The Military Journals of Two Private Soldiers, 1758-1775 | Page 9

our company and Captain
Holmes came back.
Wednes. 2. To day Jineral Limon came in of a scout & the men that
went with him and Rogers and putnom went of a scout with 14 or 15
hundred for 10 days[53] this day Craft died and was buried Stephen
Lyon come of scout.
[Footnote 53: Rogers says that, on his return from his attempt to
intercept the marauding party, he was met by an express, with orders to
march toward the head of Lake Champlain, at South and East bays, to
prevent the French marching upon Fort Edward. There he was joined
by Major Putnam and Captain Dalyell or D'Ell.]
Thurs. 3rd. Two of our men went out a fishing for 2 days but had poor
luck.

Friday 4th. We had orders to march to Fort Edward & I washed up my
clothes.
Sat. 5th. This morning about half our rigiment marched forward to
build brest Works along upon the road in some bad places we arived at
Fort Edward at 9 O clock & we Built 2 Brest works.
Sonday 6th. We drawd 3 days provision and this afternoon the Rest of
our Rigiment came down and the teams that went up the day Before we
received our pacet[54] of letters from home.
[Footnote 54: Packet.]
Monday 7th. Cap.n & all that were able to go were ordered to guard
down to Fort Miller and back again.
Tues. 8th. In the morning we were drawd out for work and worked the
fore noon then we were ordered to fix every Man in the rigiments to
make ready, to go out to help Majer putnom and we met them a coming
in about son down and we helpt them a long as far as we could & that
nite & lay out that nite & 3 of the wounded men died there and Ben
Deny for one.[55]
[Footnote 55: A severe engagement took place on Clear river, the west
branch of Wood creek, about a mile northwest from Fort Anne village
(then the site of a picketed blockhouse, called Fort Anne), between a
party of rangers and provincials under Rogers, Putnam, and Captain
Dalyell, or D'Ell, and about an equal number of French and Indians
under Molang, a famous partisan leader. The English troops were
marching when attacked: Putnam was in front, with the provincials;
Rogers was in the rear, with his rangers; and D'Ell in the centre, with
the regulars. Molang attacked them in front, and a powerful Indian
rushed forward and made Putnam a prisoner. The provincials were
thrown into great confusion, but were rallied by Lieutenant Durkee,
who was one of the victims of the Wyoming massacre twenty years
afterward. D'Ell, with Gage's light infantry, behaved very gallantly, and
the rangers finally put the enemy to flight. The latter lost about two
hundred men. Colonel Prevost, then in command at Fort Edward, sent

out three hundred men, with refreshments for the party, and all arrived
at Fort Edward on the 9th. This was the relief-party mentioned in the
text, under date of the 8th.]
Wed. 9th. We got in about 8 a clock & Buried the dead & the wounded
were dresd & carried over on the Island[56] Powers came up with a
load of Settlers[57] stores and treated us well.
[Footnote 56: This is an island in the Hudson, opposite Fort Edward,
and known as Rogers's island.]
[Footnote 57: Sutler's.]
Thur. 10th. I was cald out to work upon the Block house this day our
post went of home with our letters.
Friday 11th. We went up to guard teams to Half Way Brook and to
Build a Brest Work 36 Ox teams & 6 Wagons.
Sat. 12th. Colonel Phich[58] had a letter from Major putnom at
tiantiroge[59] he is taken prisoner.[60]
[Footnote 58: Fitch.]
[Footnote 59: Ticonderoga.]
[Footnote 60: The Indian who seized Putnam tied him to a tree, and for
a time he was exposed to the cross-fire of the combatants. His garments
were riddled by bullets, but, strange to say, not one touched his person.
He was carried away in the retreat, his wrists tightly bound with cords.
The Indians rejoiced over the capture of their great enemy, and he was
doomed to the torture. In the deep forest he was stripped naked, bound
to a sapling, wood was piled high around him, the death-songs of the
savages were chanted, and the torch was applied. Just then a heavy
shower of rain almost extinguished the flames. They were again
bursting forth with fiercer intensity, when a French officer, informed of
what was going on, darted through the crowd of yelling savages, and
released the prisoner. He was delivered to Montcalm at Ticonderoga,

then sent to Montreal, and, after being treated kindly, was exchanged
for a prisoner