nd in
reprisal for the repeated outrages committed by Governor Tryon's
murderous marauders, he destroyed by fire several residences of noted
loyalists, and fell upon Colonel DeLancey's infamous "Cowboys," taking
seventy-five prisoners, including the Tory officer himself, who was
drawn out from beneath a bed, where he had taken refuge at the approach
of Putnam's scouts.

Washington himself had given Putnam the idea of descending upon New
York, some time before; but circumstances had changed, and along with
them the need for this diversion. Having satisfied himself with this
reconnoitering expedition, however, Old Put went back very amiably to
his post in the Highlands, and proceeded to carry out his commander's
instructions respecting the selection of a new fort for the defense of
the Hudson. In January, 1778, we find him at West Point, directing the
men of Parson's brigade where to break ground--frozen ground, at that,
with snow two feet deep above it--for the first fort at the picturesque
post on the Hudson since become historic. It was subsequently named Fort
Putnam, either after Old Put himself, or his cousin Rufus Putnam, whose
great natural talents as an engineer were subsequently availed of here,
as they had been before Boston, at Dorchester Heights.

About mid-February, Putnam wrote to Washington, who had been constantly
and urgently pressing him to complete the work without delay, that "the
batteries near the water, and the fort to cover them, are laid out. The
latter is, within walls, 600 yards around, 21 feet base, 14 feet high,
the talus two inches to the foot. This I fear is too large to be
completed by the time expected." Even his placid disposition was by this
time slightly ruffled at the scarcely veiled distrust of his
capabilities by his chief, who had veered about with the wind blowing
from New York, and seemed to trust him no longer. His letter begins
stiffly: "The state of affairs now at this post, you will please to
observe, is as follows," and after this business has been stated, he
goes on to give some of the reasons for delay. One of his regiments was
at White Plains, "under inoculation with the smallpox. Dubois's regiment
is unfit to be ordered on duty, there being not one blanket in the
regiment. Very few have either a shoe or a shirt, and most of them have
neither stockings, breeches, or overalls.... Several hundred men are
rendered useless, merely for want of necessary apparel, as no clothing