6?4 NATimAL AND CIVIL 



companies were assigned. At the desire of Ior(J 

 Loudon, they were continued in the service dur- 

 ing the winter as well as summer. They were 

 so eminently useful in ranging the woods, pro- 

 curing intelligence, and skirmishing with the 

 advanced parties of the enemy, that they were 

 put in the pay of the crown & after the war were 

 allowed Iialf pay on the British establishment.! 

 Among the officers, of the ranging compa- 

 nies, major Putnam, whose name became so 

 much celebrated in the American war, was at 

 that time much distinguished for his activity 

 and bravery. General Webb had formed a 

 high idea of his military character and enter- 

 prise, and had assigned to him the command of 

 a party of two huiKhT-d men, ^\'ho had been se- 

 lected to escort Webb from fort Edward to 

 William Kenry. Webb wished to examine the 

 state of the fortifications at lake George, and to 

 procure intelligence of the strength of the ene- 

 my at Ticonderoga and Crown Point. Several 

 attempts had been made in the night by major 

 Rogers, who was then at the head of the rang-, 

 ing companies, biit they had not succeeded. 

 Putnam proposed to proceed in the day time, 

 take with him but five men, land at the North- 

 west bay, send back his boats, and tarry himself 

 tin he could discover the state of the enemy's 

 troops and fortifications at Ticonderoga. Webb 

 tho'^ght this would be too dangerous an experi- 

 Uijnt, but permitted him to proceed with eigh- 

 tsfcen men in three whale boats. Putnam set 

 out with his volunteers, but before he arrived 

 at the Northwest bay, he discovered a body of 



■fBclfcBap'sMht.New Hamps-Qirc, vol 2. p. y^;-. 



