[Pamphlets. American history]

NATHANIEL RICE, E. Sudbury. Was in the fort; fired a musket
I took from the British at Concord 26 times. Saw Putnam riding
round, encou;aging the people to the utmostb before the battle and
during the battle.
JOSIAH CLEVELAND, of Canterbury, Conn. in'75, Putnam's Regt.
Helped build Redoubt; fought at rail fence. [In a detailed statement before Win. Stevenson, Esq. he says:J Went night of 16th;
halted at neck by Gen. Putnam and ordered to load with 2 balls;
to march in profound silence; Gen. Putnam at our head. There
was a consultation of officers on Bunker Hill. Gen. Putnam was
advanced to front; suppose he led us to Breed's Hill. Saw him
soon after arriving there. He ordered out a guard to the shore; I
went; returned at daylight; found Putnam and others directing the
works. He was doing this most part of the time till enemy landed
he then ordered Conn. and part of Mass. troops to make the breastwork at rail fence. Before fire of muskets began, Putnam ordered
us to lie down, and not to fire till we saw their buttons. An old soldier wanted to go off, he said, for water. Gen. Putnam told him, he
depended on him as one of his best soldiers; he persisted, and Gen.
Putnam ran his sword through or into his arm and made him return
to his duty. Fired 40 cartridges, borrowed 3 more. British had
several pieces of field artilllery; one of our pieces was used at the
rail fence. Knew Gen. Putnam very well.
SIMEON NoYEs, Salem, Little's Regt. was in the fort. He deposes before B. Merrill, Esq. Salem: —The bell was ringing, I know
not whether for 1 o'clock, or the alarm. Adjutant Jenkins rode up
and hallooed, C" Turn out! the enemy's all landed at Charlestown."
Col. Little and our Capt. went into the fort. Gen. Putnamn rode up
on his old white horse, and said to Lieut. Whitmore, the Capt. being out of hearing, 1 Draw off your men here (pointing to the rail
fence,) and man the rail fence; the enemy are flanking us fast." I
was an eye-witness of this. Gen. Putnam was nlot in the fort during
the engagement; he was riding to and fro in all parts of the line,
encouraging the men, pressing them forward, and giving orders to the
officers. He did not stop long in any one place. I saw him several
times during the battle. When we were retreating, he rode up to
us with his tent and tent-poles on his horse, and asked why we were
retreating. He said, we had been wishing to have the enemy
come out, and now we had retreated, and had left the tools for them
to fortify with;-that we ought to be ashamed of such conduct. But
our officers thought he was too fiery, and refused to go back as he
wished.