The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-07-01

eyes, swapping her teeth, ana dropping her
head between her legs, was evidently in the
attitude, and on the point of springing ut
him. At the critical instant he levelled and
fired at her head. Stunned with
the shock and sufiocated
with the smoke. he Immediately found him
self drawn out of the cave. But having re-
freShed himself, and permitted the smoke to
di>sipate, he went down the third Once
more he came within sight of the wolf, who
appearing very passive, he applied the torch
tolch to her nose, and pcrceiving her, dead.
he took hold of her ears and then kicking
the rope (still tied around his legsl the peo-
pie above with no small eXultation dragged
them both out together.
y ou Keep saying. Colonel Humphreys,
with sort of Sneer, papa said EnoS.
What is the matter with Colonel Hum
phreys?'
His father acknowledged the impropricty
OF his sneering, and said he would try
to laugh. Colonel Humphreys was
first an aid of Putnam's when he
probably had To see to his spelling. and after
ward was an aid to Washington. Humphreys
had certain literary turn, and is one of the
early American authors of the era after the
Revolution. When Mr. TAFT Enos's father,
spoke lightly of him, just what he meant was
this: Humphreys had heard dear ''Cld Put
spin three yarns over and over again. / be-
lieve that after General Putnam had n stroke
of paralysis and was living at home like a
Gagged lion, Colonel Humphreys went and Wis
tied him. Then Doctor Albigence Waldo
kindly sent him anecdotes which odd Put
had told him. From such materials Colonel
Humphreys made up the life of Putnam
which he sent To the Society of Cincinnati of
Connecticut, and which is the reservoir for
the stories which have made him boys
hero.
When this was duly explained to Mrs. TAFT
and to Charlotte, they said that it was in this
Ii made it much more entertaining.
In l755, when he was thirty-seven years
old Putnam took charge of Il company of
volunteers i'm the Connecticut contingent
which joined the English army against the
French 1t was in the campaigns which
place in which he saved the magazine of Fort
Edward, in which he and Durkee were
closely pursued, and tumbled together into
the same place of refuge and in which he
found fourteen bullet-holes through his
blanket. Modern criticism has shown that
the blanket must have been folded when
struck: hut the TAFT children agreed that
one bullet which had force enough to cut
through an old-fashioned home-Spun blanket
fourteen times, was an. uncomfortable neigh
Dor.
The war i'm Canada ended virtually, by the
fall of Quebec, and i'm l76l Putnam was again
AT home. But he volunteered again in the
English force against Havana. The arrival of
the achievements from New England saved
the English expedition. and the capture of
Havana soon followed. Had il not been re-
turned to spain by the treaty of the next
year, Cuba woul Il probably now belong To
the United Statee or Great Britain.
And now hc returned To his farmers life
for twelve years. He took
part in the protest against
the use of stamped paper, which. in fact, kept
Connecticut free even from the presence of Il
sheet of ii. He went once tn Natchez, where
land had been granted TO the survivors of the
Havana expedition, and he sent some labor
ers and tools there. Once and again he was
in Boston, and met there Gage, Co.Onel
Small and other officers with whom he had
served i'm the French War. He also met Lord
Percy. With these gentlemen he had friend
~ converse ON the threatening state of affairs.
Being one, in particular, asked whether he
well-appointed British army of five
thousand veterans could march through
the whole continent Of America he replied
bri>kly, No doubt, if they behaved civilly,
and paid well Tor everything they wanted;
but''-aftcr a moments pause added-''if they
should attempt ii in Il hostile manner Though
the American men We're ont of question: the
women. with their ladies and broomsticks
would knock them all on the head before
they had got half way through"
Meanwhile, at home, the militia We're I'M
der regular training for service, and such
men al he were of course chosen command
err. The news of Lexington found him pillow
ing-as the picture shows which EnoS TAFT
had seen-and without changing his clothes
he set out for Boston.
He was at once appointed Major General
| 10y his own colony. As such he probably gave
ments at Bunker Hill-where he
was present lie was NOT the COM
mander-in-chief. for the expedition was sent
out by General Ward, who had II Massachus-
etts commission, and had directed Colonel
Prescott to fortify the hill, which he did.
Putnam had meanwhile distinguished him
self i'm a skirmsh. in which an English vessel
was burned at HOg-Isand just beyond what
| is now East Boston The news of this reached
Philadelphia in time To quicken Congress in
making him a Ma Or General on the CONT
mental establishment. If Congress- were to
| fight battles, il would not do 2ave Il gen
| eral from Connecticut who owed 10 allegi-
ance To general from Massachusetts. On
| the very day that Putnam was trying 10 for
| tify Bunker Hill, 10 cover the retreat of Pres
| colt and his men who were on Breeds Hill,
| Congress made him a Major General of the
| United States. 1t was in the sane series OF
| appointments i'm which Washington was
named COmmander-in-t thief.
When the English left Boston, Putnam
was sent To New York and assisted in she eff
fort to defend that city Just before the IA
| tai battle of Long Island he was APP
| pointed to the command there.
| The failure of the American troops has been
| charged To his incompetency, but perhaps he
| had not fair time To make proper arrange
! mentS To repel the attack. After this he held
| the command ut one time of the posts above
| New York. 1t was when he was in this COM
| mand that he made the Break-neck ride, and
| that he wrote the note. with "P. ;. i. NJ. He
is hanged, which so pleased Mrs. TAFT for
| its breyity.
| But. in December 1870, the fine old fellow
was struck with paral ysis which disabled him.
| and he resigned his command in the army.
| From that time till he died he lived IN Pom
| fret telling his old stories and. fighting his
| old battles.
|, The critics may make AZ much fun as they
Pchoose about these stories. But they give Us
| by far the best picture we have of the details
| of campaigning Oh the frontier in the ''old
| French War"
1 Was IL sad Otherwise: