. The life and heroic exploits of Israel Putnam, Major-General in the Revolutionary War. rd forthem to shoulder, march to their regimentalparades, and lodge arms ; all which they exe-cuted with promptitude and apparent goodhumour. One soldier, only, who had been themost active, was confined in the quarter-guard;from whence, at night, he attempted to makehis escape. But the sentinel, who had alsobeen in the mutiny, shot him dead on the spot,and thus the affair subsided. About the middle of winter, while GeneralPutnam was on a visit to his out-post at Horse-Neck, he found Governor Tryon advancin
. The life and heroic exploits of Israel Putnam, Major-General in the Revolutionary War. rd forthem to shoulder, march to their regimentalparades, and lodge arms ; all which they exe-cuted with promptitude and apparent goodhumour. One soldier, only, who had been themost active, was confined in the quarter-guard;from whence, at night, he attempted to makehis escape. But the sentinel, who had alsobeen in the mutiny, shot him dead on the spot,and thus the affair subsided. About the middle of winter, while GeneralPutnam was on a visit to his out-post at Horse-Neck, he found Governor Tryon advancingupon that town with a corps of fifteen hundredmen. To oppose these General Putnam hadonly a picket of one hundred and fifty men,and two iron field-pieces, without horses ordrag-ropes. He, however, planted his cannonon the high ground, by the meeting-house, andretarded their approach by firing several times,until, perceiving the horse (supported by theinfantry) about to charge, he ordered the picketto provide for their safety, by retiring to a L04 LIFE, ANECDOTES, AND HEROIC EXPLOITS. PUTNAM S ESCAPE AT HORSE-NECK. -p. 164. swamp, inaccessible to horse, and secured hisown, by pkinging down the steep precipice atthe church upon a full trot. This precipice isso steep, where he descended, as to have artifi-cial stairs, composed of nearly one hundredstone steps, for the accommodation of foot pas-sengers. There the dragoons, who were but aswords length from him, stopped short; for thedeclivity was so abrupt, that they ventured notto follow ; and, before they could gain the val-ley, by going round the brow of the hill in theordinary road, he was far enough beyond theirreach. He continued his route, unmolested, toStamford; whence, having strengthened hispicket by the junction of some militia, he cameback again, and in turn, pursued Governoi OF MAJOR-GENERAL PUTNAM. 165 Tryon in his retreat.* As he rode down theprecipice, one ball, of the many fired at him,went through his beaver: but
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