Litchfield enquirer., 1879-03-06

struck then, or the undisciplined American ar my would fall to pieces of it's own weight. Thus his mind was mirror rendering pictures of objects presented to it. His own danger or personal advantages would have been reflected ID this mirror had he held them up to it. But it never occurred to him to look at them. He saw the embattled armies, the cause that had arrayed them against each other, and the mighty results hanging on the crisis. They filled this magic glass and left no room for his own image This is exemplifed in his diIec- to his son Daniel, stripling of sixteen and the chil'l of his old age, on setting out from Cambridge: ''You will go to Mrs. Inman's to- night as usual. Stay there till tomorrow: and if they find it necessary to leave town, you must go with them"
 ''You, dear father,'' said the keen sighted boy, "may need my assistance more than Mrs. lnman. Pray let me go where you are go- ing;~ n over with tears. ''You can do little, my son, where am going; and there will be enough to take care of mes
 Of piece with this was his remark to War ren just arrived upon the battle ground :-'1 am sorry to see you here, General Warren. l wish you had left the day to us as I advised you. From appearances we shall have sharp time of it." Seventeen years before he had said to Lord Howe, the brother of the chief who was now advancing against him My Lord, if am killed the loss of my life will be of little consequence, but the preservation of yours is of infinite importance to the army"
 LARGE HEARTED HUMANITY.
 Another element of Putnam's greatness was his large-hearted humanity. During the bat tie in the woods near Lake George in 174S, the French left three hundred men dead and woun- ded upon the field; Putnam fingered there late into the evening to see after the suffering Frenchmen. He gatherd the wounded into one place. covered them with blankets, gave them wine and other delicacies brought for his own men, and personally tended them. One officer, whom he had placed in an easy posture against tree. could only grasp his pro- tector's hand in silent gratitude. Depend up- on it, my brave soldier" said Putnam, ''yOu shall De brought to the camp as soon as possi- ble, and the same care shall be taken of vou as ii you wore my own brother" In the Cam paign of 1757, after the revolting massacre of the garrison of Fort William Henry-in viola of flag of truce-when he visited the smoking ruins and saw the mutilated remains of hun dreds of men, women and children, he turned away from the sickening spectacle with un- speakable horror. This humanity of sentiment was reciprocated at the battle of Bunker Hill by Colonel Ambercrombie, commanding the British grenadiers. When he lay mortallv wounded he bethought himself of his cid com rade in the French wars and with his dying breath shouted out to his men :-''If you take Putnam alive don't hang him, for he's brave fellow"
 PREooCUPATIoN AND CONCENTRATION OF MIND. Entire preoccupation and concentration of mind was another marked trait of Putnam. You all remember the story of his bird-nesting exploit in boyhood. In venturing out too far upon limb in the tree-top, he broke his prop and was left hanging in the air He ordered one of his mates to fire a bullet through the bough near the trunk and let him drop to the ground. The wolf story exhibits the same characteristic. The ravager of the sheep-fold had been tracked to her den. Putnam deter mined to go into the cave for her. His neigh bors remonstrated in vain. He was wolf hunting and the only way to come by the wolf was to follow her into her lair It never once occurred to him that anything else could be done but to kill her and the danger to him. self. as it was no part of th0t enterprise, was not taken into the account This preoccupa ton of mind went with him through life. It led him into the presence of Governor Fitch, who was not long ill finding out that stamped paper could neither be sold nor deposited in Connecticut: It went with him through the border wars; it crossed the Delaware with him; it was present with him at Princton New York, Philadelphia, in the Highlands, and stayed with him to inspire that last daring act of his life, the anniversary of which you, this day, celebrate with the thunders of cannon and peals of jubilation.
 Sternness in the discharge of duty was an- ether characteristic of him. In 1777, while stationed in the Highlands, spies were sent into his camp by General Tyron, with a view of taking him prisoner. One of them was caught, tried and sentenced to be hanged; Tyron wrote threatening letter to Putnam, hoping to intimdate him and thus save the life of iis emlssary. The answer and the re- suit you know. In the words of Mir Peabody, Putnam s military reputation. high as it was, concealed no dark traits of personal character beneath it's shadow"
 ELEMENTARY SIMPLICITY.
 Putnam's disposition was purely elementary. With all his bluffness he had that chvary of the heart that women are so ready to detect under all exteriors, and know so we'll how to value. Everybody loved him and courted, not only his good will but his affection His neighbors vied with one another in paying lit- tie acts of heart-homage to him; his family almost wershiped him, and his soldiers were ready to die for him. Washington understood him perfectly and made due allowance for his idiosyncracies. In letter to McDougall he said 1T have ordered General Putnam to Peekskill, you are we'll acquainted with the old gentlemans temper. He is active disn- terested and open to conviction; and I there fore hope that by affording him the advice and assistance which your knowledge of the post enables you to do, you will be very happy in your command under him." In December 1779, Putnam went home for little visit and had just set forth on his return to the army when he was disabled by stroke of paralysis from which he never recovered. Truth con- pels me to say that notwithstanding his excel lent moral character in all other respects. he had been during his military life. sadly given to profanity of speech. He was subject to sudden seizures of passion and in these parox- ysm too often forgot the injunction ''let your yea be yea, and your nay be nay, for whatso- ever is more than this cometh of evil" This hab- it he wholly abjured in later years. President Dwight of Yale college who knew him we'll gave his written testimony in these words, :'In religion of the Gospel" The Rev. Dr. Whit ney, his spiritual adviser, has left us the fol- lowing record. ''He was not ashamed of his religion, his house was house of prayer. He freely disclosed the workings of his mind, his conviction of sin, his grief for it; his depen- dence on God through the Redeemer for par don and his hope of future happy existence This reformation must have been real for Putnam was too ingenious to make pretences. Nor was it delusive fire sublimated out of humid atmosphere or temperament but a vital conviction that grew stronger as life wore on towards it's close
 PUTNAM PHALANE.
 With all these remarkable qualities and en- dearing traits of character and with such rec ord of public service. it is not strange that we come together on the centennial day of this ex- pleit to do him honor; nor is strange that the venerable Phalanx which bears his name and draws it's inspiration from him, should retain so much of his vitality and perpetuate itself from age to age. (Applause).
 DEATH AND FUNERAL.
 Here Putnam's pubic career ends He was not constantly confined to his house. In the summer and in the mild autumn days he could ride forth to see his fiocks and herds upon the