By permission from Larry Moore, Guest Columnist, 01/29/04 Article printed in The Eatonton Messenger. Eatonton Georgia.
General Israel Putnam
General Israel Putnam, which is the first of a three-part series on the Revolutionary War generals that Greene, Morgan and Putnam Counties are named for. Attached is a photo of General Putnam. Greene, Morgan and Putnam Counties are all named after Revolutionary War heroes. This story of General Israel Putnam is the first in a three part series.
Why are Putnam and eight other Counties in the United States named for the same Revolutionary War general? Showing exceptional bravery from his youth, Israel Putnam fought older larger bullies as a youth, vicious predatory animals, nature, wars and finally fought a paralyzing stroke that ended his military career in the latter stages of the Revolutionary War.
He was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1718 but lived his adult life in Connecticut where he died in 1790. (Interestingly enough, Eatonton was named for General William Eaton who was born in Connecticut and died in Massachusetts.) He considered that all his battles were for noble causes in his rise to, and term as, Senior Major General in the US Army and second in command to George Washington. A few of the many interesting stories of Putnam’s life should give you an idea of who the man was and why two hundred years ago counties wanted to bear his name.
General Putnam’s family can be traced to the first known English Putnam (dePuttenham) in 1199, over 800 years ago. Like many in the Massachusetts of 1718, Putnam was born into a large farm family (10 siblings) and had a very limited education (a smattering of the three Rs). His father, Joseph, bore the wrath of neighbors by opposing the Salem witchcraft trials (in fact he kept fast horses saddled for months prepared for a quick escape).
As a young man he amazed his community in the she-wolf episode. A large wolf was killing the sheep and goats in the area for over a year, including 70 of Putnam’s sheep in one night, but no one could track the predator down. Putnam was finally able to catch the wolf with a steel trap but she pulled her paw loose and in the process lost several toes. Beginning a twelve-hour ordeal he followed the blood through the snow to a descending narrow icy cave, 40-foot in length, and sent the dogs in but they returned frightened, badly wounded and refused to go in again.
Putnam crawled in alone, was rebuffed and was pulled out by a rope from the two-foot wide cave. On the third try, cut and bruised, he killed the wolf and pulled her out to the cheers of his neighbors.
Years later during the French and Indian war, Putnam, now a Major in the Army, led his troops in hand-to-hand battle. A Caughnawaga chief charged him, Putnam’s gun misfired, and he was captured and bound. The chief took target practice with his tomahawk, attempting to throw it as close as possible to Putnam’s head without hitting him. Putnam carried a scar on his cheek for life from one errant throw. Then Putnam was striped naked, tied to a tree to be burned alive but rain dampened the fire.
A French officer attempted to shoot him but the gun jammed. Ultimately, injured and in ragged, bullet-ridden clothes, he was exchanged for a captured French soldier. After healing he soon got revenge, using only six men, by taking out two ships that were guarding a French fort. The fort soon fell.
Early in the Revolutionary War Putnam became a brigadier general (at the same time George Washington was appointed commander-in-chief) and was the ranking officer at the Battle of Bunker Hill. After Bunker Hill the British offered him a large sum of money and a commission as one of four major generals. He indignantly refused and four days later Washington offered him the same commission for the rebel army.
In 1779, still fighting at the age of 61, Putnam was paralyzed by a stroke but eventually was able to walk and ride before his death in 1790. His epitaph was ‘To the lives and happiness of his Men, Dared to lead, Where any dared to follow.’
Published U.S. Legacies May 2004
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