enemy near the church, but could learn nothing from the inhabitants, as the houses were all deserted. Col. Reid now left him to attend to other duties, and Col. Putnam requested him to take back the guard, as he thought he could better succeed in reconnoitering by himself. He then disguised his appearance as an officer, and set out for White Plains, a place he had never visited, nor did he know the road which led to that place. Directly a highway turned off to the right, which he followed a short distance, and came to a house, where a woman informed him that the road he was now on led to New Rochelle; that the enemy were there, and had posted a guard at a house then in sight. He now turned his course, and proceeded toward White Plains, approaching within three or four miles of the place, when he discovered a house a little ahead with men about it. Before advancing, he carefully examined their appearance
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with his spy-glass, and ascertained that they were not British soldiers. He then advanced and entered the house, which was a tavern; calling for some oats for his horse, and sitting quietly down, listened to their conversation. He soon discovered that they were Whigs, and ascertained the following valuable facts, viz .: that the main army of the British were lying near New Rochelle, distant from White Plains about nine miles, with good roads and an open level country between, and that at the latter place was a large quantity of American stores under the guard of about three hundred militia. That a detachment of the enemy was posted at Mamaronec, only six miles from the Plains, while on the other side was the Hudson river, in which lay five or six of the enemy's armed vessels at a distance of only five miles, so that the main depot of provisions for the American army, which Gen. Washington had ordered here as a place of safety, was inclosed on three sides by his adversaries. Col. Putnam saw at a glance their hazardous position, and hastened back with his all important discoveries. The road from Ward's tavern where he then was, led across the Braux, and was the most direct route for his return, but it passed so near the positions occupied by the enemy that it required great watchfulness to avoid detection. As he approached the highland west of the little river Braux, he saw it was already occupied by armed men, but on applying his spy- glass, ascertained they were American troops, and on his arrival found it to be Lord Stirling's division, who had taken a position there since he passed in the morning. He announced his discoveries to the general, refreshed himself and horse, and set out for head-quarters, ten miles distant, by the mouth of Saw-mill river, a road he had never traveled before, leading through a noted Tory settlement. It was now dark, but he dare not inquire the way, lest he should be arrested. An overruling Providence guided his steps, and
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he arrived in safety at Gen. Washington's quarters, near Kingsbridge, about nine o'clock. He found him alone, and ready to receive his report, with a sketch of the country, which he hastily made, showing the relative positions of the different British detachments, and the stores at White Plains. This, like the clue of the labyrinth, at once led him to see the difficulties and dangers of his position, and the path by which he could be extricated. Gen. Washington complained very feelingly of the gentlemen of New York, from whom he had never been able to obtain a plan of the country : that it was by their advice he had ordered the stores to White Plains, as a place of safety. This was a serious dif- ficulty under which he labored through the first years of the war, the lack of correct topographical descriptions of the country in which he was acting, often leading him into the toils of the enemy, when he thought he was escaping or out of danger. Such a man as Putnam was then an invaluable treasure; who was fearless, but cautious in scanning the positions of the foe, and could delineate on paper, what he had seen with his eyes, making his descriptions both intelli- gent and practical. Washington immediately sent a mes- senger for Gen. Greene and Gen. George Clinton, since Vice President of the United States. When the latter entered, Putnam's sketch and report were laid before him, and the question asked as to the correctness of the topographical sketch. He confirmed its accuracy. In a short time he was charged with a letter to Lord Stirling, and orders to proceed immediately to his camp, which he reached by the same route, about two o'clock in the morning. Before daylight his division was in motion, in full march for White Plains, where they arrived about nine o'clock on the morning of the 21st of October, " and thus was the American army saved by an interposition of Providence, from a probable total destruction."
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" It may be asked wherein this interposition of Providence appears? I answer first, in the stupidity of the British gen- eral, in that he did not early in the morning of the 20th, send a detachment, and take possession of the post and stores at White Plains ; for had he done so, we must then have fought him on his own terms, and at such disadvan- tage on our part as must, in all probability, have proved our overthrow." " Again, when I parted with Col. Reid, on the 20th, I have ever thought I was moved to so hazardous an undertaking by foreign influence. On my route I was liable to meet with some British or Tory parties, who would probably have made me a prisoner, as I had no knowledge of any way of escape across the Braux, but the one by which I came out; hence, I was induced to disguise myself, by taking out my cockade, lopping the sides of my hat, and securing my sword and pistols under my overcoat; and then had I been taken under this disguise, the probability is that I should have been hanged for a spy."
It was as late as the 29th, before the enemy advanced in front of the American lines at White Plains. About 10 o'clock, A. M., Col. Putnam had arrived on Chatterton hill, intending to throw up some defenses, just as they came in sight. As soon as they discovered the Americans, they opened a severe cannonade, but without much effect. Gen. McDougal now arrived with his brigade, and seeing the enemy crossing the Braux below in large bodies, placed his men in an advantageous position behind the stone walls and fences to receive them. They were twice repulsed with great loss; but by bringing up fresh detachments, they so greatly outnumbered the Americans as to turn their right flank, and cause them to retreat. Our loss was great, but it was afterward ascertained that the British loss was much greater; they receiving the same pay as at Bunker hill. After the battle of the 29th, Col. Putnam was employed in
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examining the topography of the country in the rear of White Plains, toward North Castle, Croton river, &c., with a view to military operations, when, on the 5th of Novem- ber, he received the following letter from Gen. Washington :
"HEAD QUARTERS, WHITE PLAINS, Nov. 5, 1776.
SIR: You are directed to repair to Wright's mills, and lay out any work there you conceive to be necessary, in case it is not already done. From thence you are to proceed to- ward Croton bridge, and post the two regiments of militia in the most advantageous manner, so as to obstruct the enemy's passage to that quarter. You are also to give what directions you think proper to those regiments, re- specting the breaking up the roads leading from the North river eastward. After this you are to go up to Peekskill, and direct Lasher's detachment to break up the roads there; you are likewise to lay out what works will be advisable there, and order them to be set about.
Given under my hand, GEO. WASHINGTON.
To Col. Putnam, engineer."
On the 11th of November, Gen. Washington visited Peekskill, and Col. Putnam accompanied him to Fort Wash- ington. On the following day he crossed the North river, instructing him to ascertain the topography of the country, with the roads and passes through the Highlands, which re- port he soon after made. A copy of this report is among his papers, and gives a minute description of the different passes; pointing out such as would need protection, with a skeleton map, containing valuable information for the de- fense of the passes in the Highlands of the Hudson, a point so important in the contest with Great Britain. On the 8th of December, he addressed a letter to the commander-in- chief, informing him that he had accepted the command of a regiment in the Massachusetts line, of the continental 5
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army, with his reasons for so doing, assuring him at the same time of his attachment and readiness to execute any service he should be ordered on. The following is an ex- tract from his answer:
" BUCKS COUNTY, NEAR CAYELL'S FERRY, Dec. 17, 1776.
DEAR SIR: Your letter of the 8th, from Peekskill, came duly to hand. Your acceptance of a regiment, to be raised on continental establishment, by the state of Massachusetts bay, is quite agreeable to me, and I sincerely wish you suc- cess in recruiting, and much honor in commanding it.
Your professions of attachment are extremely gratifying to, dear sir, your most obedient servant,
GEO. WASHINGTON."
In a letter to Congress, of December 20th, he thus speaks of Col. Putnam : "I have also to mention, that for want of some establishment in the department of engineers, agree- able to the plan laid before Congress in October last, Col. Putnam, who was at the head of it, has quitted, and taken a regiment in the state of Massachusetts. I know of no other man tolerably well qualified for the conducting of that busi- ness. None of the French gentlemen whom I have seen with appointments in that way, appear to know anything of the matter. There is one in Philadelphia who I am told is clever, but him I have not seen."
After closing his accounts as engineer, in January, 1777, he returned to Massachusetts to recruit and fill up his regi- ment. In this he was quite successful. As early as May, three companies were filled, and marched from Worcester to Peekskill; and in June were ordered up the North river to Fort Ann. On the 3d of July, Col. Putnam followed with the rest of the regiment, and joined his brigade, at a point four miles above Fort Edward. This gave him an opportu- nity to examine the condition of the old fort, which he had so often visited and worked on in the former war. He found
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that in the last seventeen years, it had greatly decayed, and was quite untenable as a work of defense; nevertheless it was shortly after occupied by the troops of Gen. Burgoyne for a few days, probably the last time the British flag will ever float near its walls.
The campaign of 1777, was big with events deeply inter- esting to the United States. Burgoyne with a large army had invaded New York from the north, pursuing the old route so often traversed in former years by the hostile bands of France and Great Britain. The hordes of savages which accompanied his army made the resemblance still more striking. A numerous body of men and shipping, under Clinton, assailed the same state on the south, by the way of the North river, intending to unite the invading armies at Albany, and thus divide the eastern from the middle and southern states. Ticonderoga, considered the key to the northern portion of the union, had fallen into the hands of the enemy ; but the lives and the liberty of the army which occupied it, were saved from the hands of the conqueror, by the good sense of Gens. St. Clair and Schuyler, who thought it useless to defend an untenable post, and thus served as a nucleus, around which to rally the militia and continentals, who hastened from all parts to arrest the progress of the enemy. New England was electrified at the threatened danger, and poured forth the thousands of her hardy yeo- manry from her granite hills, to meet the coming storm.
Col. Putnam, with his brave Massachusetts men, again traversed the grounds he had so often visited in the " old French war;" familiar with every part from Fort Edward to Stillwater, while few if any of his officers or men had seen this part of the country before. Although he was busily engaged in all the military operations of September, in the contests with Burgoyne, his regiment being the earliest on the ground, yet he has left no record of these events, except
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to correct some misstatements made by the historians of that period, in relation to the storming the works of the German reserve, on the 7th of October, and a few other matters. In front of those works was an open field, bounded by a wood, at the distance of one hundred and twenty yards. In the skirt of this wood Col. Putnam was posted with the fifth and sixth regiments of the Massachusetts line, under his command. Both the right and left of their work was cov- ered by a thin, open wood, and the rear by a thick wood. The moment that orders were given to storm, he moved rapidly across the open field, amidst a murderous fire of grape and musketry, and entered the works in front, at the same moment that Learned's brigade, in which Jackson's regiment was stationed, entered on the left and rear. Col. Putnam immediately formed his two regiments, and moved out of the works, which were not inclosed in the rear, and advanced into the wood, toward the enemy's inclosed re- doubts, on the right flank of their main encampment. Gen. Learned, as soon as he had secured and sent off the plun- der taken in the German camp, withdrew all the other troops, without notifying Col. Putnam of his design, leaving him unprotected in the occupancy of the wood. Here he remained until toward morning, when he was reinforced with three regiments from the right wing of the army, under Gen. Glover.
The historian Marshall's account, varies materially from this. He says, "Jackson's regiment of Massachusetts, led by Lieut. Col. Brooks, turned the right of the encampment, and stormed the works." In this account no mention is made of Brig. Learned, who stormed at the same time with the other corps of the brigade, as well as Jackson's ; nor of the two regiments under Col. Putnam, who stormed in front, under much greater exposure than Jackson. Again, Mar- shall says, " Brooks maintained the ground he had gained;"
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which is entirely contrary to the truth; for, except the two regiments commanded by Col. Putnam, the troops which entered the works were in great disorder, so far as fell un- der his observation; nor did he see any of them formed in order for action, before he moved out with the fifth and sixth regiments, as above stated.
At page 288, of the 3d volume, is a note from the histo- rian Gordon, who says that, "On the morning of the 11th of October, a report was spread in the American camp, and believed by the officers, that the main body of Burgoyne's army had marched away in the night for Fort Edward, leav- ing only a rear-guard in the camp, which was to march as soon as possible, leaving only their heavy baggage. On this, it was decided to advance, and attack the camp in half an hour; and the officers repaired to their respective com- mands. Gen. Nixon's being the oldest brigade, crossed the creek first. Unknown to the Americans, Burgoyne had formed a line behind a parcel of brushwood, to support the park of artillery, where the attack was to be made. Gen. Glover was on the point of following Nixon; just as he en- tered the water, he saw a British soldier making across, whom he called and examined." This soldier was a de- serter, and communicated the important fact, that the whole British army was in their encampment. Nixon was imme- diately stopped, and the intelligence conveyed to Gen. Gates, who commanded the order for the assault, and called back the troops, not without sustaining some loss from the British artillery.
Col. Putnam's account of this affair is as follows: "Nix on's brigade was put in motion, and marched in close col- umn to the creek, just as the fog broke away, when the whole park of British artillery opened upon us, at not more than five hundred yards distance. Finding we were halted, I rode forward to the head of the brigade, to inquire why we
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stood there in that exposed situation. But Nixon was not to be found, and Col. Greaton, who commanded the leading regiment, said he had no orders. I then advised the cross- ing the creek, and covering the troops under the bank, which was done. I then, at the request of Col. Stephens, advanced with my regiment across the plain, and posted them under cover of the bank of an old stockade fort, while Stephens advanced with two field pieces, to annoy the British, who were attempting to take away some baggage wagons stand- ing about midway between us and the British battery. We remained in this situation about an hour, when I had or- ders to retreat, and found Nixon near the church, and after some debate, obtained leave to send a party and cut away the British boats, which lay above the mouth of the creek. Capt. Morse, Goodale, and Gates, with seventy or eighty volunteers, started on this service, and effected it without any loss." This plain statement puts the affair in a differ- ent position, and shows that but for the promptness and bravery of Putnam in this unexpected dilemma, the loss of the Americans must have been much greater. The bold act of cutting loose Burgoyne's store-boats, in the face of his army, was of his suggesting, and accomplished chiefly through the fearless activity of Capt. Goodale, who was noted for daring exploits.
Kosciusko, the philanthropic and brave Polander, who volunteered his services in the cause of American freedom, was placed at the head of the engineering corps in Gates' army, and often consulted Col. Putnam in planning the works of defense and offense, so necessary in the operations of hostile armies. He remained in the northern department until the surrender of Burgoyne, which took place a few days after the last adventure, on the 16th of October ; thus closing the career of this haughty Briton, who fancied he could march his invincibles from Ticonderoga to Albany, in
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defiance of all the efforts of "the rebels," the common name for the Americans, and there unite his triumphant columns with those of Sir Henry Clinton. This was the most glo- rious event that had yet attended the arms of the United States, and infused new life into the desponding portion of the community. They learned, by actual experience, that British regulars were not invincible, while their enemies were taught to respect a foe they had heretofore despised. After the cessation of hostilities in this quarter, Nixon's brigade, to which Col. Putnam belonged, went into winter quarters at Albany.
In January, 1778, he received a message from Gov. Clin- ton and Gen. Israel Putnam, requesting him to repair to West Point, and superintend the fortifications proposed to be erected at this American Gibraltar. He declined the offer, unless his regiment was allowed to go with him, ex- cept at the express orders of Gen. Washington. A French engineer had been sent by Congress, to plan and execute the works proposed to be erected; but his views were not approved by Gov. Clinton and the general officers, as suited to what they deemed necessary, and hence arose the con- fusion and delay, noticed in Gen. Washington's letter to Congress, of the 13th of March, 1778.
In February he succeeded Col. Greaton in the command of the troops in the northern department, who went home on furlough. It seems that Congress, without consulting the commander-in-chief, had matured a plan for a winter campaign into Canada, which was now left in a manner, defenseless. The chief duty of Col. Putnam was to forward provisions and military stores to Coos, on the Onion river, by which route the army of invasion was to pass, as early as the 20th of February. The sound mind of the Colonel at once perceived the fallacy and impossibility of the project. The country was covered with a deep snow, and the soldiers,
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