en having him
at bay. Within a few days was fought the decisive battle that brought
about Burgoyne's surrender, and when the news reached Sir Henry Clinton
he immediately set about returning to New York, there being no longer
any incentive for action in the Highlands. Putnam and Clinton, after
blowing up their two vessels in the river, had effected their retreat to
Fishkill, where they entrenched; but on learning of the British retreat
they moved down to their former positions.

The saying that "troubles never come singly" proved true for General
Putnam that month of October, 1777, for on the 14th he lost by death his
faithful wife, who had been with him at headquarters. Washington wrote
him, on being informed of the bereavement: "I am extremely sorry for the
death of Mrs. Putnam, and sympathize with you upon the occasion.
Remembering that all must die, and that she had lived to an honorable
age, I hope you will bear the misfortune with that fortitude and
complacency of mind that become a man and a Christian."

The surrender of Burgoyne left the north free from foes, and
consequently with no use for great numbers of soldiers, so that Putnam
was soon in command of more than nine thousand men, mainly drafts from
Gates's army. He was then determined to carry out his twice-frustrated
scheme of marching upon New York, and was pushing forward his plans with
great confidence, when there appeared a marplot on the scene in the
person of Colonel Alexander Hamilton, at that time aide-de-camp to
General Washington, who peremptorily ordered Putnam to forward all the
new arrivals to the Commander-in-Chief and fill their places with
militia.

The order was a verbal one and delivered by a slender "snip of a boy"
scarcely out of his teens, so it received scant attention from Old Put,
who went on with his plans, while Colonel Hamilton mounted a fresh horse
and posted off to Albany, where he had also great difficulty in
impressing General Gates with the need of Washington for the best men in
his command. But he succeeded in detaching a few regiments, and then
hastened back to Peekskill, there to find, to his surprise and
indignation, that Putnam still had all his men--and what was more,
seemed inclined to keep them with him.

"I am pained beyond expression," wrote this precocious youth to
Washington on the 10th of November, "to inform your Excellency
that, on my arrival here, I find everything has been neglected and