anxious to be relieved. I write on my
knee very cramped, and have lain in a waggon for three nights past,
one of which was very wet."

[No. 43.]

EXTRACT FROM THE MEMOIRS OF COLONEL RUFUS PUTNAM[243]

[Footnote 243: Washington's Chief Engineer in 1776.]

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF

The 31st of March 1776, I received General Washington's orders "to
march to New York by the way of Providence, to afford Governor Cooke
my best advice and assistance in the construction of the work there."
In this tour I went to visit Newport again, where I laid out some
additional works; on my return from Newport to Providence I met with
General Washington there, I believe the 6th of April, and obtained
leave to go by Brookfield to New York. I believe I tarried with my
family part of two days and then pushed for New York where I arrived
about the 20th. On my arrival at New York I was charged as chief
engineer with laying out and overseeing the works which were erected
during the campaign at New York, Long Island and their dependencies
with Fort Washington, Fort Lee, King's Bridge, etc., most of which,
but not all, appear in a plan of New York island etc., and
obstructions in the river, which accompanies Marshall's Life of
Washington. This was a service of much fatigue, for my whole time was
taken up from daylight in the morning until night in the business,
besides sometimes going in the night by water from New York to Fort
Washington.

September 8th 1776, a council of general officers had determined on
holding the City of New York. See General Washington's letter of that
date. On the 12th of September having been out with General Miflin, by
order of General Washington, to reconnoiter the country between
Kingsbridge and Morrisania and eastward, on our return we met with
General Washington near Harlem Heights, where we made our report to
him, in consequence of which a council of general officers was
convened, whose advice was the withdrawing the army from the
city,--see the General's letter of the 14th of September,--and this
measure was the salvation of the army, and which probably would not
have been but for the discoveries made by Miflin and myself.

My being appointed engineer by Congress was wholly unexpected. I had
begun to act in that capacity through pure necessity, and had
continued to conduct the business more from necessity and respect for
the General than from any opinion I had of my own abilities, or
knowledge of that art; tru