Lieutenants Putnam and Cleaves to Gen. Washington

v2:963

North River, October 9, 1776.

SIR: This is a copy of the proceedings on board the galley Independence.

On the 8th Colonel Tupper sent orders on board for Captain Baker to proceed on shore, and that there was no further business for him on board. On the 9th, at about seven A˙ M˙, we observed the ship below to be moving. We immediately called all hands. After seeing the other galley under way, we hove up and stood up the river after them, and when we got above the chevaux-de-frise spoke with Cook, and asked what he intended to do. He an swered that he did not know; but stood up the river, and said there was not water enough to go into the creek. The wind being moderate we gained ahead of them, which gave us encouragement to keep along. It soon after breezed up, and the, ship gained upon us fast, and, at about eleven A˙ M˙ they began to fire upon us with their bow-chasers. At about twelve they overreached us, which caused us to bear in shore, and at half-past one F˙ M˙ we run her on shore, first above Dobbs' s Ferry, where we had not time enough to get our people and things on shore in the boat, and the shipping began the fire which obliged us to swim on shore; but no lives lost, but part of their guns and chief of their baggage; and I observed the enemy to haul up their boats and man them, which they immediately dropped on stern and fired a broadside of grapeshot as we lay in the bushes, and immediately sent their boat on board with a warp, and hove her alongside.

From your most obedient servants,

JEREMIAH PUTNAM,
NATHANIEL CLEAVES,

LIEUTENANTS.

To His Excellency General Washington.