The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1859-10-20
"Old Puts" Birthplace.


Allen Putnam, grandson Of old Gen
Putnam, in @ letter published in the
Bunker Hill Aurora, gives the following
account of the birthplace and early days
of the old Revolutionary veteran
His birthplace and early home is about
sixteen miles northeast from Boston.
Tho identical hou Sc in which he was
horn and reared is standing now, and Is
in good condition at this time. The farm
on which it stands is part Of the grant OF
the Selectmen of Salem, in 1854, to John
Putnam and his three sons. The eldest
Of these three sons, Thomas, made his
clearing and built his cabin on a spot
which has been transmitted IRON pafeno
TO child in the Putnam family, from that
time to the present. William K. Putnam,
nv brother, is its present owner. Thomas,
the eldest son of the patriarch John, had
several children, and among them was
Joseph. Joseph married Elizabeth Porter,
and this couple were the parents OF more
than dozen children, among the younger
was Israel-he who. strayed from nome
and met the wolf. His elder brother,
David, Lieutenant in his majestys troops,
inherited the homestead. Israel, the son
of David, and nephew of the distinguished
israel was the next ,inheritor. Through
him it passed to his son Daniel, my
father, and the old house, enlarged, IS
now the home of my mother, sisters ana
brother, who always welcome those, ana
they are many, who desire to, see the
house and the chamber in which "Old
Put was born. The chamber, with its
white oak beoms, thick and deep, and
hard as lignumvite, and with Its antique
furniture its small windows and low
walls, the chamber, is measurably a sane
tum now, though it has been the sleeping
place of the Putnam boys, myself among
tho number, through the greater part OF
the last hundred years. Ta5...- 70,
What is known of his parents, Joseph
Putnam and Elizabeth Porter? have
often looked over the old Parish records,
kept in days when all titles were scrup!u'
lously recorded, and when the. order In
which names were arranged indicated the
relative rank Of those who were men,
toned; and when, as now, the rates OF
taxation we're indicative of the individual
wealth. And these records show this
much at least, that, the rPutnams and For
ters were then honored with the highest
Offices, and were permitted to pay the
highest taxes in "Salem Village" The
General was well-born, and his parents
were rich for their day and place. Blu
they lived in the woods six miles bacl
from Salem proper, and they had yer,
limited opportunities to attend school
The elder brother, David, though one o
the wealthiest and most efficient men 0
the place, never learned to write ant
cipher, SO at least, his son Israel, m.
Grandfather often told me in my boyhood
And this Israel second and brothers, afte
they we're men grown, hired a master t
come to the house Of winter evenings
and there in the birth chamber Of thei
uncle, they were taught to use the Pc
and the slate. rod.,,.
Tho whole family of Joseph and Elizf
beth, the boys and girls both, long live
in tradition as among the most fearless
energetic and efficient of New England
hardy boys and girls, men and womer
And we'll might they be brave, if Drawer
be transmissible property, For, in To
dark days of Salem, or more properl
Dauvers, witchcraft, Joseph and Efizf
/ beth Putnam, with q few others, wer
! denounced from the pulpit as the devil
! emissaries, because they disbelieved tha
the devil was the author Of the strang
! works that occurred, The anathem
made them to be suspected by civil Al
horities, the clergy, fellow-church men
,ers, relatives, friends, neighbors Bu
exposed them to arrest, a farcicle trib
! he iail, the gallows. Then there kindle
lp in the hearts of this young couple tf
lame of a lofty and unconquerable her
sm. Each member Of the family wer
,rmed, the horses were fed by the doc
yith saddles upon their backs and bride
jyer their heads, day and night, throug
six long months Of vigilance again
friends, the church and the faith Of th
lines. Resistance to the death rath'
han be victims of the popular phrenz
was their motto, spoken out in the Ell
phatic language of action Their fir
ness, decision and welEknown enerl
saved them. The wolf quailed befo
them. And they lived on to infuse in
many children the energy and dauntles
ness which nerved their own souls.
twenty-six years the currents of for
within them suffered no abatement, {
then, in 17lS, heybrought forth the Ger
ral--a new edition Of themselves--mo
widely known and read, but perhaps n
much improved. aq7e'n
sS" A CHILD AT PLAy,-It is alwayI