# Representative women of New England/Rebecca A. Pickett

​REBECCA AUGUSTA PICKETT, secretary of the Relief Committee of the Massachusetts Woman's Relief Corps, traces her ancestry back seven generations to John Putnam, who, with his three sons, Thomas, Nathaniel, and John, came from Buckinghamshire, England, to Salem, Mass., received a grant of land in 1G41, was admitted a freeman in 1647, and died in 1662. The line of descent is: John,$^1$ Captain John,$^2$ Captain Jonathan,$^3$ Jonathan,$^4$ Jonathan,$^5$ Nathan,$^6$ Perley,$^7$ and Perley Zebulon Montgomery Pike.$^5$ Jonathan$^4$ Putnam, born in 1691, married Elizabeth$^4$ Putnam, daughter of Joseph$^3$ and Elizabeth (Porter) Putnam and an elder sister of General Israel Putnam.
Nathan" Putnam, of Uanvers, Mass., great-grandfather of Mrs. Pickett, was wounded in the battle of Lexington. He married Hannah Putnam, a daughter of Dr. Amos$^5$ Putnam (John,$^4$ John,$^3$ Nathaniel,$^2$ John$^1$).
Mrs. Pickett's paternal grandfather, Perley$^7$ Putnam, was born in Danvers, September 16, 1778. He was named for his uncle, Perley Putnam, who was killed in the battle of Lexington, and whose name, with those of the other Danvers soldiers who fell on that day, is inscribed on the monument in Peabody.
When in his twenty-first year Perley$^7$ Putnam was employed in building the famous frigate "Essex," the keel of which was laid on Salem Neck, April VA, 1799, the vessel being launched September 30, 1799. By request of Colonel William Ricker, Collector of Customs for the district of Salem and Beverly, he presented a plan for a custom-house and store for the town of Salem on June 19, 1848, which was substantially accepted by the government. The present custom-house was built under his superintendence. He also worked on the first Franklin Building, and erected some of the solid houses on Chestnut and other streets.
He was instrumental in organizing the old Salem Mechanic Light Infantry, of which he was Captain on the occasion of their first parade, in 1807. He was elected Major in 1810, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1811, and was conunanding officer of the day on their fiftieth anniversary in 1857.
In the War of 1812 he was a Major in the United States army and assigned to Colonel Loring's Forty-eighth Regiment. He marched his troops through Salem to Eastport, Me., taking command of Fort Sullivan, but was obliged to capitulate his little garrison of fifty-nine men (eleven of whom were sick) to the British general. Sir Thomas Hardy. Returning to Salem at the close of the war, Colonel Putnam, as he was generally known, gave his time and influence to public measures.
As chairman of the Board of Selectmen (to which body he was elected several years in succession), he was one of the committee that drafted the first city charter. The honor was accorded to him of transferring the keys of the old town house to Leverett Saltonstall, the first mayor of the city in 1836. Colonel Putnam was appointed the first City Marshal of Salem, and held that position until 1847. He was Street Commissioner from 1846 to 1862, and was weigher and ganger for several years in the Salem custom-house. As a lifelong Democrat, he was earnest in his devotion to the principles -of that partv. He died July 4, 1864. ​ Colonel Putnam was one of the founders of the Universalist church in Salem, and was deeply interested in the work of that denomina- tion. He was very persevering in his researches as an antiquarian and genealogist, collecting many records of the Putnam family, which since his death have been placed in the library of the Essex Institute, and have been fre- cjuently consulted by students of the family history. Colonel Putnam married November 3, 1801, Betsey Preston, of Danvers. They had three sons and seven (laughters, all born in Salem.
Perley Z. M. Pike Putnam, .son of Colonel Perley' and Betsey (Preston) Putnam, was a .sea captain. He died in August, 1849, of typhus fever, on board the brig "Messenger," on the west coast of Africa. He was l)uried at sea. His wife was Mary K. Whitney.
His daughter, Rebecca Augusta, the subject of tliis sketch, was born Sejjtember 22, 1847, in Salem, Mass. She married first, February 20, 1872, William Henry Cook, of Salem, who died October 30, 1872. Siie marrietl second, January 31, 1883, Charles Pickett, of Beverly, where they now reside. Her son by her former marriage, William Henry Cook, second, born January 14, 1873, also lives in Beverly.
Charles Pickett, of Beverly, went to California in August, 1847, in the bark " San Francisco," returning via Central America in May, 1853. He was mustered into the United States service August 22, 1862, at Lynnheld, in Company B, Fortieth Massachusetts Regiment, and was in the following battles: siege of Suffolk, Va. ; Baltimore Cross-roads: siege of Fort Wagner, S.C. ; Seahook Farm, Ten Mile Run, Lobe City, Olustee, Cedar Creek, and McGirsh's Creek, Fla. ; Petersburg Heights, siege of Petersburg, repulse of Haygood's brigade, liattle of the Mine, Bennuda Hundred, Fair Oaks, operations before Richmond. At Olustee, Fla., February 20, 1864, he was wounded in the thigh. As First Sergeant, Company B, Fortieth Massachusetts Regiment, he was honorably discharged .lune 16, 1865, at the close of the war.
Api)ointed .superintendent of the Beverly water-works in August, 1869, he held that position until ilarcli 1, 1896, when lie resigned "after twenty-six years of faithful service to town and city, antl leaving to other hands one of the best kept systems of water-works in the country." He is a member of John H. Chipman, Jr., Post, No. 89, G. A. R., of Beverly.
Mr. Pickett had two brothers in the Union army, Josiah and George A. Pickett. The younger brother was in Company G, Twenty- third Ma.ssacluLsetts Regiment. The elder brother, Josiah Pickett, was " First Lieutenant, Third Battalion Riflemen, M. . M., in .service of the United States, April 19, 1861; . . . Cap- tain Twenty-fifth Ma.ssachu.setts Infantry, Octo- ber 12, 1S61: . . . Major, March 20, 1862; Colo- nel, October 29, 1862. Served in North Caro- lina from October, 1861, to January, 1865. Present at the battle of Cold Harbor, a., where he was severely wounded. Brevet Brigadier-general, United States Volunteers, June 3, 1864. Mustered out, January 10, 1865."
Mrs. Pickett is a charter member of the Relief Corps auxiliary to the John H. Chipman, Jr., Post,. A. R., of Beverly, which was instituted May 28, 1883. She .served the corps two years as conductor and one year as senior vice-president; was installed president in 1892 and again in 1897; has also held the office of chaplain, performed the duties of treasurer three years and of secretary two years. For four years she served faithfully as chairman of the Executive Committee. She has also been chairman of the Relief Committee. She was appointed Department Aide in 1893, 1895, 1900, and 1901, and is serving (1903) for the sixth year as Assistant Inspector. In 1895 .she travelled extensively as treasurer of the Exemplification staff, appointed by Mrs. Eva T. Cook, Department President. In 1896 she declined a nomination as Department Press Correspondent, but in 1900 accepted an appointment as a member of the Department Relief Connnittee, which was tendered her by Mrs. Mary L. Oilman, Department President. As secretary of this committee she has gained a reputation for efficiency and zeal in the arduous and oftentimes perplexing duties of the office. She is thoroughly familiar with matters relating to pension laws. State aid, the management of Soldiers' Homes, and so forth, and is well known in Grand Army and Relief Cor|)s circles throughout the State. ​Mrs. Pickett is a member of the Finance Committee of the First Baptist Church in Beverly, and has been an active member of the church for several years. She is interested in the home and foreign mission work, is treasurer of the "Ina.smuch" circle of King's Daughters and a teacher in the Chinese department of the Bible school. She is also chairman of the Executive Committee of the Woman's Federation of the First Baptist Church. She is a member of the Lothrop Club and of the Supply Committee of the Old Ladies' Home Society of Beverly. In 1898 and 1899 she was secretary of the Beverly Volunteer Aid Association, which conducted special work for the soldiers of the Spanish-American War.