Putnam soon placed the city under martial law,
drafted all the citizens, except the Quakers, into the military service,
and put the place in the best posture for defense of which it was
capable. "There were foes within the city as well as foes without," for
the Tory element was strong in Philadelphia, and it was because of it
that Putnam was unable to cooperate with Washington when he dealt the
enemy the first of those telling blows at Trenton and Princeton. He
dared not withdraw his men from the city, even for a short absence, in
order to create a diversion while his Commander-in-Chief made the direct
attack. Had he done so, and also the other generals to whom were
entrusted the details of this affair, the Hessians might have been
entirely cut off in their retreat from Trenton and practically
destroyed. As it was, Putnam held to his command in Philadelphia, and
soon had the pleasure of entertaining some of the Hessian captives, for
whom he was obliged to provide quarters while passing through the city.
It must have fretted him vastly to be kept in Philadelphia while
Washington was pursuing the very tactics he himself would have used
against the enemy.
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