The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-08-15

advance. Three deserted and came over to
US, one an under officer, from whom We
cleaned that the order from headquarters
had been 10 take wagons and bring away
the stores under guard OF tho light horse,
ard this it had been supposed would be cas-
lily accomplished, as they had leh the city
so quietly, and with such a force that il hal
never occurred to them that the continental,
would atlemp, any continued resistance.
AL alo1g the read the women and chill
dren had left their dwellings for temporary
refuge in the woods and fields. Half.fam-
ished with that hard days work, and law.
less rom their exposed situation, the British
soliiery ran in anywhere they passed, and
seized whatever they could find, Father,
among other Of his neighbOrs, returning on.
their trail, killed seven mea ON his own
doorstep. They rad bSoachej barrel Of
cider, been to the pantry Tor bread, AMI one
Of them had Il loaf in his hand.
On, on, the Americans followed, close
upon the relrealiog, WORKOUT troops. No
one cf US stayed a, his own house thai
night, or though. OF food. though the day
was Ear spent, aud we had not broken our
f,,t. You know that everybody kept op;n
house, and YOU were sure OF a welcome and
something to eat, il you happened in any
where.
The news or,he British cro.sin. over with
hostile in,entions the nigh, before, had
spread so quickly since, iha, Putnam, tho
he ,ised in Connecticut, over bundled
miles distant, GOT The word by eleven o'clock
u! the i0,h, but, knowing tina, the brush
would be over before he could reach he
scene Of action, he did not come on till The
third day, having purpose!y delayed in or
der to bring reiniOcemenis 10 Cambridge,
where the colleges were turned into bar
racks, and where, in an Incredibly short
space Of time, assembled thirty thousand
men. OF these, Putnam and Warren sell
ecied about seven thousand Of the best arm
ed and most eflieie :, and suffered the rest
to return to their families.
My father first saw DIR. Warren on the
field at Lexington, at noon on the 18TH
Ho lived at Dracu', some iiiteen miles II
Just before the Battle of Bunker Hill, he
received his appointment Of Major General
but declined to assume any superiority il
the action, though he shonderei his mus.
tcl aad fought, The bmvest amUng the brsvc
4 British officer, Distinguishing him by
noble hearing, took gun from private
and, making his aim. shot him dead. Thus
icll the brave Warren, at the commence
men, o. cassc' whish promised s!a'iOusly
General Putnam also seems moi to have haI
The command ON this memorable occasion
but his daring spirit, in the then lack o
precise military subomicaiion, seized TIT
reins Of authority, and was the animatins
soul OF the engascment-anon cheering ,h'
meu, and again Threatening to blow out tn,
bruins Of some impotuous ones, who, disc
beyiag orders, were firing before he had en-
iUined.
We 90 not know whether II be now stand
ing. bot in he fall Of 1850, we saw a, Ok
Greenwich, (Conn) tho yellow woodel
house, where Cen. Putnam was shaving
when IL scou, brought him the intelligence,
Of COY. Tyron's MOVEMENTS. Tradition
s,a'cs that he Jill no, wait to iiaish, prepar,
Ing 10 shave the British Instead. Spring
B :ig Into his saddle, he was soon at the hea,
OF his company; and after the conclusion o
shilllul mirGaVre, put spurs to his horse
and dashed down the pIecpice at Horse
nCck--a Cra, such as was never accomplish
I'd before or since, and which would b,
s'ou;ly disputed, bu, tina, i, Is TOO well sub
Stimulated TO be doubted. The strala o
rock here were naturally broken into steps
not probably, a. il is some ines stated, arli
fetal stair. Any person who will take tho
trouble now To walk over TN spot, looking
at the abys! below, over the side Of the
present road, may well consider tho flying
Leap as a miraculous preservation. The as
toni,hed dragons when The oh general had
so prcdpitaisiy distanced, hurried to the
brink OF the rock, just in time, with staring
eyes and sapin; mouths, to witness bis
leave taking, as within hulle, whistling
through his beaver, he raised himself in hi,
slirrup., flpurished his sword above his head,
aud disappeared in wood where the Turn
OF the road bid him Gom sight.
N. II. c.
Il Ann Arbor lg56.