Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-08


The same year he was taken prisoner, an
account of which is rs follows: "When
returning to Fort Edward from an expedi-
ton to watch the enemy in the neighbor-
hood of Ticonderoga, his corps was surprised
by party of French and Indians, and he
himself captured and bound to tree.
While in this situation battle between
his own party and the enemy ragged around
HIM an hour The tree against which he
was placed was part of the time in the
hottest fire. A French officer passing by,
struck him in the jaw with the butt of his
gun. An Indian amused himself for some
time hurling his tomahawk into the trunk
of the tree to satisfy himself how near he
could come to the prisoners body and yet
miss it. At length the party of French
and Indians were forced to retreat, but
carried with them their captive, whom the
savages determined to roast alive He
was tied to tree, and fire was already
blazing furiously, when his life was saved
by the intervention of the French COM
mander, Molang. The next day he was
taken to Ticonderoga and afterward to
Montreal, where among other prisoners he
met Colonel Peter Schuyler, through
whose intervention he was treated accord
ing to his military rank and suffered to be
ex changed"
In 1854 Putnam, at the head of 400 Con-
necticut men, accompanied Colonel Brad
street to Detroit in the Pontiac war; where
a bloodless victory was obtained For
some years afterward he is said to have
kept hotel in Brooklyn, Conn, and dur
ing the same period frequently represented
the town in the Legislature. But il was
in the great struggle for independence that
the name of Putnam became so celebrated
His intrepidity, marvellous energy and
great reliability of character, coupled with
his long military experience, pre-eminently
qualified him for the position which he
attained. At the beginning of the Revo-
lutionary war Putnam embraced zealously
the cause of the colonists; and at the fii st
note of alarm, occasioned by the battle of
Lexington, in April, 1775, he left his plow
in the field, and, mounting his horse, made
the entire distance to Boston-sixty-eight
miles-in one day. Learning that the
British had been defeated at Lexington,
he went TO Hartford to meet with the Leg
islature, of which he was member. Hav-
ing been elected a Brigadier- General by
that body, he returned to his home, re-
cruited and organized regiment, and
after drilling them some days, marched
with the men to the scene of action at
Cambridge. Here he was sought after by
the British officers, who offered him Il
commission as Major-General in the royal
army and large pecuniary consideration,
both of which he Indignantly refused.
He Immediately entered into active
service, and under his gallant leadership
the spirit of the troops was high. He lei
battalion of 800 men to Noddle's Island,
now East Boston, and succeeded in destroy
ing British schooner, capturing sloop,
killing and wounding seventy of the
enemy. He acted conspicuous part in
the battle of Bunker Hill. In July, 1775,
Washington brought him 4 commission
from Congress as Major-General. In all
the subsequent movements of the army
Putnam took an active part. In May,
1777, he was ordered to take command OF
troops in the highlands of New York.
While there Sir Henry Clinton claimed a
Lieutenant of a Tory regiment as an
officer in the British service. Putnam
sent back the following famous reply
Edward Palmer, an officer in the enemy S
service, was taken as a spy lurking within
our lines; he has been tried as q spy, con-
demned as spy, and shall be executed as
spy, and the flag is ordered to depart
Immediately. Israel Putnam. F. S. He
has been accordingly executed"
In March, 1879, Horseneck, one of Put
nam's outposts, guarded by 150 men and
two pieces of artillery, was attacked by
1900 British troops. Putnam took his
tIo l,,.Nx,, cf i
exchanged shots with the invaders. OBJ
serving, the account say, that the enemy s
dragons were preparing to charge, and
appreciatins the folly of resistance against
such great odds, he ordered his men to re-
tire to a swamp inaccessible to cavalry.
Being himself hotly pursued, and finding
the dragons We're gaining upon him, he
rode down steep declivity, receiving on
his passage ball through his hat Con-
tinuing on to Stamford, he called out the
militia and eiiecting junction with his
little party he hung upon the rear of the
retreating army and took about fifty pris-
oners, whom he treated with such human
ity as to call forth letter of thanks from
the British General. During the summer
| of l779, while in command Of the troops
in the highlands of New York, Putnam,
assisted by his cousin Rufus Putnam and
others, completed the Notifications at West
Point. This was his last campaign. Hav-
ing suffered an attack of paralysis of his
left side he took up his residence on his
rarm in Brooklyn, Conn, and there re-
manned until his death, which occurred
May 16, 1870.
On the Nth of June last an equestrian
statue of General Putnam was unveiled at
Brooklyn, Conn, in the presence of large
concourse of people, among whom were
some of the descendants of "Old Put" The
equestrian figure Of Putnam, which repre-
sents the old hero in full uniform, is the
work of Karl Gerhardt, and stands upon a
plain but handsome granite pedestal, orna-
mented only by bronze wreath of oak
leaves encireling the upper rim, and a
bronze VOLTS head on either side at about
the center of the shaft. The inscription,
which occupies {. broad slab on the face OF
the pedestal, was written by General
Joseph r. Hawley. The Legislature OF
Connecticut appropriated $4,000 for the
bronze figure, and philantropic citizen of
the town of Brooklyn donated the site and
the pedestal. IT'S.
August 10, 1883.
ss...--ru-.z<.rrz.z-s>>
] Tct.u - N E..N- n