, 1879-02-27
OLD PUT.
Centennial Celebration of 1ils IIondlonE
lstdc.

Yesterday was great day for Greenwich a.nl
the State Of Connecticut. From M early ]lour
| tllc trains both why's on the Nct7 Haven Rail-
road ,rcro crowded with visitors to witness the
ono huntrcdtll anniversary of Gun. Israel Put-
] nnln's tlnrfng ride down tue rocks at Horse
| Neck, mud Ills subsequent escape from tho l,500
/ English md Tories who pursued him. The exact
date Of the Gnncral's feat was Feb. 20. ITO, but
| the Connecticut people resolved to lump Wash
| ington's birthday anA tho Putnam anniversary
! BY giving joint celebration worthy Of both the
| heroes. The puhi!c buildings, Tho principal
stores, and the private Residences Of the leading
citizens, n,aIt} Of them wc11-known New York
business men, were libcra'ly decorated will!
bunting. Tho Town.IInll wns gay with marc
| tnnn pno hundred parti-colorcl t!ags from the
| yacht Mystic. Tho elegant private residences
Of Mr.. Rocknfclar, Of the" STANDARD on Com
pauy, OF Prof. william g. Pcck, A. Foster
| Higgins, htld other citizens wcre claboratcly
adorned with tho national colors In all sorts OF
| appropriate designs. salutcs of cannon and
| Tie ringing Of bella at sunrise began tic CON-
u.ctlnruttUn.
By Ii o'clock there wcgc fully 5,000 persons in
tho streets. Prominent among E. lhe companies
ford body Of 100 solid l'usncss inGn, after the
pattcru OF ihe Old Guard Of New. York. They
| woro rcaple,Ntent uniforms Of blue nild bull,
With yellow wa5stcoats n,nl enormous brass.
greetra WITH loud applnusc.
Tu procession wns murc than llalf mile
long, md rs It wound through tllc t!1rousc4
struts Of tls picturesque yiltaao n's sight was
| n,aetalamLzcd street, covered With snow, was
tlu roulo followed far tlle faiuolts cliffs,
| down which "Otd Pnt" dashed 4 cGntury nGo.
busted through the rocky descent, md leads
/ downward at nn uugIo Of 10 degrees through n
deep cut into tho broal nsist beautiful paln bo-
| low. In order to ret better Wow OF tllv
into roundabout patti which skirts the foot Of
tho BILL. The spot where. rntnanl is said to
| hive Eone over tia roess Is about 100 feet 10
tho aoutl OF this, md where the rocks uro fully
it now ut full sne.d without brcahing hIs l,ccl
anu killing tic lorsc.. IN Revolutionary days.
however, aight OF rough stone steps led down
tho hillside, aiHl helped to break tle Gencra's
antl nothing Gut a mass ot huge M! uneven
rocks, covered with mess nnd mbcddcd In turf,
The Second Congregational Church, IN which
stonc structure. The pulpit was banked up With
! npyrnmtd Of flowers.
Gun. Ilnwlcy sat at ono end Of the front row
on tho platform, Ills gray hatr MIL mustaehc
ca'ia Oil tic toor brforo i'iti. Marshall Jewell,
who contested tho reccnt Senatorial fight with
thu General. sat on tho opposite corner OF the
satno srat. profs, Beck ald Van Anlringc, Of
tlio Hon. Oliver lloyt, aud William II. rttnaa,,
great-grnn,laon Of Gen. Putnam, occupied srats
On tho p.atiort'l., But TUG guest WHO excited
tho most curiosity was j. Il. Merritt, of IT.
rory troopcr who chased "O!d Put. over the
cltiI, auIl CAME Within MI aca of putting Ga1i
through him: Mr. Merritt l. q gonal, white
haired gcnt!cn.nn Of about 80, md Gears n
.1rYo liza
hu,norist. The soltl!crY formed III tho body Of
tic church. anl the crnwling sthousailt,s
spgedily filled tho aislcs side scats, a,A rul-
lcrIes. There were fully 5000 people within tllo
| walls.
Az IN appropriate beginning, tho audience
rnse to their fcet alll 8alg s' A1nerIca,h to the
eIr God saye tho Queen." Gen. Aawluy
Joined IN tl.o anthem with great fcryor,, beatinK
titnu with his GolllicnIca ca,lc, while tho linuni
descendant Of this ll!nn who came SO near kill
lux "Ull Put u SAM tl!c familiar Old a1r with
tle zcst nntl relish Of loyal 3ritun.,
The Roy. Char!os Il. Treat, paatoF OF tho
wlllr!,, lvu years ago, tlie Chaplain Of Contt.
| uentul regiment lying near TINT spot Ind
preached Thanksgiving sermon to TIC troops.
THO text bcgau:
The Lord hns triump.cA gorlously. Tho Aossa
and s[dur hus liz cast Into tic soa.
Col. II. ". Hoyt, tho Historian Of The mcct-
tnu, aatu that, in Its Gen. putnam bad been re.
lisyed from duty ia tho ilisl.anls. s',d waa ,;
forccs in Connecticut. lie Ind thu two brieaacs
Of the Connecticut line, one brigade VI New
lianlpshlra iroopa, IN additional regiment "
Infantry, md ono OF the four regiments of
a0ol,t SIX miles south from Dnnbary. trnsn thls
point he supervised tlp military operations ltl
1!le stats Ana maintained communication with
Tie Continental force: on thu Hudson. Do
tAchmeslts were stationed at advantageous
prints, uMl onB Of his intst Important outposts
was locnted in tho vicinity Of Greenwich.