A companion sentinel hastened to the Frenchman's
assistance, but Putnam also was at hand, and getting in ahead brought
the guard to the ground by a well-aimed blow from the butt-end of his
musket, and while the enemy lay quivering in his death-agonies the two
companions hastened away. They rejoined their men and finally reached
the camp in safety.
An occurrence like this seemed of small moment at the time, perhaps, and
the ungrateful Rogers is said to have overlooked it entirely in his
report to General Johnson; but the same month (October, 1755) the two
again went out scouting, and another adventure followed which brought
Putnam's heroism into strong relief.
Going down the lake in their bateaux, on the last day of the month, they
landed at night at a point where they had discovered some camp-fires of
the enemy, and in the morning three spies were sent out into the forest.
These spies were Putnam, a man named Fletcher, and Lieutenant Robert
Durkee, who was afterward tortured to death by the Indians. They
accomplished the immediate object of their mission, which was to
ascertain the location of some detached camps of Indians, and one of
them, Captain Fletcher, returned to report.
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