The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-23
OLD PUTS HEADL0NG RIDE
A CELEBRA TION THAT MADE A GREA Il
DAY FOR GREENWICH.
Descendants OF Putnam and the Tory who
Chased Him Dining Together, amer n Pro-
cessIon, with Music, nnnners, md Speeches

cession, with Music, Banners. and Speeches
Yesterday was great day for Greenwich
and the State OF Connecticut. From an carly
hour the trains both ways on tho New Haven
Railroad were crowded with visitors to witness
tho one hundredth anniversary OF Gen. Israel
Putnams daring rdo down tho rocks at Horse
Neck and his subsequent escape from tho 800
English and Tories who pursued him. The exact
date Of the Generals feat was Feb 90. 1873. but
tho Connecticut people resolved to lump Wash
| ingtons birthday and the Putnam anniversary
| by giving Joint celebration worthy OF both tho
heroes. Tho public buildings. the principal
stores. and tho private residences OF the leading
citizens. many Of them well-known New York
business men. were liberally decorated with
| bunting Tho Town Hall was gay with more
than one hundred parti-colored flags from the
yacht Mystic. The elegant private residences
| OF Mr. Rockafelar OF the Standard Oil Com
| pany. OF Prof. William q. Peck. A. Foster Hig-
gins. and other citizens were elaborately
adorned with the national colors in all sorts OF
appropriate designs. Salutes OF cannon and
the IringinG OF bells at sunrise began the COM
| memoraton.
BY IL o'clock thero wero fully 5000 persons In
the streets. Prominent among the companies
from abroad were the Putnam Phalanx OF Hart
| ford. body OF 100 solid business men. after tho
pattern Of the Old Guard OF New YORK. They
wore resplendent uniforms OF blue and bun.
with yellow wastcoats and enormous brass-
mounted epaulets. Their appearance was
greeted with loud applause Company L OF the
Fourth Regiment Connecticut militia also made
fine appearance. Tho procession formed in
Putnam avenue in the following order:
VII High sheriff f.ss County and P'Sa!is, wheeler
Veterans The McScsn War veterans Of the War
RSS,mSn6. PSirum Pbsi"nS ., ilarHord frs.dens of
sss Bsy A. f4,sr hssnS Win gsf' % oTa,gr & and
Jos Hawley. aud invited guests In twelve carriages
Ss% HOSE ompany ofcf % c6s.,cr ~ oer. Of town s"S
borough OF Greenwich, cuxcns horseback. citizens
| carriages, citizens on toot, battery OF artillery.
The procession was more than half mile
| long. and MS 1t wound through the throngcd
| streets OF tho picturesque village the sight was
macadamized street. covered with snow, was
TIE route t9ll9wsd Ci 9s as far as the famous cifls
At this point tho modern roadway has been
| blasted through the rocky descent and
Sadssh Ssep cn into 9RS'b S broad and
| beautiful plain below. In order to get better
view Of the historic spot the cavalcade turned to
| the left into u roundabout path which skirts the
foot OF the hill. The spot whore Putnam is said
To have gone over the rocks is about 100 feet to
1850 feet in height No horseman could de-.
scend 1t now at full speed without breaking his
| neck and killing tho horse. In Revolutionary
days. however, y flight Of rough stone steps led
| down the hillside, and holped to break the Gen.
| erdl descent. Inc ground Is now SteeD ana
broken. and nothing but mass Of huge and
uneven rocks. covered with moss and imbed-
ded in turf. remains.
| the exercses were held. is a large handsome
stone structure. in the modern style. the inte-
| rior finished In natural woods. and the windows
in stained glass The pulpit was banked up
with pyramid Of flowers. including roses.
helotropes violets. camellias. calla lilies. prim
roses and begonias These were nanked with
palms and century plants; beautiful aznlla
si desk. which I was severed with isstOons oi Sunt
den. Hawley sat at one end OF tho front row
| on the platform. his gray hair and moustache
cane on the noor before him. Marshall Jewell.
who contested the recent Senatorial fight with
same seat. Professors Peck and Van AmrinGe
the Hon. Oliver Hoyt. and William II. Putnam.
great grandson OF Gen. Putnam. occupied seats
aS eaTosy WAS 6SS 6 ss'sd
ines, Canada linsal dssiend9nt p, OF 'he he Tory
eamo mSo SH os Of pps the
through @ him. Mr. Merritt Is a genial white
haired gentleman Of about so, and bears strik-
| ing resem blance TO Josh Billings. the humorst.
The soldery formed in the body OF the church
and the crowding thousands speedily filled the
fully 5000 people with in the walls.
As an appropriate beginning. the audience
air aHs God 1 save se' the an Que Queen GEN. HSwley
Joined in the anthem with great feryor, beating
time with his gold headed cane. while the linea
descendant of the man who came SO near Kill
ing Old Put sang tho familiar old air with
the zest and relish Of a loyal Briton. -,,,-
| There was painful pause as the presiding
the Rev ST s. B. 5. Bisseil Of South Sor%aIG. had
wsch The S' s
getting In the southeast entrance. and II was
surmised that somo Hessian from New York
The Rev. Charles R. Treat. pastor OF the
church. read the text in eleven verses from
which. 100 years ago the chaplain OF Cont.
mental regiment lying near that spot had
preached a Thanksgiving sermon to the troops
The text began;
| The Lord has triumphed gloriously. The horse ant
rider has lie cast into the sea
Col II. W. Hoyt the historian Of the meeting
said that in l77S Gen; Putnam had been re-
lieved from duty In the Highlands and was
afterwards assigned to the command OF the
forces in Connecticut He had the two brgades
Of the Connecticut line. one brigade OF New
OF infantry. and ono OF the four regi'
ments Of cavalry. His headquarters were
ut Reading. about six miles south from Dan
bury From this point he supervised the mill
tary operations In the State and main
forces on the Hudson. Detachments were sta
toned at advantageous points. and one OF hit
, most important oulposIs WAS located In th'
Kingsbridge to Greenwich was known as IN,
Debatable Ground. and for tho people withiT
danger II was a winter of unusual severity
With few exceptions the people We're welghe,
On the summit OF the hill north OF the ole
Episcopal church in Greenwich was tho resi-
, dence Of Jabez Fitch. The church itself was
plain frame building the rear OF it stood few
feet from the brow OF the hill. The main coun
Try road led from the village TO point near th'
odge of the preclpice. and then ran northerly
I From the rear Of the church fence ran east
. erly down the kill near the margin
OF the old road; Between, the roat
$ and fence rough and untrimmed stones haC
bron placed from time TO time, forming an ir
regular stairway up the hill and the facs Of thu
4 | precpice was covered with growth Of bushes
a Down this hill Putnam rode his horse. Thurs
E | day evening, Feb. rs, 1873, mHrauding eXpe
! dition started from Kingsbrdge. II WINS com
4 minded by Mnjor-Gen. TryOn. tho Tory Gov
4 ernor Of New York. His force consisted Of abou
! 800 men, composed Of British aud Hessnps
6 with one regiment of Tories. At New Rochelle
they were met by n small body OF Cnntinenta
| skirmishers commanded by Capt. Titus Wat
son. The company ut once retreated. but u
Milton in the town OF Rye was overtaken anC
attacked. portion OF the company conceale
l. themselves in tho swamps, and the remainder
5 made their escape along the highway Qthe river
a over the hills at full gallop rodo Capt. Wat
son and his companions to give warning 10 th'
y few troops then in Greenwich. Col. Holdridg'
/ OF Hartford County was in command Of thu
o OUTPOST Putnam had only arrived in tho ylag
4 n few days before. The small body OF Amerl