Historic leaves, volume 2, April, 1903 - January, 1904

[94] banner, have been unfurled on the hill as they were, and would Washington have visited the spot as he did, and would all the noted warriors and their soldiers who have been referred to have trod the soil, and would the beautiful park ever have been laid out, and the memorial tower ever have been built? Would Somerville have been what it justly claims to, be to-day?

My letter is already much too long, and yet there are certain other associations of the hill of which I fain would write. Putnam had with him while he was first stationed at Cambridgeport two sons, Israel and Daniel. Israel was in the battle, as well as his father. Daniel, who rose to be a prominent and highly esteemed citizen of Connecticut, wished also to accompany the expedition, thinking he might be of some use, though but a boy of fifteen. His father thought he could get on without him, and directed him to stay behind at the Inman House, his own headquarters. The son soon heard of the fight, and was anxious lest his father might have been hurt or killed, but was presently told that he was safe at Prospect Hill, and, accordingly, he went thither at once to find him. Long afterward he gave this account of the discovery: ‘There I found him about ten o'clock on the morning of June 18, dashing about among the workmen, throwing up intrenchments, and often placing a sod with his own hands. He wore the same clothes he had on when I left him thirty-eight hours before, and affirmed that he had never put them off or washed himself since, and we might well believe him, for the aspect of all bore evidence that he spoke the truth.’ Surely the scene must have somewhat resembled that of Lechmere Point, to which reference has been made, let go the weather and the thaw.

Putnam and his chief command on that hill were immediately and fully recognized by General Ward and the authorities at Cambridge, as if in that capacity he had brought out from the furnace of affliction the remnant that should be saved. Ward quickly reinforced him, sending him two, days after the battle not only ‘half of the Connecticut forces,’ but also ‘one-half by companies’ of the regiments of Colonels Nixon, Brewer, Scammans, Gerrish, Mansfield, Woodbridge, and Gardner. So tells us