CHAPTER V
THE ADVENTUROUS SOLDIER
The campaign of 1755-'56, abounding in opportunities for personal
adventure, in which Israel Putnam took great delight, showed the true
mettle of the provincial soldier from Connecticut. At one time in the
summer of 1756, five or six hundred French soldiers from Ticonderoga
descended upon some British baggage wagons at Halfway Brook, a spot
about midway between Fort Edward and Fort William Henry at Lake George,
and overcoming the escort, succeeded in getting away with a large
quantity of provisions. They retreated northward, in the direction of
their stronghold, by the Narrows of Lake Champlain, and in order to head
them off, if possible, Rogers and Putnam were ordered by their commander
to take one hundred Rangers, with "two wall-pieces and two
blunderbusses," and proceed by boat down Lake George to a point opposite
a certain part of the Narrows, where they were to cross overland and try
to intercept the enemy.
The orders were obeyed with such promptitude and exactness that the
pursuers reached the place appointed half an hour before the Frenchmen,
into whose boats, when they finally appeared, loaded down with their
plunder, they poured several deadly volleys, killing many of the oarsmen
and soldiers and throwing the party into confusion.
Pages:
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55