The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1870-12-01

/ 'edshcu hlih IN most uneXpcctpd man
ncr' The reports Of two rifles were
heard close to the ring Of dancing In
dams, aud two Of them fell dead. Two
Others were wounded by the same
balls; aud the savagcs. panic struck Mt
the suddenness Of the attack. and pro
bably thinking large rescuiny party
was at nt hand, took to flight and dis.
appeared.
The reseucrs, however were only the
tWo Patte'sous, who finding that th,y
had effected their own escape by their
heetneSs, concluded that they could
not leave ther Captain aud comrndes in
the hands of the Indians without some
attempt to deliver them. With dar.
ing characteristic of the scout, they
made their way in the darkness to a
shelter within few feet of the tree
selected for the sacrifice, reaching the
place Just as Putnam was dragged M.
The bulducss aud desperation of their
attack Insured its success. A fow
strokes Of the knife released the can.
tive, aud the three hastened with all
speed from the scene Of their peril
Alter proceeding few miles through
the forest, Putnam halted and told his
companions that he had been without
sleep for thirty hours, and that. as a
hong aud difficult flight lay before them
to the nearest place of safety, he pro
posed TO take just five minutes rest.
" Only five minutes, niibd :" he said
giving to the elder Patterson his silver
cascd watch ave can spare that much
time, aud the sleep will do me wonder,
lul good
He lay down on the ground and in
stanlly fell iuto sound sluulbcr, while
his humble companions watched over
him. So sound aud refreshing was his
sleep that they h-sitntcd TO wake him as
heeujoined; aud full fifteen minutes had
passed before they aroused him. lie
'prang up aud looked at the ime piece
aud discovered what time had passed
lie fiew into rage, aud reprimunded
the men who had just saved his life 10
the severest terms, not without few
round olths, for yGniuring to diSobey
his orders. They received it. on their
? IT, without anger, aS they perfectly
knew ths man, and understood that he
was generous friend as well as a zeal
Gus diseipIinarian. From this point the
escape of the trio to the nearest settle
ment was prosecuted without further
remarkable peril
Rufus Patterson frequently told me
that siuce the disbandment of the col
onial forces at the close of the French
War, his father aud gr ndlather had
never met Putnam | infer ed, indeed
from all that he said-and he naturally
liked to talk of the subject-that after
tLis adventure they were detailed upon
such service that neither Of them was
brought particularly to the notice OF
the Captain again. They heard, in com
mon with thlir ueighbors, that Congress
had made him Major 'ieneral, and
they learned with eager interest, as the
war went on, of the valiant service
which their former Captain was giving
his country in his position but being
very poor rs well as very humble, aud.
since the infirnities OF the one and the
lameness OF the other, never travelling
beyond their little garden, no oppor
tuuity had offered since the beginning
oi the war for II meeting with the Gen
eral. My comrade, in telling me this.
always concluded by declaring that be
fore great while he should seek out
General Putnam, aud ask him il he
remembers the Pattersons.
"Of course, | wouldn't ask nor take
any reward" he would add but the
general is a great man now. aud should
be proud to tell him that am the sou
of one Of the men that saved him from
torture and death by the Indians, and
grandson OF the other.
His tunity came in the spring
of l770 thiIk certainly, just before
the British under Tyron invaded the
State, 1t so happened that brigade
OF Continentals was stationed within Il
half mile of the Patterson's house !;
and change in the divisions brought
our regiment into that brigade, much to
the delight ofmy comrade. The morning
we reached this place, and before Rufus
Ind obtained leave to visit his home.
we received au order to be ready for
muster and inspection at 2 clock, when
Gen. Putnam would review the brigade
Now is your time, Rufus" said.
as We were furnishing our accoutre
mcnls. B 1t Rufus was Il shy, bashiuI
fellow, although a good soldier; and
anticipated that he would never sum
mon the courage to address the general
on this or atty other subject. AS il
happened, he was saved the effort
The General rode on the ground very
early, the orderly's call had been sound
ed, and the companies were forming for
roll call IL was twenty minutes, al
least, before the time for forming brig.
ade line, and the General spent the in
terval in riding about through the
camps, looking at the men aud the
quarters. He passed around among
our tents accompanied BY the Colonel
aud two or three other officers, all mount
ed. / perfectly remember how he ap
pcared as he rode along 10 front of our
company and looked sharply ut US. lie
was middle.sized, neither tall nor short,
strongly built, with full, round face
aorid complexion, aud eyes as keen as
a huwk's He wore his full uniform ul
Major General, aud altogether made
an imposing figure. noticed also, the
horse that he rode. IL was the same
that afterward carried him safely 90 his
wonderful ride down the decliyity at
iiorseneck a powerful, strong limbed
animal, black and handsome, aud with