The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-04-29

hands. His grandson was Mr.. John p. Put
nam, graduate of Williams College Mas
secnusetts, and a citizen OF Cambridge
washington county, n. Y, which vas after
wards divided into three towns. o.; which
w mite creek was one. He was a utleman
OF great culture and worth, and a very
special friend of my childhood. He had in
his possession and received from his father
ana grandfather, General Putnam 2 brac,,
OF pistols, which he preserved with the.
greatest care, and exhibited to his friends as
interesting relics of the revolutionary war.
Ihey are now in the possession Of his
widow, and she has very kindly scceded 10
DR.. Primes request TO permit thsu TO 60 To
Lexington, to be exhibited there ct the ap-
preaching centennial. They were unSOubr-
ediy the pistols used by Major Pitcairn IN
giving the command TO the British soldiers
TO ire upon the Americans on the morning
or April 18th, 1775, and one of them is, there
fore, the nrst weapon discharged in the war
OF the American revolution. The following
certncate by John L. Putnam recitss the
facts, and the evidence that these are the
pistols that were in the hands OF Major Pit
cairn on that day:
1 am grandson of tha late Major General
israel Putnam. l have
DISTINCT RECOLLECTION OF sRzsE PIs--
Tolls
Tor more than sixty-three years. EIy first
recognition OF them was seeing them on the
drapery of the generals coffin as he WIS
borne to the grave. They were then the
property of my father gift of his father
and have remained in the possession OF my
father and myself down to the present day.
From my uncles, Col. Israel Putnam and Col.
Daniel Putnam, who were both a;6ss-de-
camp TO the general, and from nv father.
have often heard the following statement.
namely, "that at the commencement of the
war OF the American revolution these pistols
were the property of Maj. Pitcairn of the
British army; that on bis retreat from Con-
cord and Lexington to Boston. on the 10th
OF April, l775, his horse was shot under him.
ana ne iell near party OF pursuing Ameri-
cans; that the major narrowly ESCAPED can
ture, leaving his horse and equipszs: tat
his pursuers stripped the horse of his iurni-
ture, OF which these pistols formed q mart
and brought them into the American camp.
and few days after, on his arrival at camp.
they were presented TO Gen. Putnam. Nho car
ried them through the residue of his active
service in said war" And do further cor
Try, thar, In the year 1927, spent short
Sc ason at Lexington, had these pistols with
me and was there introduced TO three ftbe
members OF Capt. Parker's COMPANY of
militia that was attacked by the British
forces Of that place, and that one of them. a
Mr.. Monroe, think, states it as his firm
oeiiei, rom recollection OF something I'M
usual in their construction. that he saw
one OF these pistols that morning in the
haho OF the commander OF the detachment
who ne atterward learned was Major Pitcairn.
and saw him discharge it bsfors any other
shot was fired at said company.
JOHN 2. PUTNAM.
WHITE CREEK, Y. Y, Dec. S, 1853.
CERTIFICATE OF COL. AARON BURR.
certify that, from inspection of a pair Of
steel mounted pistols now ia possession Of
Mr.. John p. Putnam, and that this day
shown to me by him, 1 believe them TO be
he same pistols which were carried and
lsed by Major General Israel Putnam. in
ne war OF the revolution. That 1 was the
lde-de-csmp TO Gen. Putnam, aud / be-
ieve often saw said pistols in his posses
ion. Rrpp
September %, 1885.
Witness present, ALEXANDER S FUTILE.
Not the least part of the extraordinary in
crest at this time attaching 20 these
Weapons Is contributed by the document
'earlng the signature of Aaron Burr, which
riglnal paper was exhibited to the writer.
y DR.. Prime.