Individual Details

Pomfret, Conn is now known as Brooklyn, Conn.

Major-General Continental Army. Moved in 1740 from Danvers to Mortlake, CT(Later included in town of Ponfret). Purchased 514 acres for 5 pounds/acre w/ his brother-in-law, Joseph Pope. Was 22 yrs old. Moved wife and son there. Wolf hunt was winter 1742-43. 1755 joined Capt Rodgers' Rangers in Fr-Ind War at 37 yrs. In May 1757 while at Ft. William Henry joined by Rufus his cousin who was 20 yrs younger. 1758 taken prisoner and tied to stake for burning. Rescued by French officers. Rose to rank of major. 1762 was i expeditionto Havana. 1774- Lt-Col of 11th Connecticut, then Major General Continental Army. 2nd in rank to Washington. Dec 1779 stricken with paralysis at 61 yrs old.


Have a picture of the original Putnam house, Danvers,MA, where Isreal born. Later known as Emerson Homestead.

He was great-grandson of John & Pricilla Putnam.

It is reported by some that he had 2 children out of wedlock: George and Augustus
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See vol III, Essex Inst, Hist. Coll. for family information.
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Israel Putnam was one of the four major-generals appointed by Congress. The record of this gallant, romantic, and dauntless officier is a brilliant page in history. He was born in Salem and died in Brooklyn, Conn.
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Israel Putnam married at Danvers and the house is still standing, where his eldest son Israel was born. He was fifty-seven and had retired to his farm when he received the news of the conflict at Lexington. At the Battle of Bunker Hill, he was a yoeman-warrior, fresh from the plow. He was one of the first four major generals appointed by Congress, and his record shows him to have been a patriot as noble in civil life as he was brave in battle. He died in 1790.
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From "Reminiscences of Worcester" which is in digital files
p 93-94
The celebrated revolutionary hero, Maj. Gen. Isreal Putnam, who was born in Salem in 1718, and removed to Pomfret, Ct, in 1739, and astonished the world by his daring exploits, was the tenth of eleven children of Joseph Putnam, above mentioned, by his wife Elizabeth Porter, making the two generals (Rufus and Israel) bear the relationship to each other of first and second cousins. Their relationship to the Attorney General, (James Putnam, loyalist , from Worcester) whose great-grandfather John was a brother of Israel's grandfather and Rufus' great-grandfather Thomas, was more distant. The story of "Old Put" is familiar to all. He died at Brooklyn, Ct, in 1790, leaving numerous descendants, of whom his son, Col. Israel, Jr., died in Belpre, Ohio, in 1812. His son, Rev. Daniel Putnam, and grandson, Rev Aaron Putnam, successively ministers at Pomfret, resided upon the old estate. The last one died in 1813, aged 79. On the morning of April 20, 1775, the startling news from Lexington and Concord, which reached Pomfret about eight o'clock, found Gen. Putnam at work plowing upon his farm, in leathern frock and apron, with his hired men, and son Daniel, then a lad of sixteen, the driver of his team, whom he left to unyoke his oxen in the furrow, and follow him not many days after to camp. Without stopping to change his clothes, the old hero left immediately for the scene of conflict, reaching Cambridge, through Worcester and Concord, by the old travelled route, early the next morning.
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders Putnam took part in the French and Indian War as a member of Rogers' Rangers, and later led a similar company of rangers from Connecticut. He was promoted to captain in 1756 and to major in 1758. In 1757 the Rangers were stationed on an island off Fort Edward. The following February, Putnam and his Rangers were still on Roger's Island, fire broke out in the row of barracks nearest the magazine. Although the danger of an explosion was imminent, Putnam took a position on the roof and Putnam poured bucket after bucket of water upon the flames, only descending when the buildings fell but a few feet from the magazine. In spite of his severe wounds he continued to fight the fire, dashing water upon the magazine until the fire was under control. Putnam was laid up for a month due to burns and exposure.[1]In 1759, Putnam led a regiment into the valley of death in the attack on Fort Carillon; and in 1760 he was with the British army that marched on Montreal. In 1762, he survived a shipwreck during the British expedition against Cuba that led to the capture of Havana.
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders In 1763 during Pontiac's Rebellion, Putnam was sent with reinforcements to relieve Pontiac's siege of Fort Detroit.He returned to Brooklyn, Connecticut to settle. Following the Seven Years' War, in 1765 Putnam publicly professed his Christian faith and joined the Congregational Church in his town. Putnam was among those who objected to British taxation policies. For instance, around the time of the Stamp Act crisis in 1766, he was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly and was one of the founders of the state's chapter of the Sons of Liberty. In the fall of 1765, Putnam threatened Thomas Fitch, the popularly elected Connecticut Governor, over this issue. He said that Fitch's house "will be leveled with the dust in five minutes" if Fitch did not turn over the stamp tax paper to the Sons of Liberty.
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders By the eve of the Revolution, Putnam had become a relatively prosperous farmer and tavern keeper, with more than a local reputation for his previous exploits. When Putnam received news of the Battle of Lexington & Concord he literally "came off the plow" to ride off to war again. Leaving his plow in the field, and without bothering to change his clothes, he mounted his horse and rode the 100 miles to Cambridge in 18 hours. Putnam was named major general, making him second in rank to General Artemas Ward in the Army of Observation, which preceded the founding of the Continental Army.
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders He was one of the primary figures at the Battle of Bunker Hill, both in its planning and on the battlefield. During that battle, Putnam may have ordered William Prescott to tell his troops "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" (It is debated exactly who said these words first; they are attributed to a number of officers). This command has since become one of the American Revolution's notable quotes. It was given to make the best use of the low ammunition stocks the troops had. Putnam joined the Continental Army when it was organized in July 1775; he was commissioned as colonel of the 3rd Connecticut Regiment, and later became brigadier of the Connecticut militia. The Battle of Bunker Hill must count as the greatest achievement in Putnam's life.
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders Israel Putnam built a very successful farm, with fruit trees and flocks of sheep, and at one point crawled into a wolf's den on his hands and knees to kill a wolf that had been eating his sheep. He went into the den's narrow passage with a torch in one hand, a musket in the other, and a rope tied to his feet leading to his friends outside so they could pull him out if things went wrong. Fortunately, his one shot from the musket got the wolf... He fought with Roger's Rangers in the French & Indian War, and at one point the Indians captured him, had tied him to a tree, and were going to burn him alive. Fortunately, a French officer came and rescued him in the nick of time.His birthplace in Danvers, known as the General Israel Putnam House, still stands.
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders For information on the Putnam Russet apple (particularly its introduction to Ohio by Lt. Gen. Israel Putnam's grandson) and the Putnam Farm in Pomfret, CT, see:The Western Farmerand Gardner 1846, C.E. Dickinson, author of “A History of Belpre” (1920), “A History of the Putnam Familyin England and America” written by Eben Putnam 1908, “The Book of Marietta” (1906), Ohio AgriculturalExperiment Station (1918), “A Standard History of the Hanging Rock Iron Region of Ohio” (1916), the“Twenty-first Annual Report of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture” (1866-7), Hildreth books (1852, 1864,1844, 1848), paper by Marilyn Logue from the Belpre Farmers Library “First in the Northwest Territory”, theMarket Growers Journals (1909), the Ohio Cultivator news (1847), and the “Ninth Session of the OhioPomological Society” (1859). For a summary of this information on the internet, see:http://mysare.sare.org/sare_project/fnc12-865/?page=final&view=print
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General Israel Putnam


Putnam Memorial State Park, Redding, Connecticut
Putnam Memorial State Park is named for Major General Israel Putnam who chose the site as the winter encampment for his men during the winter of 1778/1779. In 1969 at age 93, the sculptress Anna Hyatt Huntington donated the equestrian statue of General Israel Putnam which is situated at the entrance to the park. It depicts the horse going down steps. The legend states in February 1779, General Putnam escaped a cohort of British Dragoons by riding his horse down 100 stone steps at Horses Neck, Greenwich, Connecticut. Photo courtesy of Roy Klotz M.C. on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PUTNAM_MEMORIAL_STATE_PARK.jpg
statue in digital files
Comments

Elizabeth Karen Sanders Putnam Memorial State Park in Redding, CT (where this statue is located) has a museum and offers reenactments and other living-history events.- - -The plough that Israel Putnam left in the field when he went off to war is now on display at the Governor William A. O'Neill State Armory, which is just west of the Connecticut state capitol building in Hartford.Also on display there is his saddle.A second Putnam plough is on display at the visitor center of Putnam Memorial State Park in Redding, CT. It also has the bridle that was supposedly worn by his horse as he plunged over the precipice in Horseneck (Greenwich), CT in 1779.Further information is in a new book out on Israel Putnam (The first book written about him in over 100 years). The book is "Major General Israel Putnam: Hero of the American Revolution," by Robert Ernest Hubbard. See:https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=israel+putnam+hubbardThe book is an excellent biography of Israel Putnam, and also contains a lot of genealogical information on both him and other family members. The book is both scholarly and fun to read.
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General Israel Putnam - Obituary

7 June 1790
Hartford, Connecticut
in digital files
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General Israel Putnam - Dedication



North of the revolutionary war hero monument, a plaque on a boulder marks the site of Putnam’s Brooklyn farm and tavern. http://ctmonuments.net/2009/08/israel-putnam-monument-brooklyn/
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Family tree John & Priscilla Putnam with Gen. Israel Putnam and Gen. Rufus Putnam, page 1

in digital files
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General Israel Putnam
in digital files

Canterbury Road, Brooklyn, Connecticut
Revolutionary War hero Israel Putnam is honored with an equestrian monument at his burial site on Canterbury Road (Route 169) in Brooklyn, CT. Retrieved From: Connecticut History in Granite and Bronze http://ctmonuments.net/2009/08/israel-putnam-monument-brooklyn/
Elizabeth Karen Sanders When the Brooklyn Historical Society Museum opened for the 2007 season, it occupied the entire first floor of the building immediately behind the equestrian statue of General Israel Putnam at 25 Canterbury Road. This marked an important expansion. The exhibit space at the rear of the building which had housed the museum since 2000 became the General Putnam Gallery with two permanent exhibits dedicated to Brooklyn’s Revolutionary War hero: “Israel Putnam: Facets of a Hero” which tells about Putnam’s life as farmer, soldier, tavern owner, and folk hero and “General Israel Putnam Remembered” which tells the story of the creation of his imposing monument.
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Israel Putnam Statue - Bushnell Park, Hartford, CT.
in digital files
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID cph.3a08971.
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders This lithograph is in the collection of the Library of Congress.Artist: Fabronius, Dominique C.Created/PublishedBoston : Published for the Proprietor by D.C. Fabronius, 49 Studio Building, Tremont St., c 1864.For more information, see the Library of Congress web page:https://www.loc.gov/resource/pga.06331/Also, a nicely colorized version of it is on the cover of the book "Major General Israel Putnam: Hero of the American Revolution," by Robert Ernest Hubbard, 2017.
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Painting of Israel Putnam in digital files
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Israel Putnam house
in digital files
Israel Putnam Plaque


owned by the Danvers Historical Society, Danvers, Massachusetts
Israel Putnam birthplace.
Elizabeth Karen Sanders Built by Thomas Putnam circa 1648. His grandson, Israel Putnam (the famous Revolutionary War general), was born in the house.The house is located at 431 Maple St., Danvers, MA. It is owned by the Danvers Historical Society. For further info, see:http://www.danvershistory.org/buildings/putnam.html
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders This house was home to 12 generations of the Putnam family.
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Putnam House, Danvers, Massachusetts, owned by the Danvers Historical Society


Danvers, Massachusetts
Built by Thomas Putnam ca 1648. His grandson, Maj. Gen. Israel Putnam (Revolutionary War), was born in the house. It is located at 431 Maple St., Danvers, MA, and owned by the Danvers Historical Society. See: http://www.danvershistory.org/buildings/putnam.html
Elizabeth Karen Sanders This house was home to 12 generations of the Putnam family.
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders There are several colonial homes of the Putnam family still standing in Massachusetts. 1. Home of Lt. Thomas Putnam (1614-1686), in Danvers, MA. This was the birthplace of Israel Putnam, the colorful Revolutionary War general. The home is owned by the Danvers Historical Society. See: http://www.danvershistory.org/buildings/putnam.html2. Home of Rev. Daniel Putnam (1696-1759) who was the grandson of Lt. Thomas Putnam's brother, Nathaniel. The house is the headquarters of the North Reading Historical and Antiquarian Society. For further info, see the society's website: http://nreadinghistory.org/Properties.html3. Home of Dea. Edward Putnam, Jr. (1682-1753), who was Lt. Thomas Putnam's grandson is in Middleton, MA.4. Home of Edward Putnam (1711-1800), who was the son of Dea. Edward Putnam, Jr. is in Sutton, MA. It is now a B&B. See: http://www.putnamhousebandb.com/5. Home of Revolutionary War General Rufus Putnam (1738-1824), who was Lt. Thomas Putnam's great-grandson, in Rutland, MA. It is now a B&B. See:http://www.rufusputnamhouse.com/frame.htm

in digital files
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Putnam_House,_Danvers,_Massachusetts_-_side_view
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General Putnam birthplace, Danvers, Massachusetts
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Putnam House, showing the 18th century gambel addition, now the front facade
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Putnam house, 431 Maple St, Danvers
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Putnam-House
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Thomas Putnam house on 431 Maple Street in Danvers, Massachusetts.

The original center of the house was built about 1648 by Lt. Thomas Putnam.
The Gambel addition (the right wing of the house) was added by David Putnam in the mid-eighteenth century.
The Putnam House in Danvers was the home to twelve generations of Putnams.
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Putnam_House_-_east_and_west_elevations
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Maj Gen Putnam Grave Marker



Initial above ground tomb, 3 1/2 feet tall. Inscription: Sacred be this monument to the memory of Israel Putnam, Esqr. Sienier Major General in the Armies of the United States of America, who was born at Salem, in the Provence of Massachusetts, on the seventh day of January AD 1718 and died on the twenty ninth day of May AD 1790. Passenger if thou art a soldier, drop a tear over the dust of a hero, who ever attentive to the lives and happiness of his men dared to lead, where any dared to follow. If a Patriot, remember, the distinguished and gallant service rendered by the Patriot who sleeps beneath this marble. If thou art Honest, generous, and worthy render a cheerful tribute of respect to a man whose generosity was singular, whose honesty was proverbial. Who raised himself to universal esteem and offices of eminent distinction by personal worth and a useful life.
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Israel Putnam 2
Elizabeth Karen Sanders The original of this painting hangs in the Connecticut State Capitol, in Hartford, CT.
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders Actually, not any more. It's been moved. It is now in the Museum of Connecticut History, 231 Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT 06106.This portrait of Major General Israel Putnam is by Harry Ives Thomspon.The portrait, based upon a pencil sketch done from life by the artist John Trumbull, was painted specifically to be included in the Connecticut exhibit at the 1876 Centennial Exposition. It also hung in Connecticut buildings at later fairs and expositions. Several late-19th and early 20th-century Connecticut governors had it hanging in their rooms at the State Capitol.It is now in the Museum of Connecticut History, 231 Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT 06106
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Israel Putnam, Portrait 3
Elizabeth Karen Sanders "Israel Putnam" engraved after a picture by Alonzo Chappel, published in The National Portrait Gallery of Eminent Americans, 1856.
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General Israel Thomas Putnam

1790

General Israel Putnam, American Hero
Israel Putnam
 (January 7, 1718 – May 29, 1790) was an American army general who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775) during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). Although Putnam never quite attained the national renown of more famous heroes such as Davy Crockett or Daniel Boone, in his own time his reckless courage and fighting spirit were known far beyond Connecticut's borders through the circulation of folk legends celebrating his exploits.  
Putnam was born in Salem Village (now Danvers), Massachusetts, to Joseph and Elizabeth Putnam, a prosperous farming family of Salem witch trials fame. His birthplace, Putnam House, still exists. In 1740, at the age of 22, he moved to Mortlake (now Pomfret) in northeastern Connecticut where land was cheaper and easier to obtain.
By the eve of the Revolution he had become a relatively prosperous farmer and tavern keeper, with more than a local reputation for his previous exploits. Between 1755 and 1765, Putnam participated in campaigns against the French and Indians as a member of Rogers' Rangers, as well as with regular British forces. He was promoted to captain in 1756 and to major in 1758.
As the commander of the Connecticut force in 1758, Putnam was sent to relieve Pontiac’s siege of Detroit. He was captured by the Caughnawaga Indians during a New York State campaign, and was saved from being roasted alive, after being bound to a tree, only by the last-minute intervention of a French officer.
In 1759, Putnam led a regiment in the attack on Fort Ticonderoga and later at Montreal. In 1762, he survived a shipwreck during the British expedition against Cuba that led to the capture of Havana. It is believed that Major Putnam returned to New England from Cuba with Cuban tobacco seeds that he planted in the Hartford area resulting in the development of the renowned Connecticut Wrapper agricultural product.
Putnam was outspoken against British taxation policies and around the time of the Stamp Act crisis in 1766, he was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly and was one of the founders of the Connecticut Sons of Liberty.
In the fall of 1765 Putnam threatened Thomas Fitch, the popularly elected Connecticut Governor, promising that Fitch's house "will be leveled with the dust in five minutes" if Fitch did not turn over the stamp tax paper to the Sons of Liberty. (Colonel David Humphreys, Aid De Camp to Gen. Washington, The Life and Heroic Exploits of Israel Putnam, Major- General in the Revolutionary War. Hartford: Silas Andrus and Son. 1847. pp.68 Stanford University Library
On April 20, 1775, when Putnam received news of the Battle of Lexington that started the day before, he left his plow in the field and rode 100 miles in eight hours, reaching Cambridge the next day and offering his services to the Patriot cause.[citation needed] He joined the Continental Army and was appointed colonel of the 3rd Connecticut Regiment and subsequently, brigadier of the Connecticut militia. Shortly after the Battle of Lexington, Putnam led the Connecticut militia to Boston and was named major general, making him second in rank to his Chief in the Continental Army. He was one of the primary figures at the Battle of Bunker Hill, both in its planning and on the battlefield. During that battle Putnam may have ordered his troops "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" (It is debated whether Putnam or Colonel William Prescott uttered these words). This command has since become one of the American Revolution's more memorable quotes. This order was important, because his troops were low on ammunition. He progressed to temporary command of the American forces in New York, while waiting for the arrival of the commander-in-chief, Lieutenant General George Washington, on April 13, 1776. The Battle of Bunker Hill must count as the greatest achievement in Putnam’s life, for thereafter, his fortunes took a downturn at the Battle of Long Island (1776), where he was forced to effect a hasty retreat. Washington did not blame Putnam for this failure as some in the Second Continental Congress did. However, Washington reassessed the abilities of his general and assigned him to recruiting activities. In 1777 Putnam received another, though lesser, military command in the Hudson Highlands. With future Vice-President Aaron Burr in his charge, Putnam abandoned Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton to the British, and was brought before a court of inquiry for those actions. However, he was exonerated of any wrongdoing. During the winter of 1778-1779, Putnam and his troops were encamped at the present-day site of the Putnam Memorial State Park inRedding, Connecticut. In December 1779, Putnam suffered a paralyzing stroke, which ended his military service.
Putnam died in Brooklyn, Connecticut in 1790, and was buried in an above-ground tomb in Brooklyn's South Cemetery. Within a few years, however, so many people visited Putnam's tomb that the badly-mutilated marble marker was removed for safe keeping to the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford. In 1888, Putnam's remains were removed from the Brooklyn cemetery and placed in a sarcophagus built into the foundation of a monument, newly erected on a plot of ground near the Brooklyn town green.
In the early days of the war, Putnam was regarded by Washington as one of America's most valuable military assets, but this view was probably based primarily upon earlier exploits from his colorful past. In the War for Independence, however, Putnam proved to be incapable of commanding complex campaigns, which sharply reduced his value to the cause.
Today there are many places named for Israel Putnam. Eight Putnam Counties, including Putnam County, New York, which embraces the east bank of the Hudson Highlands he once held command over, bear his name, as does a Brooklyn, New York elementary school. Only miles north of his monument in Brooklyn, CT, is the town and city of Putnam, named after this famous hero. There is also an East Putnam Avenue in Greenwich, Connecticut which is named after the path in which he retreated from British forces; Putnam's cottage, an eighteenth century residence that may have served as a tavern at the time of Putnam's escape, is located on this avenue. There is also Putnam State Park, located in Redding, Connecticut, and a Putnam County Tennessee.
General Putnam is an ancestor to famed 20th century newsman and former Marine Corp Officer George Putnam. 
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Birth: Jan. 7, 1718
Salem
Essex County
Massachusetts, USA
Death: May 19, 1790

Revolutionary War Continental Major General. He was not a great military leader nor a great leader of the people but was the epitome of spirit, courage and sacrifice shown by average men who helped America succeed in Colonial times and gain its independence. Many of his exploits are mythical and barely believable. He was born on his father's farm in an area which today is Danvers, Massachusetts, the tenth of eleven children. The little education he received was from a little local country school. Married at twenty and was soon a large land owner in the area between the villages of Pomfret and Brooklyn in Connecticut which became known as the 'Putnam Farm.' Industrious Israel Putnam soon had a farm bristling with fruit trees with herds of sheep and goats. During the French and Indian War, Putnam offered his services and was given the rank of captain becoming a member of a Ranger band where he served as a scout with great distinction. Returning to his Connecticut farm and while plowing, a messenger came with the news of the British attack. Putnam left his plow, rushing off to join the Americans in the fight for Independence. During ensuring battles, he was a hero at Bunker Hill. However; Washington blamed him for losses when in command on Long Island for responding too late to orders. In a subsequent battle, he suffered a stroke and his military life was over. He spent the last years of his life on his farm in Connecticut dying some eleven years later of acute inflammatory disease. After a religious funeral mingled with military honors and a eulogy delivered by a personal friend, he was interred in the Brooklyn cemetery. The tomb was three feet high, constructed of brick and across the top a marble slab with a lengthy epitaph by Rev Timothy Dwight who became the President of Yale. In 1888, General Putnam's remains were removed and reburied under a new bronze equestrian statue in Brooklyn, Connecticut. The original epitaph was emblazoned upon the new monument. The original grave stone is under glass and can be seen in the north alcove of the Connecticut State Capital in Hartford. Epilogue: Some of the stories told about Israel. These are but a few excerpts from my primary New England school reader- Upon his first visit to Boston, he thrashed a lad bigger and older than himself for sneering at the rustic style of his homespun garments; His father sent him to drive home a young bull recently purchased. The bull resisted and Putnam put on a pair of spurs, jumped out from behind a tree, jumped upon its back and rode the animal home. Then we have the sheep and goat story - A wolf was wantonly destroying the animals of farmers in the region. Putnam tracked the wolf to a rocky cave. Many ways were attempted to dislodge the predator. Then Israel crawled into the cave, tethered to a rope, his only light was a birch-bark torch. The wolf glared at him out of the darkness and growled menacelly. He was drawn out hurriedly severely cut and bruised. Loading his musket, he went in again and shot the wolf. After being drawn out, he went in a third time and emerged dragging the creature by the ears-And a final: During the French and Indian War, Putnam was captured by a band of Indians, bound to a tree with twigs and branches place about him. The red men danced around and began to yell and scream while setting fire to the brushwood. Amazingly, a French officer rushed in, cut the ropes saving him from a fiery death. (bio by: Donald Greyfield (inactive)) 
 
Family links: 
 Children:
  Israel Putnam (1739 - 1812)*
Burial:
South Cemetery *
Brooklyn
Windham County
Connecticut, USA
*Former burial location
 
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Originally Created by: David Simpson
Record added: Aug 10, 2008 
Find A Grave Memorial# 28916329

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Israel Putnam was born in Salem Village (now Danvers), Mass. to a prosperous farming family. In 1740, Putnam left Massachusetts for northeast Connecticut where land was cheaper and easier to obtain. He served with the Connecticut militia during the French and Indian Wars beginning in 1755 and rose to the rank of major by 1758. Putnam led a regiment in the attack on Fort Ticonderoga in 1759 and was part of the expedition that captured Havana, Cuba in 1762. Around the time of the Stamp Act crisis in 1766, Putnam was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly and was one of the founders of the Connecticut Sons of Liberty. Shortly after the Battle of Lexington, Putnam led the Connecticut militia to Boston and was named major general in the Continental Army. Putnam was one of the primary figures at the Battle of Bunker Hill, both in its planning and on the battlefield. After the British left Boston, Putnam went to New York and assumed command there until George Washington arrived. Putnam was involved in the planning of the Battle of Long Island in 1776, which resulted in a sound American defeat. Putnam was often at odds with George Washington and served only until December 1779 before he suffered a stroke, which forced him to end his military career.
 
Sources: Garraty, John A. and Carnes, Mark C., eds. American National Biography. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Stephen, Leslie and Lee, Sidney, eds.
 
The Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1921-1922.
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From http://virtualology.com/revolutionarywarhall/ISRAELPUTNAM.ORG/ ( much more there)
PUTNAM, Israel, soldier, born in that part of the town of Salem, Massachusetts, which has since been set off as the town of Danvers, 7 January, 1718; died in Brooklyn, Connecticut, 19 May, 1790. His great-grandfather, John Putnam, with his wife, Priscilla, came from England in 1634, and settled in Salem. They brought with them three sons, Thomas, Nathanael, and John. All three acquired large estates, and were men of much consideration. 

In 1681, of the total tax levied in Salem village, raised from ninety-four tax-payers, for the support of the local church, the three Putnams paid one seventh. In 1666 Thomas Putnam married, for his second wife, the widow of Nathanael Veren, a wealthy merchant and ship-owner. By this marriage he acquired wealth in Jamaica and Barbados. Joseph, the son of this marriage, was born in 1670, and at the age of twenty married Elizabeth, daughter of Israel Porter. In the witchcraft frenzy of 1692, Joseph's sister was one of the accused, and only saved herself by fleeing to the wilderness and hiding till the search was given up. The Putnam family has always been prominent in the history of Salem and its neighborhood.Of the 74 recording clerks of the parish of Danvers, 24 have been Putnams ; and this family has furnished 15 of the 23 deacons, 12 of the 26 treasurers, and 7 of the 18 superintendents of the Sabbath-school. In 1867, of the 800 voters in Danvers, 50 were Putnams 

Israel Putnam, son of Joseph and Elizabeth, was the tenth of eleven children. At the age of twenty he married Hannah, daughter of Joseph Pope, of Salem village. In 1739 Israel and his brother-in-law, John Pope, bought of Governor Belcher 514 acres in Mortlake manor, in what is now Windham county, Connecticut By 1741 Israel had bought out his brother-in-law and become owner of the whole tract. The Mortlake manor formed part of the township of Pomfret, but as early as 1734 it was formed into a distinct parish, known as Mortlake parish. In 1754 its name was changed to Brooklyn parish, and in 1786 it was set off as a separate township under the name of Brooklyn. The old Putnam farm is on the top of the high hill between the villages of Pomfret and Brooklyn. 
 For many years Israel Putnam devoted himself to the cultivation of this farm, and it was considered one of the finest in New England. He gave especial attention to sheep-raising and to fruits, especially winter apples. 

In 1733 the town sustained four public schools; in 1739 there was a public circulating library; and in the class of 1759, at Yale college, ten of the graduates were from Pomfret. These symptoms of high civilization were found in a community not yet entirely freed from the assaults of wild beasts. By 1735 all the wolves of the neighborhood seem to have been slain save one old female that for some seasons more went on ravaging the farm-yards. Her lair was not far from Putnam's farm, and one night she slew sixty or seventy of his fine sheep. Perhaps no incident in Putnam's career is so often quoted as his share in the wolf-hunt, ending in his descending into the dark, narrow cave, shooting his enemy at short range, and dragging her forth in triumph. It was the one picturesque event in his life previous to 1755, when Connecticut was called upon for 1,000 men to defend the northern approaches to New York against the anticipated French invasion. This force was commanded by Major-General Phineas Lyman, and one of its companies was assigned to Putnam, with the rank of captain. 

Putnam was present at the battle of Lake George, in which William Johnson won his baronetcy by defeating Dieskau. He became one of the leading members of the famous band of Rangers that did so much to annoy and embarrass the enemy during the next two years. In 1757 he was promoted major. Among the incidents illustrating his personal bravery, those most often quoted are--first, his rescue of a party of soldiers from the Indians by steering them in a bateau down the dangerous rapids of the Hudson near Fort Miller ; and, secondly, his saving Fort Edward from destruction by fire, at the imminent risk of losing his life in the flames. In a still more terrible way he was brought into peril from fire. In August, 1758, he was taken prisoner in a sharp skirmish near Wood creek, and after some preliminary tortures, his savage captors decided to burn him alive. He had been stripped and bound to the tree, and the flames were searing his flesh, when a French officer, Captain Molang, came rushing through the crowd, scattered the firebrands, cuffed and upbraided the Indians, and released their victim. 

Putnam was carried to Montreal, and presently freed by exchange. In 1759 he was promoted lieutenant-colonel, and put in command of a regiment. In 1760 he accompanied General Amherst in his march from Oswego to Montreal. In descending the St. Lawrence it became desirable to dislodge the French garrison from Fort Oswegatchie; but the approach to this place was guarded by two schooners, the larger of which mounted twelve guns, and was capable of making serious havoc among the English boats. " I wish there were some way of taking that infernal schooner," said Amherst. " All right," said Putnam; "just give me some wedges and a mallet, and half-a-dozen men of my own choosing, and I'll soon take her for you." The British general smiled incredulously, but presently authorized the adventurous Yankee to proceed. In the night Putnam's little party, in a light boat with muffled oars, rowed under the schooner's stern and drove the wedges between the rudder and the stern-post so firmly as to render the helm unmanageable. Then going around under the bow, they cut the vessel's cable, and then rowed softly away. Before morning the helpless schooner had drifted ashore, where she struck her colors ; the other French vessel then surrendered, thus uncovering the fort, which Amherst soon captured. 

  In 1762 Colonel Putnam accompanied General Lyman in the expedition to the West Indies, which, after frightful sufferings, ended in the capture of Havana. In 1764 he commanded the Connecticut regiment in Bradstreet's little army, sent to relieve Detroit, which Pontiac was besieging. At the end of the year he returned home, after nearly ten years of rough campaigning, with the full rank of colonel. In 1765 his wife died, leaving the youngest of their ten children an infant about a year old. In 1767 Colonel Putnam married Deborah, widow of John Gardiner, with whom he lived happily until her death in 1777. There were no children by this second marriage. Colonel Putnam united with the church in Brooklyn, 19 May, 1765. For the next ten years his life was uneventful. During this period he used his house as an inn, swinging before the door a sign-board on which were depicted the features of General Wolfe. This sign is now in the possession of the Connecticut historical society at Hartford. In the winter of 1772-'3 he accompanied General Lyman in a voyage to the mouth of the Mississippi, and up that river to Natchez, where the British government had granted some territory to the Connecticut troops who had survived the dreadful West India campaign. In the course of this voyage they visited Jamaica and Pensacola. 
 After 1765 Colonel Putnam was conspicuous among the "Sons of Liberty " in Connecticut.
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Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut, Vol. I-IV

(XX) General Israel Putnam , son of Joseph Putnam , was born January 7, 1718 , died in Brooklyn, Connecticut , May 29, 1790 , after an illness of two days. The house in which he was born was built by Thomas Putnam and is still standing. He had a rather meagre education in the common schools. When he came of age a portion of his father's farm at Danvers was set off to him and he built upon it a small house, the cellar of which remains to mark the site. But soon afterward he removed to Pomfret, Connecticut , where, with his brother-in-law, John Pope , he bought of Governor Jonathan Belcher a tract of five hundred acres, of which in 1741 he 1162 became the sole owner. It was in the district known as Mortlake Manor and in 1786 was incorporated as the town of Brooklyn . His first house there long ago disappeared, but the larger frame house that he built later is still standing and one of the points of interest to all tourists and patriotic Americans. He cleared his farm and planted fine orchards. The great shade trees of Brooklyn were planted largely through his initiative and influence. He was not only a thrifty and prosperous farmer, but from first to last an earnest and helpful friend of the town and colony in which he lived. The cave into which he crawled on his hands and knees to shoot a wolf that had annoyed the neighborhood is sought by many visitors. The story is familiar to every school child since the revolution. His military career began in the French and Indian war. He was commissioned captain in Colonel Lyman 's regiment, General William Johnson 's command, and fought first at Fort Edward and Lake George in 1755 . He served again with distinction in the campaign of 1756 in the same regiment. In 1757 he was commissioned major and was at Fort Edward . In 1758 he and Major Rogers , the famous ranger, were taken prisoners and he was tied to a tree and a fire lighted at his feet. But before the fire reached the intended victim he was released by the timely arrival of a chief of the tribe whom he had treated kindly while a prisoner. The wounds that were inflicted upon him during the torture before the burning, however, left scars that time never erased. He was taken to Montreal , suffering further indignities and torture on the way. He was relieved through the intercession of General Peter Schuyler , who was also a prisoner. In 1759 Putnam was made a lieutenant-colonel, and served under General Amherst at Ticonderoga and Crown Point in 1759 , and in 1760 in the expedition against Montreal , which capitulated without a defence. He commanded a regiment in the West Indies afterward, and in 1764 , under Colonel Bradstreet , marched to Detroit with a Connecticut regiment against the Indians.
He returned to his farm in 1764 and for a time kept a tavern in his spacious dwelling house. He was honored with various offices of trust and responsibility. He served on important commitees, was moderator often; was thrice selectman of Pomfret and deputy to the general assembly. In the winter of 1772-73 he went with General Lyman and others to examine a tract of land on the Mississippi near Natchez , given by the British government to the soldiers who had fought in the West Indies . They also visited Jamaica and the harbor of Pensacola . A diary that he kept during this trip has been preserved.
In the trying days before the revolution he became active in resisting the obnoxious measures of the home government. In 1774 an exaggerated rumor reached him of depredations of the British in the neighborhood of Boston , which he had recently visited, where-upon he aroused the citizens of his state to a fiery determination to avenge the attack. Thousands were quickly on their way to Massachusetts , but they returned and the excitement subsided, when it was learned that the rumor had little foundation. The news of the battle of Lexington arrived at Pomfret next day. Putnam was ploughing with his sixteen-year-old son Daniel , who afterward wrote: "He loitered not, but left me, the driver of his team, to unyoke it in the furrow, and not many days after to follow him to camp." He set out on horseback in the afternoon of the twentieth and was in Cambridge the following morning. He wrote under date of April 21 , at Concord , a report of the situation to Colonel Ebenezer Williams , calling for six thousand troops from his state, and he soon returned to recruit and organize the quota from Connecticut , the provincial congress of which appointed him brigadier-general. In one week he started back. He served at one time as commander-in-chief in the temporary absence of General Ward , and on another occasion led a force of twenty-two hundred men from the Massachusetts and New Hampshire troops to Charlestown on a reconnoiter. On May 27 he commanded a party of Provincials sent to Chelsea , captured a British schooner, which attacked him, only one American being killed and four wounded, while twenty British were killed and fifty wounded. General Putnam was accompanied by Dr. Joseph Warren , and on June 6 these two represented the Americans in an exchange of prisoners with the enemy. Continental congress raised him to the rank of major-general, June 19 , not having heard of the battle of Bunker Hill two days earlier. He was the officer in command at Bunker Hill , the story of which is too well known to be repeated here. General Putnam 's commission was brought by Washington when he came to Cambridge to take command and he gave Putnam command of the centre at Cambridge , and when Boston was evacuated Putnam 's command was sent to New York . He took part in the battle of Long Island . After the retreat Washington assigned to Putnam command of the city of New York to Fifteenth street. He was in the battle of Harlem Heights and later 1163 in the battle of White Plains , taking a prominent part. Putnam commanded Philadelphia in 1777 and later was stationed on the Hudson river .
In 1778 he was again in West Point, and in the winter he was posted at Danbury with three brigades. In this region he made his famous dash on horseback down a precipice to escape capture by a superior force of British under General Tryon . He took an active part in the campaign of 1779 and superintended the completion of the defences at West Point. During the winter he visited his family and on his return he suffered a stroke of paralysis, which closed his military career. Though he lived ten years afterward, and lived to see the birth of the new nation, he was never able to return to the army. In 1786 he paid a visit to his old friends in Danvers .
He died October 29, 1790 , and was buried with military and Masonic honors. His epitaph, written by Rev. Dr. Timothy Dwight , president of Yale College, states: "He dared to lead where any dared to follow," and his "generosity was singular and his honesty was proverbial," and "he raised himself to universal esteem and offices of eminent distinction, by personal worth and a useful life." Judge Judah Dana , a distinguished grandson, wrote of General Putnam : "In his person, for height about middle size, very erect, thickset, muscular and firm in every part. His countenance was open, strong and animated; the features of his face large, well-proportioned to each other and to his whole frame; his teeth fair and sound till death. His organs and senses were all exactly fitted for a warrior; he heard quickly, saw to an immense distance, and though he sometimes stammered in conversation, his voice was remarkably heavy, strong and commanding. Though facetious and dispassionate in private, when animated in the heat of battle his countenance was fierce and terrible, and his voice like thunder. His whole manner was admirably adapted to inspire his soldiers with courage and confidence, and his enemies with terror. The faculties of his mind were not inferior to those of his body; his penetration was acute; decision rapid, yet remarkably correct; and the more desperate the situation the more collected and undaunted. With the courage of a lion, he had a heart that melted at the sight of distress; he could never witness suffering in any human being without becoming a sufferer himself. Martial music roused him to the highest pitch, while solemn, sacred music rent him into tears. In his disposition he was open and generous almost to a fault, and in his social relations he was never excelled."
He married (first) at Danvers , July 19, 1739 , Hannah Pope , who was baptized September 3, 1721 , died September 6, 1765 , daughter of Joseph and Mehitable (Putnam) Pope , of Danvers . He married (second) June 3, 1767 , Deborah (Lothrop) Gardner , widow of John Gardner and Rev. Ephraim Avery respectively, and daughter of Samuel and Deborah (Crow) Lothrop , of Norwich . She died at Putnam 's headquarters at Fishkill on the Hudson , October 14, 1777 . Children, all by first wife: 1. Israel , born January 28, 1740 . 2. David , March 10, 1742 , died young. 3. Hannah , August 25, 1744 . 4. Elizabeth , March 20, 1747 , died young. 5. Mehitable , October 21, 1749 . 6. Mary , May 10, 1753 . 7. Eunice , January 10, 1756 . 8. Daniel , November 18, 1759 , mentioned below. 9. David , October 14, 1761 . 10. Peter Schuyler , December 31, 1764 .
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putnammonapaul Re General Israel Putnam, I Paul Robert Putnam, have inherited, one of his swords.: The sword was handed down via way of several members of the Putnam familys.That has brought me closer to him, as one of the last to enjoy having the swordin my possession.
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Saved from being Burned at the Stake

1758
Glens Falls
As the commander of the Connecticut force in 1758, Putnam was sent to relieve Pontiac’s siege of Detroit. He was captured by the Caughnawaga Indians during a New York State campaign, and was saved from being roasted alive, after being bound to a tree, only by the last-minute intervention of a French officer.
in digital files
PAINTER:Ferris, Jean Leon Gerome 1863-1930MEDIUM:OilTYPE:PaintingsOWNER/LOCATION:Continental Insurance Co 333 Glen Street Glens Falls New York 12801
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General Israel Putnam, posthumous portrait by Ann Hall, after_painting by John Trumball, undated
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Maj. Gen. Israel Putnam, statue by John Quincy Adams Ward



Statute of Israel Putnam, sculpted by John Quincy Adams Ward in 1873. Located in Bushnell park, near the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford, CT.
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Putnam Farm


Brooklyn, Connecticut
The Israel Putnam Farm is a historic farm on Spaulding Road in Brooklyn, Connecticut. It was the centerpiece of a vast landholding in the mid-18th century by Major General Israel Putnam, a major colonial-era military figure who saw action in both the French and Indian War and in the American Revolutionary War. The oldest portion of the house, a 2-1/2 story wood frame structure eight bays in width, was built c. 1750 to accommodate Putnam's growing family, and was the second he built, having purchased 500 acres (200 ha) of land from Massachusetts Governor Jonathan Belcher in 1739. The house Putnam built was doubled in size in the early 19th century. For further info, see the Wikipedia article on Putnam Farm.
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders The Putnam Farm is now used as a working farm and educational facility by The Learning Clinic (TLC) Rolling Ridge Residential & Country Day School. See:http://www.thelearningclinic.org/farm-program/

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"Putnam's Cottage"


Greenwich, Connecticut
This was actually Knapp's Tavern. The house has long been associated with General Israel Putnam and his heroic escape from the British during the Revolutionary War. By the middle of the 19th century, the link was firmly established in the community. The house was opened to the public on the centennial of Putnam's ride and filled with relics from the colonial era. The house was opened as a museum in 1906 under the name Putnam Cottage. Generations of visitors have come to know the building by this name. In actuality, the name is misleading. Putnam's association with the building highlights just a brief moment in its history and the term cottage would not have been used to describe such a substantial building in the 17th century. The house is a museum and includes various Putnam relics in its collection. For further info: Israel Putnam House Association 243 East Putnam Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830
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Putnam Farm, Brooklyn, CT


Brooklyn, CT
Maj. Gen. Israel Putnam was a very successful farmer in Brooklyn, Connecticut. He was known for his apples and flocks of sheep.

Elizabeth Karen Sanders See Wikipedia article on the Putnam Russet apple (aka Roxbury Russet apple).
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders The Israel Putnam Farm is a historic farm on Spaulding Road (about 1/2 mile east of Pomfret Road) in Brooklyn, Connecticut. It was the centerpiece of a vast landholding in the mid-18th century by Major General Israel Putnam. The oldest portion of the house, a 2-1/2 story wood frame structure eight bays in width, was built c. 1750 to accommodate Putnam's growing family, and was the second he built, having purchased 500 acres of land from Massachusetts Governor Jonathan Belcher in 1739. The house Putnam built was doubled in size in the early 19th century. For further info, see the Wikipedia article on Putnam Farm.
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders The Putnam Farm is now used as a working farm and educational facility by The Learning Clinic (TLC) Rolling Ridge Residential & Country Day School. See:http://www.thelearningclinic.org/farm-program/
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General Israel Putnam Privy, Brooklyn, CT
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Israel Putnam Plaque, Greenwich, CT
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Putnam Wolf Den, Mashamoquet Brook State Park, Where Israel Putnam killed a wolf in 1742



Israel Putnam, with a rope tied around his feet (so he could be pulled out by his friends), crawled inside this den to kill a wolf. See the story in the Gallery (above)for details.
Elizabeth Karen Sanders Israel Putnam built a very successful farm, with fruit trees and flocks of sheep, and at one point crawled into this wolf's den on his hands and knees to kill a wolf that had been eating his sheep. He went into the den's narrow passage with a torch in one hand, a musket in the other, and a rope tied to his feet leading to his friends outside so they could pull him out if things went wrong. Fortunately, his one shot from the musket got the wolf...
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Joseph 2

Christopher Taylor Thank you for posting this. Could you tell me which book this and your Joseph Pope 1687 post come from?
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Marianne Linehan Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
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winddancer8088 Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts, by William Cutter
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omeganujudyn Found as part of Ancestry.com shared from other families.
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Putnam Russet Apples


Brooklyn, Connecticut
The Putnam Russet is an apple cultivar, believed to be the oldest apple cultivar bred in the United States, having first been discovered and named just 20 years after the Pilgrims in the former Town of Roxbury, part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony southwest of (now part of) Boston. It is known by several other names including ' Roxbury Russet,' 'Boston Russet', and 'Sylvan Russet'.
Elizabeth Karen Sanders Maj. Gen. Israel Putnam was a very successful farmer in Brooklyn, Connecticut. He was known for his apples and flocks of sheep. In 1796, Israel Putnam's grandson, who was also named Israel Putnam, introduced the Putnam Russet apple to the Ohio Valley. He received 23 varieties of apple from Connecticut (most of which probably came from his grandfather's farm) in that year, one of which was the Putnam Russet. The Putnam Russet was regarded as the best and most profitable winter apple of all those varieties, and also as a good "keeper" (a valuable characteristic in an age before refrigeration).Source: 'The first Grafted Apples in Ohio,' "Ohio Cultivator," p. 115, Vol. 1-2, Columbus, Ohio, 1845.
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders The apple grafts received by Gen. Putnam's grandson in Marietta, Ohio in 1796 are below:- Putnam Russet- Seek-no-farther- Early Chandler- Late Chandler- Gilliflower (Red)- Pound Royal- Natural (Seedling)- Rhode Island Greening- Yellow Greening- Golden Pippin- Long Island Pippin- Tallman's Sweeting- Striped Sweeting- Poney Greening- Kent Pippin- Cooper Apple- Striped Gilliflower- Black Gilliflower- Profile Beauty- Queening- English Pearmain- Green Pippin- Spitzenburg
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders The Putnam Russet apple is not cultivated much commercially any more. Its value as a keeper is diminished, and it is not as large or as pretty as the more popular varieties today. However, Putnam Russet (Roxbury Russet) apples and apple trees can still be obtained from growers of heirloom varieties.
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Salem Village Map

1692
Salem, Massachusetts
Map of Salem Village in 1692 By W.P. Upham, 1866 Retrieved From: Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/maps/mapframe2.html
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Putnam House, 431 Maple St, Danvers, MA

10 Aug 2015
Danvers, MA
Taken from Google Street View on Aug 10, 2015 by David A. Renfro
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Martha & Catharine Putnam Silhouettes, and Israel Putnam Liquor Chest


Campus Martius Museum, Marietta, Ohio
Silhouettes of Rufus Putnam's two youngest daughters, Martha and Catherine, hang in the Rufus Putnam House at Campus Matius Museum. The liquor chest on the table belonged to General Israel Putnam.
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Israel Putnam's Powderhorn


Deerfield, Massachusetts
Israel Putnam's powderhorn. Part of the William H. Guthman Collection of Engraved American Powder Horns at Historic Deerfield, Deerfield, Massachusetts.
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Israel Putnam by Turnbull
This image of Israel Putnam was engraved by W. Humphreys and published in "National Portrait Gallery of Distinguished Americans'', USA, 1834. It was made from an original pencil sketch made by John Trumbull in preparation for his painting "Battle of Bunker Hill," which depicts Putnam on the left side of the painting. Trumbull's pencil sketch was made from life and is considered to be one of the most accurate depictions of Putnam (as is, presumably, his painting of him at Bunker Hill).
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The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, 17 June 1775, by John Trumbull

1775
Bunker Hill, Massachusetts
This painting "The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, 17 June 1775," is by John Trumbull. Trumbull took artistic license in order to make a dramatic scene, but he was very careful to be highly accurate in the depictions of the individuals portrayed. He made a pencil sketch of Israel Putnam (who is in this painting on the far left) from life, in preparation for making this painting. That pencil sketch (and presumably this painting also) is considered to be the most accurate likeness of Putnam.
The Battle of Bunker Hill was the bloodiest battle of the American Revolution.This painting is owned by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
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An Exact View of the Late Battle at Charlestown, June 17, 1775

1775
Bunker Hill, Massachusetts
This engraving by Bernard Romanes depicts Israel Putnam at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Putnam is on horseback on the left side of the picture (#9). Romanes was at the battle.

Elizabeth Karen Sanders This engraving was published, in 1775, on a sheet twenty inches by twelve in size. It ap- peared, in a reduced form, in the Pennsylvania Magazine of Philadelphia, in 1775, and was reproduced in 1875 in Frothing- ham's Centennial edition of The Battle of Bunker Hill, and in the newspapers at the time of the Bunker Hill Centennial Celebration. The original is in the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University.Colonial Williamsburg has a nearly identical version in its collection. See:http://emuseum.history.org/view/objects/asitem/search@/0/title-asc?t:state:flow=43abe4c4-566f-4496-a23b-fdaccf8f2bd9

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Israel Putnam



This 1775 mezzotint by J. Wilkinson, is entitled "Israel Putnam, Esq., Major General of the Connecticut Forces and Commander in Chief at the Engagement on Buncker's Hill, near Boston, I7th June, 1775."
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Israel Putnam on left (with raised sword), John Trumbull painting, "Battle of Bunker's Hill," 1786.
Elizabeth Karen Sanders From AmericanRevolution.org:Perhaps the first of the Revolutionary War masterpieces to be finished, this work was painted in the studio of Benjamin West in London and finished in March, 1786.To explain it in Trumbulls own words: ". . . This painting represents the moment when (the Americans having expended their ammunition) the British troops became completely successful and masters of the field. At this last moment of the action, Gen. Warren was killed by a musket ball through the head. The principal group represents him expiring, a soldier on his knees supports him, and with one hand wards off the bayonet of a British grenadier, . . . Col. Small . . . is represented seizing the musket of the grenadier, to prevent the fatal hlow, . . . Near this side of the painting is seen General Putnam, reluctantly ordering the retreat of these brave men; ... Behind Col. Small is seen Major Pitcairn, of the British marines, mortally wounded, and falling in the arms of his son, . . ."Where Trumbull obtained the likeness of General Warren is not known. It is probable that he copied the portrait by Copley. The portrait of General Putnam resembles Trumbull's pencil sketch of him.
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders "The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, June 17, 1775" refers to several oil paintings by the American artist John Trumbull depicting the death of Joseph Warren at the June 17, 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill, during the American Revolutionary War. Warren, an influential Massachusetts physician and politician, had been commissioned a general but served in the battle as a volunteer private. He was killed during or shortly after the storming of the redoubt atop Breed's Hill by British troops.The paintings are iconic images of the American Revolution. Trumbull painted several versions, including the one held by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (dated between 1815 and 1831). This was commissioned by the Warren family and passed down through the family before being acquired by the museum. Another, larger version (dated 1834) is held by the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut. Apparently the Yale University Art Gallery also has a version of this painting.
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Elizabeth Karen Sanders Trumbull took artistic license with the scenes he painted to make them more dramatic, but was careful to portray the people in them accurately.Sitting, wounded, in front of Israel Putnam is Lt. Col. Moses Parker (who is also a relative in this tree).
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Gen. Israel Putnam - Folk Art Painting


Redding, Connecticut
This folk art painting was sold at auction on Oct. 3, 2015, by Pook & Pook, auctioneers.
Elizabeth Karen Sanders American oil on canvas folk art depiction, titled Genl Putnam and his Troops Arrive at Headquarters in Redding, 18 1/2'' x 22''.Known as Connecticut's Valley Forge, Putnam Memorial State Park was the 1778/1779 winter encampment for General Israel Putnam and 3,000 troops during the Revolutionary War. Relined. Heavy craquelure.
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 http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/p/u/t/Ed-Putnam/BOOK-0001/0043-0008.html#CHILD51
51.
 GEN. ISRAEL4 PUTNAM (JOSEPH3, THOMAS2, JOHN1) was born January 7, 1717/18 in Salem Village, Essex County, Massachusetts, and died May 29, 1790 in Pomfret (now Brooklyn), Windham County, Connecticut. He married (1) HANNAH POPE July 19, 1739 in Danvers, Essex County, Massachusetts, daughter of JOSEPH POPE and MEHETABLE PUTNAM. She was born September 3, 1721 in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, and died September 6, 1765 in Brooklyn, Windham County, Connecticut. He married (2) DEBORAH (LOTHROP) GARDNER June 3, 1767, daughter of SAMUEL LOTHROP and DEBORAH CROW. She died October 14, 1777 in Putnam's Headquarters at Fishkill on the Hudson. 
      
Children of ISRAEL PUTNAM and HANNAH POPE are: 

177.i. COL. ISRAEL5 PUTNAM, b. January 28, 1739/40, Salem Village, Essex County, Massachusetts; d. March 7, 1812, Belpre, Ohio. ii. DAVID PUTNAM, b. March 10, 1741/42, Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut.178.iii. HANNAH PUTNAM, b. August 25, 1744, Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut; d. April 3, 1821. iv. ELIZABETH PUTNAM, b. March 20, 1746/47, Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut.179.v. MEHITABLE PUTNAM, b. October 21, 1749, Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut; d. November 28, 1789.180.vi. MARY PUTNAM, b. May 10, 1753, Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut.181.vii. EUNICE PUTNAM, b. January 10, 1756, Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut; d. June 27, 1799. viii. WILLIAM PUTNAM, b. 1758, Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut.182.ix. DANIEL PUTNAM, b. November 18, 1759, Pomfret (now Brooklyn), Windham County, Connecticut; d. April 30, 1831, Pomfret (now Brooklyn), Windham County, Connecticut. x. DAVID PUTNAM, b. October 14, 1761, Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut.183.xi. PETER SCHUYLER PUTNAM, b. December 31, 1764, Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut; d. September 1827.
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Israel Putnam Portrait



Portrait of Major General Israel Putnam by Harry Ives Thomspon.
 Portrait of Major General Israel Putnam by Harry Ives Thomspon.The portrait, based upon a pencil sketch done from life by the artist John Trumbull, was painted specifically to be included in the Connecticut exhibit at the 1876 Centennial Exposition. It also hung in Connecticut buildings at later fairs and expositions. Several late-19th and early 20th-century Connecticut governors had it hanging in their rooms at the State Capitol.It is now in the Museum of Connecticut History, 231 Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT 06106There are two other paintings of Israel Putnam, one of which may be a copy of this one, in the Gov. William A. O'Neill State Armory, 360 Broad St., Hartford, CT.
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Israel Putnam coming off the plow


Connecticut State Capitol, Hartford, CT
A relief scene depicting Israel Putnam leaving his fields to fight in the Revolutionary War. Connecticut State Capitol

Elizabeth Karen Sanders The plough that Israel Putnam left in the field when he went off to war is now on display at the Governor William A. O'Neill State Armory, which is just west of the Connecticut state capitol building in Hartford.Also on display there is his saddle.A second Putnam plough is on display at the visitor center of Putnam Memorial State Park in Redding, CT. It also has the bridle that was supposedly worn by his horse as he plunged over the precipice in Horseneck (Greenwich), CT in 1779.
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Putnam Chairs



Chairs reputed to be from the Israel Putnam household. See Comments below.
Elizabeth Karen Sanders These chairs are up for auction on March 25, 2017.See:https://new.liveauctioneers.com/item/51405010_pair-of-queen-anne-side-chairs-each-with-rush-seats-andAuction house description:Lot 0176 DetailsPair of Queen Anne side chairs each with rush seats and bold turned stretchers set on turned legs ending in pad feet, circa 1740, each chair with printed tag beneath seat discussing the chair and stating: This chair of a N.Y. State type one of a pair purchased from Mrs. Catherine Curtis of CT from the Old Homestead at Putnam Ct of Gen. Israel Putnam of the Battle of Bunker Hill of June 17, 1775 and probably this chair was used by him in his CT home.seat height 17 inches, total height 39 1/2 inchesStarting Bid:$500.00Buyer's Premium: 25%
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Maj. Pitcairn's Pistols



British Major John Pitcairn, who was leading the British column that fired on the colonists at Lexington Green (the "shot heard 'round the world"), lost these fancy saddle pistols after his horse was shot out from under him later that day. The pistols were presented to Israel Putnam and were his constant companions for the rest of his military career.

Elizabeth Karen Sanders Israel Putnam bore the pistols two months later, at the Battle of Bunker Hill, where Maj. Pitcairn was killed.The pistols stayed in the Putnam family until the widow of John P. Putnam donated them to the town of Lexington. They are now on display at the Hancock-Clarke House in Lexington.See:https://newengland.com/yankee-magazine/living/new-england-history/pistols/
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Fort at Crown Point, NY

1759
Crown Point, New York
This is just part of the large fort at Crown Point constructed under the supervision of Israel Putnam.
Elizabeth Karen Sanders Putnam and his men built this fort during the French & Indian War (when the colonists were still British). According to archaeologist David R. Starbuck, the fortification complex was the "greatest British military installation ever raised in North America."
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Congregational Church, Brooklyn, CT

1771
Brooklyn, Connecticut
Israel Putnam was instrumental in the construction of this church. It is now the Unitarian Universalist Church.
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Gen. Wolfe Inn Sign

Abt. 1768
Brooklyn, Connecticut
Israel Putnam and his second wife, Deborah, established and operated the Gen. Wolfe Inn, in their home in Brooklyn, Connecticut. The sign from the inn is now on display at the Connecticut Historical Society Museum in Hartford, CT.
Elizabeth Karen Sanders From Connecticut Historical Society website:The inn that this sign represented was owned by Patriot general Israel Putnam, who served under British General James Wolfe during the French & Indian War. Wolfe was killed leading an Anglo-American force at the Battle of Quebec, well before the Revolutionary War, and so he was seen as a hero by Americans. Nevertheless, the sign contains buckshot holes, which, according to oral history, were caused by angry Patriots firing at the sign during the Revolution.Putnam's tavern is sometimes confused with his farmhouse, which he occupied from 1739 until after his remarriage in 1767 to Deborah Lathrop Avery Gardiner. The Putnam farm lay in the northwestern section of Brooklyn, near the Pomfret town line, on what is now Route 93 - five miles distant from the main road. The Gen. Wolfe was situated on the green in Brooklyn, in a house inherited by the second Mrs. Putnam from her first husband, the Reverend Ephraim Avery, Brooklyn's first ordained minister. Neither Putnam's original farmhouse nor the tavern house remain standing, but their locations are marked by stone tablets. Brooklyn was part of the town of Pomfret in Putnam's time.
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Apthorp House, Cambridge, MA

1760
Apthorp House, Cambridge, MA
Elizabeth Karen Sanders It was in the 1760 Apthorp House in Cambridge that Israel Putnam worked out plans that would guide the American militia at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Apthorp House is now the Master's Residence at Harvard University.See "Major General Israel Putnam: Hero of the American Revolution," by Robert Ernest Hubbard:https://www.amazon.com/Major-General-Israel-Putnam-Revolution/dp/1476664536/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501797813&sr=8-1&keywords=israel+putnam+hubbard

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Greenwich, CT Town Seal



Isreal Putnam image on the Greenwich, Connecticut town seal.
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Bunker Hill Monument


Charlestown, Massachusetts
The Battle of Bunker Hill was the bloodiest battle of the Revolutionary War. Israel Putnam was one of the key leaders in the battle.
Elizabeth Karen Sanders From the book "Major General Israel Putnam: Hero of the American Revolution," by Robert Ernest Hubbard:"Years later, many elderly veterans told of Putnam's actions at the Battle of Bunker Hill. In addition to Connecticut veterans, Massachusetts and New Hampshire solders who had seen Putnam 'in the beginning, the middle and the end of the action.''Kemp of Stark's regiment, heard him charge the men not to fire till the enemy came close to the works. [Ebenezer] Bean, of Stark's regiment, deposed that he saw Putnam riding from one end of the line to the other, as far as he could see, giving orders.'Putnam was observed assigning new arrivals to their locations as they arrived on the battlefield. 'Others saw him in the action at the rail fence, at the breastwork, and behind the redoubt - they saw him on horseback amidst the flying balls, when they expected every moment to see him fall from his horse.'
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Israel Putnam's Plow, Saddle and Portraits


Gov. William A. O'Neill State Armory, 360 Broad St., Hartford, CT
Israel Putnam's plow and saddle are on display at the State Armory, 360 Broad St., Hartford, CT.
nts

Elizabeth Karen Sanders Putnam quite literally "came off the plow" and rode off to war.From the Connecticut Military Department website:"On Thursday morning, April 20th 1775, Putnam and his son Daniel, who was then 15 years old, had gone into the field to plow. They were busy at work when about 8 a.m. a messenger rode into the village in hot haste, with a dispatch announcing that the British had fired on the militia at Lexington, had "killed six men and wounded four others," and were on their march into the country. Young Tyler hurried to his father-in-law in the field. In instant response to the alarm, Putnam - so wrote his son Daniel in after years - "loitered not but left me, the driver of his team, to unyoke it in the furrow, and not many days after to follow him to camp." Without changing his working clothes, the energetic patriot mounted a horse at the stable that he might himself spread the alarming tidings and also consult with the militia officers and the committees of the neighboring towns. He hastened to the home of Gov. Jonathan Trumbull at Lebanon, and received orders from him to go to Boston. " --- Israel Putnam, Pioneer, Ranger, and Major-General by William Farrand Livingston
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From: New England Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly, Vol. 17 - 23, Sept. 1897 to Feb., 1898; Warren F. Kellogg, Publisher, Boston


Salem, Massachusetts
This story tells of the famous Putnam House in Salem which was once the home of our people.. Have you visited Salem, Massachusetts lately? A fascinating place to reconnect with your ancestors and the part they played in the history of America... bring your children too. The exhibits will excite and energize their imaginations to learn more on their own.
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John Trumbull's "The Battle of Bunker Hill"



Lieut. Col. Moses Parker is sitting with a bullet wound in his knee at the extreme left, in front of Israel Putnam (with raised sword).
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Bunker Hill Museum, Cambridge, MA


Cambridge, Massachusets
Lt. Col. Moses Parker is depicted in the Bunker Hill Cyclorama painting in the Bunker Hill Museum. Presumably Maj. Gen. Israel Putnam is also. The museum also has a large photograph of the Harry Ives Thomspon portrait of Israel Putnam on display.
----------------------------
Israel Putnam School


School and Oak Streets, Putnam, Connecticut
Built in 1902, the Israel Putnam School building is apparently now used for residences. This postcard is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. See Wikipedia article on the Israel Putnam School.
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Israel Putnam School


School and Oak Streets, Putnam, Connecticut
Built in 1902, the Israel Putnam School building is apparently now used for residences. This postcard is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. See Wikipedia article on the Israel Putnam School.

Elizabeth Karen Sanders This mural depicting the life of Israel Putnam is on display at the Greenwich Public Library in Greenwich, CT. For more information on this mural, see:http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/08/nyregion/art-mural-from-the-30-s-is-given-rebirth.htmlandhttps://livingnewdeal.org/projects/greenwich-public-library-mural-greenwich-ct/
======================

The Battle of Bunker Hill, by Don Troiani
Elizabeth Karen Sanders This painting by noted historical artist Don Troiani is one of the more accurate depictions of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Col. William Prescott was bald, and is known to have walked on top of the parapet, so presumably the bald man with raised sword is a representation of him. However, there is a statue of Prescott at the Bunker Hill Monument, which looks a great deal like the other man standing on the parapet (dressed in blue), so perhaps that figure is intended to be Prescott. Or, maybe the artist wanted to cover all the bases...- - -Don Troiani has painted a number of excellent, accurate paintings of the Revolutionary War and other historic scenes. Paper and Giclee prints are available. For further information on the artist's work, see:http://www.dontroiani.com/gallery.shtml
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"Battle of Bunker Hill," by Howard Pyle



Painted in about 1897 by Howard Pyle.

Elizabeth Karen Sanders This dramatic work, painted by Howard Pyle in about 1897, used to be in the collection of the Delaware Art Museum. It has been missing since about 2001, and is presumably stolen.
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"The Redoubt, Battle of Bunker Hill," by Don Troiani
ents

Elizabeth Karen Sanders Don Troiani has painted a number of excellent paintings of Revolutionary War and other historic scenes. Giclee prints are available. See:https://www.wbritain.com/searchandhttp://www.dontroiani.com/gallery.shtml
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The Battle of Bunker's Hill, by John Trumbull. Engraving.


Yale University Art Museum, New Haven, CT
This engraving of the Trumbull painting is in the collection of the Yale University Art Museum.
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Israel Putnam - Held Blameless for the Loss of Posts in the Hudson Highlands



"Hartford Courant," Sep. 1, 1778, p. 2.
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Israel and Rufus Putnam - Exploring the Mississippi, 1773



"Virginia Gazette," Sep. 16, 1773, p. 2.
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Israel Putnam - Bunker Hill Detractors



From the "Boston Post," Sep. 2, 1841. These detractors waited until Putnam was dead (and unable to defend himself) before publishing their version of events...
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Israel Putnam - Hero of the American Revolution, by Robert Hubbard

2017

This is a scholarly book, that is also fun to read. It is a recent release - the first book on Israel Putnam written in over a century. It is well worth having on one's shelf.
in my Kindle books
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French Dress Coat

ca. 1783
Campus Martius Museum, Marietta, Ohio
This French dress coat was presented to Major-General Israel Putnam by the Marquis de LaFayette, as a gesture of their comradery during the Revolutionary War. Israel Putnam was a cousin of Rufus Putnam.
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Peter Schuyler Putnam's name



Major General Israel Putnam: Hero of the American Revolution By Robert Ernest Hubbard
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Rev War



History of Schoharie County and Border Wars of New York: Containing Also a ... By Jeptha Root Simms
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Statue of Israel Putnam, Bushnell Park, Hartford, CT
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South Cemetery, Brooklyn, Windham, Connecticut
where Israel Putnam buried
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Maj Gen Israel Putnam



Maj Gen Israel Putnam Birth: Jan. 7, 1718 Danvers Essex County Massachusetts, USA Death: May 29, 1790 Brooklyn Windham County Connecticut, USA Revolutionary War Continental Major General. He was not a great military leader nor a great leader of the people but was the epitome of spirit, courage and sacrifice shown by average men who helped America succeed in Colonial times and gain its independence. Many of his exploits are mythical and barely believable. He was born on his father's farm in an area which today is Danvers, Massachusetts, the tenth of eleven children. The little education he received was from a little local country school. Married at twenty and was soon a large land owner in the area between the villages of Pomfret and Brooklyn in Connecticut which became known as the 'Putnam Farm.' Industrious Israel Putnam soon had a farm bristling with fruit trees with herds of sheep and goats. During the French and Indian War, Putnam offered his services and was given the rank of captain becoming a member of a Ranger band where he served as a scout with great distinction. Returning to his Connecticut farm and while plowing, a messenger came with the news of the British attack. Putnam left his plow, rushing off to join the Americans in the fight for Independence. During ensuring battles, he was a hero at Bunker Hill. However; Washington blamed him for losses when in command on Long Island for responding too late to orders. In a subsequent battle, he suffered a stroke and his military life was over. He spent the last years of his life on his farm in Connecticut dying some eleven years later of acute inflammatory disease. After a religious funeral mingled with military honors and a eulogy delivered by a personal friend, he was interred in the Brooklyn cemetery. The tomb was three feet high, constructed of brick and across the top a marble slab with a lengthy epitaph by Rev Timothy Dwight who became the President of Yale. In 1888, General Putnam's remains were removed and reburied under a new bronze equestrian statue in Brooklyn, Connecticut. The original epitaph was emblazoned upon the new monument. The original grave stone is under glass and can be seen in the north alcove of the Connecticut State Capital in Hartford. Epilogue: Some of the stories told about Israel. These are but a few excerpts from my primary New England school reader- Upon his first visit to Boston, he thrashed a lad bigger and older than himself for sneering at the rustic style of his homespun garments; His father sent him to drive home a young bull recently purchased. The bull resisted and Putnam put on a pair of spurs, jumped out from behind a tree, jumped upon its back and rode the animal home. Then we have the sheep and goat story - A wolf was wantonly destroying the animals of farmers in the region. Putnam tracked the wolf to a rocky cave. Many ways were attempted to dislodge the predator. Then Israel crawled into the cave, tethered to a rope, his only light was a birch-bark torch. The wolf glared at him out of the darkness and growled menacelly. He was drawn out hurriedly severely cut and bruised. Loading his musket, he went in again and shot the wolf. After being drawn out, he went in a third time and emerged dragging the creature by the ears-And a final: During the French and Indian War, Putnam was captured by a band of Indians, bound to a tree with twigs and branches place about him. The red men danced around and began to yell and scream while setting fire to the brushwood. Amazingly, a French officer rushed in, cut the ropes saving him from a fiery death. (bio by: Donald Greyfield) Family links: Parents: Joseph Putnam (1669 - 1724) Elizabeth Porter Putnam (1673 - 1746) Spouse: Hannah Pope Putnam (1721 - 1765) Children: Israel Putnam (1738 - 1812)* Siblings: Mary Putnam Putnam (1691 - ____)* William Putnam (1699 - 1729)* Eunice Putnam Perley (1710 - 1787)* Israel Putnam (1718 - 1790) *Calculated relationship Burial: Putnam Monument Brooklyn Windham County Connecticut, USA Plot: Remains interred inside pedestal of monument Edit Virtual Cemetery info [?] Maintained by: Find A Grave Record added: Jan 08, 2000 Find A Grave Memorial# 8046
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From Wikipedia
Israel Putnam
 (January 7, 1718 – May 29, 1790) was an American army general and Freemason who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775) during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). Although Putnam never quite attained the national renown of more famous heroes such as Davy Crockett or Daniel Boone, in his own time his reckless courage and fighting spirit were known far beyond Connecticut's borders through the circulation of folk legends celebrating his exploits.
Early life
Putnam was born in Salem Village (now Danvers), Massachusetts, to Joseph and Elizabeth Putnam, a prosperous farming family of Salem witch trials fame. His birthplace, Putnam House, still exists. In 1740, at the age of 22, he moved to Mortlake (now Pomfret) in northeastern Connecticut where land was cheaper and easier to obtain.
Strong oral tradition in northeastern Connecticut claims that, in his youth, Putnam—with the help of a group of farmers from Mortlake—killed the last wolf in Connecticut. The tradition describes Putnam crawling into a tiny den with a torch, a musket, and his feet secured with rope as to be quickly pulled out of the den. While in the den, he allegedly killed the she-wolf, making sheep farming in Mortlake safe. There is a section of the Mashamoquet Brook State Park in modern day Pomfret named "Wolf Den" (which includes the 'den' itself), as well as a "Wolf Den Road" in Brooklyn, Connecticut.
Between 1755 and 1765, Putnam participated in campaigns against the French and Indians as a member of Rogers' Rangers, as well as with regular British forces. He was promoted to captain in 1756 and to major in 1758.
Rescue of Major Israel Putnam near Glens Falls, 1758
As the commander of the Connecticut force in 1758, Putnam was sent to relieve Pontiac’s siege of Detroit. He was captured by the Caughnawaga Indians during a New York State campaign, and was saved from being roasted alive, after being bound to a tree, only by the last-minute intervention of a French officer.
In 1759, Putnam led a regiment in the attack on Fort Ticonderoga and later at Montreal. In 1762, he survived a shipwreck during the British expedition against Cuba that led to the capture of Havana. It is believed that Major Putnam returned to New England from Cuba with Cuban tobacco seeds that he planted in the Hartford area, resulting in the development of the renowned Connecticut Wrapper agricultural product.
Putnam was outspoken against British taxation policies and around the time of the Stamp Act crisis in 1766, he was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly and was one of the founders of the Connecticut Sons of Liberty.
In the fall of 1765 Putnam threatened Thomas Fitch, the popularly elected Connecticut Governor, promising that Fitch's house "will be leveled with the dust in five minutes" if Fitch did not turn over the stamp tax paper to the Sons of Liberty. Also in 1765 Putnam made a public profession of Christian faith and joined the Congregational Church in Brooklyn, Connecticut.
The American RevolutionBattle of Bunker Hill
By the eve of the Revolution he had become a relatively prosperous farmer and tavern keeper, with more than a local reputation for his previous exploits. On April 20, 1775, when Putnam received news of the Battle of Lexington that started the day before, he left his plow in the field and rode 100 miles in eight hours, reaching Cambridge the next day and offering his services to the Patriot cause. He joined the Continental Army and was appointed colonel of the 3rd Connecticut Regiment and subsequently, brigadier of the Connecticut militia. Shortly after the Battle of Lexington, Putnam led the Connecticut militia to Boston and was named major general, making him second in rank to his Chief in the Continental Army. He was one of the primary figures at the Battle of Bunker Hill, both in its planning and on the battlefield. During that battle Putnam may have ordered William Prescott to tell his troops "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" (It is debated whether Putnam or Colonel William Prescott created these words). This command has since become one of the American Revolution's more memorable quotes. This order was important, because the New England troops entrenched on this hill were low on ammunition.
Long Island and later service
After Bunker Hill, Putnam progressed to temporary command of the American forces in New York, while waiting for the arrival of the commander-in-chief, Lieutenant General George Washington, on April 13, 1776. The Battle of Bunker Hill must count as the greatest achievement in Putnam’s life, for thereafter, his fortunes took a downturn at the Battle of Long Island (1776), where he was forced to effect a hasty retreat. Washington did not blame Putnam for this failure as some in the Second Continental Congress did. However, Washington reassessed the abilities of his general and assigned him to recruiting activities. In 1777 Putnam received another, though lesser, military command in the Hudson Highlands and his headquarters was at the Bush-Lyon Homestead. With future Vice-President Aaron Burr in his charge, Putnam abandoned Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton to the British, and was brought before a court of inquiry for those actions. However, he was exonerated of any wrongdoing. During the winter of 1778-1779, Putnam and his troops were encamped at the present-day site of the Putnam Memorial State Park in Redding, Connecticut. In December 1779, Putnam suffered a paralyzing stroke, which ended his military service.
Epilogue
Putnam died in Brooklyn, Connecticut in 1790, and was buried in an above-ground tomb in Brooklyn's South Cemetery. Within a few years, however, so many people visited Putnam's tomb that the badly-mutilated marble marker was removed for safe keeping to the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford. In 1888, Putnam's remains were removed from the Brooklyn cemetery and placed in a sarcophagus built into the foundation of a monument, newly erected on a plot of ground near the Brooklyn town green.
In the early days of the war, Putnam was regarded by Washington as one of America's most valuable military assets, but this view was probably based primarily upon earlier exploits from his colorful past. In the War for Independence, however, Putnam proved to be incapable of commanding complex campaigns, which sharply reduced his value to the cause.
Today there are many places named for Israel Putnam. Eight Putnam Counties, including Putnam County, New York, which embraces the east bank of the Hudson Highlands he once held command over, bear his name, as does a Brooklyn, New York elementary school. Only miles north of his monument in Brooklyn, CT, is the town and city of Putnam, named after this famous hero. There is also an East Putnam Avenue in Greenwich, Connecticut which is named after the path in which he retreated from British forces; Putnam's cottage, an eighteenth century residence that may have served as a tavern at the time of Putnam's escape, is located on this avenue. There is also Putnam State Park, located in Redding, Connecticut, and a Putnam County Tennessee.
General Putnam is an ancestor to famed 20th century newsman and former Marine Corps Officer George Putnam.
Mural "The Life and Times of General Israel Putnam of Connecticut"
Recently a mural depicting General Putnam was to be returned to the newly renovated Hamilton Avenue School in Greenwich, CT. An article of April 1, 2006, entitled "Mural deemed too violent for school", explains the mural's reception:
After a debate that divided members largely along the lines of generation and gender, the Chickahominy Neighborhood Association voted unanimously yesterday not to bring a controversial Revolutionary War mural back to Hamilton Avenue School because its content is too violent. Instead, the group agreed to leave the mural, "The Life and Times of General Israel Putnam of Connecticut," at its current location at Greenwich Library. Painted by James Daughtery of Weston as part of the Works Progress Administration program in 1935, the mural depicts Putnam, Greenwich's war hero, aiming his musket at snarling wolves while all around him Native Americans hurl tomahawks and men armed with guns and knives tussle. It hung high in the gymnasium of Hamilton Avenue School for nearly 60 years, often knocked by errant basketballs, before it was removed in 1998 and restored with $54,145 donated by the Ruth W. Brown Foundation. It is located in Maine. Putnam's descendants are located in Burtonsville, Maryland, Salem, Oregon, San Francisco, California and Williamsburg, Virginia.
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Inscription on grave
Inscription:
Sacred be this monument to the memory of Israel Putnam, Esqr. Sienier Major General in the Armies of the United States of America, who was born at Salem, in the Provence of Massachsetts, on the seventh day of January AD 1718 and died on the twenty ninth day of May AD 1790. Passenger if thou art a soldier, drop a tear over the dust of a hero, who ever attentive to the lives and happiness of his men dared to lead, where any dared to follow. If a Patriot, remember, the distinguished and gallant service rendered by the Patriot who sleeps beneath this marble. If thou art Honest, generous, and worthy render a cheerful tribute of respect to a man whose generosity was singular, whose honesty was proverbial. Who raised himself to universal esteem and offices of eminent distinction by personal worth and a useful life. 
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Israel Putnam Biography
Elizabeth Karen Sanders This biography is in Ancestry.com on-line library. See:https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/33380/flhcan1900_105498__0001-00000?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d33380%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=flhcan1900_105498__0001-00002
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Israel Putnam's Plowing Shoes



Israel Putnam's plowing shoes, photos and a family bible, put up for auction by Skinner in 2004. See: https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/2229/lots/21B .
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Putnam apple
The Putnam Russet Apple is also known as
Roxbury Russet, Boston Russet and Sylvan russet
It is an apple cultivar believed to be the oldest cultivar in US.
Grayish green long keeping good for cider and juice witha yellow-green flesh firm suited for eating and cooking.
Get from Maple Valley Orchards & Nursery, Wisc

Trees of Antiquity, Paso Robles, CA
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"People & Events of the American Revolution" by Dupuy?Hammerman, RR Bowker Company, 1974, p391.
Putnam, Isreal. 171801790. Militia officier (Brig Gen), Continental officer Major General), farmer, tavern keeper, b. Salem, Mass.
Moved to Connecticut about 1740; won his military reputation in French and Indian War and Pontiac's War; member, Sons of Liberty; although present as a volunteer, shared command at Bunker Hill with William Prescott; major general, 1775-1783; participated in the New York campaign of 1776; commanded the forces defeated at the battle of Long Island; a fiery personality and inspiring symbol, but inept commander; cousin of Rufus Putnam.
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From Rand-Put:
Rand/Putnam Notes:
www.access1.net/rmputnam/d1018.htm

General Israel Putnam was born on 7 Jan 1717/18 in Salem Village, Essex, MA (798, 799). He was baptized on 2 Feb 1717/18 (800). He died on 29 May 1790 in Brooklyn, Windham, CT. (801,902), Died after a two day illness.
He was married to Hannah Pope (daughter of Joseph Pope and Mehitable Putnam) on 19 Jul 1739 in Salem Village (803,804). Se Vol III, Essex Inst. Hist. Coll. for family information. Hannah Pope was baptized on 3 Sept 1721 (805). She died on 6 Apr 1765. Their children:

Col Israel Putnam
Daniel was born on 19 Mar 1741/42 in Pomfret, Windham, CT (808,809). Eben has the given name spelled "David". He died on 8 Aug 1758 in Pomfret (810, 811)
Hannah
Elizabeth was born on 20 Mar 1747 in Pomfret (812,813). She died on 24 Jan 1765 in Pomfret (814,815).
Mehitable
Mary (Molly)
Eunice
Daniel
David was born on 14 Oct 1761 in Pomfret (816). He died on 21 Nov 1761 in Pomfet (817).
Peter Schuyler

Then Israel was married to Deborah Lothrop (daughter of Samuel Lothrop and Deborah Crow) on 3 Jul 1767 (818, 819). Deborah died on 14 Oct 1777 in Fishkill, Dutchess, NY (820). She died as a prisoner of the British Army at New York. She was buried Beverly Robinson's family vault (822).

Sources
798 - Eben p 50
799 - Vital records of Salem Vol2 p 212
800 - Eben p 51
801 - Eben p 87
802 - Pomfet CT Vital records Vol1 p50
803 - Eben p 87
804 - Vital records of Salem Vol4 p 230
805 - Eben p 72
806 - Eben p 88
807 - Pomfret CT Vital records Vol1 p 50
808 - Eben p 88
809 - Pomfret CT Vital records Vol 1 p 49
810 - Eben p 88
811 - Pomfret CT Vital records Vol1 p 49
812 - Eben p 88
813 - Pomfret CT Vital records Vol1 p 49
814 - Eben p88
815 - Pomfret CT Vital records Vol 1 p 49
816 - Eben p 88
817 - Pomfret CT Vital records Vol 1 p 49
818 - Eben p 88
819 - Pomfret CT Vital records Vol1 p 49
820 - Eben p 88
821 - Pomfret CT Vital records Vol1 p 50
822 - Eben p 88
==============

Birth	7 Jan 1717/18	Danvers, Essex, MA
Baptism	2 Feb 1717/18
Marriage	19 Jul 1739	Salem, Essex, MA - Hannah Pope
Marriage	3 Jun 1767	Deborah Avery or Lothrop
Death	29 May 1790	Pomfret, Conn
Military		Revolutionary War - Major General

Spouse	Hannah Pope ( - 1765)
Child	Col Isreal Putnam (1738 - )
Child	Daniel Putnam (1740 - 1759)
Child	Hannah Putnam (1744 - )
Child	Elizabeth Putnam (1746 - )
Child	Mehitable Putnam (1749 - )
Child	Molle Molly Mary Putnam (1753 - )
Child	Eunice Putnam (1756 - )
Child	Daniel Putnam (1759 - )
Child	David Putnam (1761 - )
Child	Peter Schuyler Putnam (1764 - )

Spouse

Deborah Avery or Lothrop ( - 1777)

Father	Joseph Putnam (1669 - 1724)
Mother	Elizabeth Porter ( - )
Sibling	Mary Putnam (1690 - )
Sibling	Elizabeth Putnam (1695 - )
Sibling	Sarah Putnam (1697 - )
Sibling	William Putnam (1699 - 1729)
Sibling	Rachel Putnam (1702 - )
Sibling	Ann Putnam (1705 - )
Sibling	Colonel David Putnam (1707 - 1768)
Sibling	Eunice Putnam (1710 - )
Sibling	Name unknown Putnam (1713 - )
Sibling	Huldah Putnam (1716 - )
Sibling	Mehitable Putnam (1719 - )

Notes