The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-11-20


makes a spirited defence Of +" Old Put" against
the article in the Knickerbocker. The Index
says: We take exceptions however, 10 the re-
view of Gen. Putnam's Life, which is tn, lead
ing article OF the number and can scarcely re-
frain a smile at the abort We attempt Of the ele-
CANT writer TO prove the ire-eater of the old
French war, and Of the American revolution, u
coward. Romanees may have tinged the deeds
Of olden times with an Elusive colorlng, and ex-
allied Gen. Putnam far above his contemporaries
in the temple Of fame but we think Mr.. Fell
lows had better have lei the dead OF the revolu-
ton sleep out their glorious sleep, than 10 have
cast shadow Of doubt upon the bright page of
his country's early history Gen. Putnam was
one OF the brayest of men. Like Stark and
knowlton, he was better fitted for the sortie and
| midnight entrenchment than for the council of
war or the festive board Ii every man had his
proper place IN the memory Of his countrynien,
how many kings would be cobblers, and how
many philosophers fools. Gen Putnam was a
major. general Of the line he was therefore, a
shining mark for the Juniors, when his old lion
heart was cold and his arm powerless That he
was on Bunker Hill in the thicket of the fight,
the court martial of Captain Calender shows
conclusiyey He il was that drove the brave,
though unfortunate, Calender back to the lines,
with his sword pointing at his breast, when the
captain Of the artillery sought hollow in the hill
| to reduce his cartridges TO the size OF his gun
Putnam, as we said before, was major-general
Of the American army. His commission was
given 10 him after the battle of Bunker Hill
Where were Dearborn and Stark and Heath
and Wilkinson then2 Why did they let the
coward wear the laurels Of the brave, and lord it
over them, when an appeal to facts would have
| stripped the craven, and driven him forth from
the ranks scorned and unholy thing Putnam
had his Humphrey and his Waldo, and his
Dawson and his Gushing. How far the bio
| graphers of early and modern times have wan
dered from the truth in their pages we will not
| say, but we aver if Putnam was wanting in
courage, the battle of Bunker Hill was the
work Of towards, and Gen. Washington was
the first to honor the craven who fired the morn
| ing gun Of the revolution at the Glasgow man
! of-war The post OF danger at the battle of
Bunker Hill was not at the redoubt, as some
supposed, but was upon Charlestown neck,
raked as it was by the grape and canister of
two vessels of thirty-two guns each. Across
this neck, in his visits to the doubtful Ward,
Gen. Putnam galloped amid
"The iron hail
| And thunder of war.
| Across this neck he led the backward militia.
and to convince them that the crossing was pas
sable, he passed and repassed several times,
amidst the thickest of the fight Gen. Putnam a
coward Gracious God Ifhis acts were COW
ardly, let us have an army of such towards, and
our country will be secured forever from the
spoilers arm and the traitors insidious blow
| ORIGIN OF WARs.-The history of every war
is very like scene | once saw in Nithsdale-
Two boys from different schools met one fine
day upon the ice. They eyed each other with
rather indignant looks, and with defiance on
each brow. 'What are you glowrin at Billy?n
"Whats that to you2 I'll look where | have a
mind, an hinder me if you daur" A hearty
blow was the return TO this, and then such bat.
tie began. 1t being Saturday all the boys of both
schools were on the ice; and the fight instantly
became general and desperate. asked one Of
the party what they were pelting the other for2
| What they had done to them2 90 naelhing at
a., man; we just want to gle them good
thrashin." After fighting until they were ex-
hausted, one of the principal heroes stepped
forth between, covered with blood, and his
clothes torn to tatters, and addressed the beli-
gerent parties thus" Weel; I'll tell you what
well do wi ye; if we let US alane, well let ye
alane." There was no more of IL the war was
at an end, and the boys scattered away to their
play. | thought at the time, and have often
thought since, that that trivial afray was the
best epitome Of war in general that have ever
seen. Kings and ministers of state are Just
set of grown up children, exactly like the chill
dren | speak of, with only this material differ
ence, that instead Of fighting out the needless
quarrels they have raised, they sit in safety and
look on bound on their innocent but servie
subjects to battle and then, after waste of
blood and treasure, are glad to make the boys
conditions " If ye'll let us alane, we'll let we
alane ."-The Ettrick Shepherds Lay Ser
mons.