The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-12
r1s PU1TAM a n1IToBs


TO arrus his question ~afirmatively on the al
Legged authority Of the late Henry B. Dawson,
corroborated. ~ he says, by two extracts from
authorities well known" Tho first Of these en-
tracts In frpm the " History Of New York City
During the Revolutionary War;" by Judge
Jones, who Mr.. Stone declares was "a jurist at
that day held in high esteem-" This extract Ia
as follows:
Putnam IL an old, illiterats farmer Of POM
fret. Conn. He il rssolute. bold, and enter
prising. In IT'S he offered his services to Gen.
Gage, the Commander.in-Chie in America, II he
could have a provincial regiment. The proposal
was rejscted. How prudent the rejection OF
such an ofsr at such a time I leave to the do
oision OF all true ~loyslists and lovers OF their
country"
1t is needless to say Judge Jones was himself
a loyRlist. On reference to his book I fnd in the
preface . statement by the editor, Mr.. Edward
Floyd De Lancey, that Judge Jones left New
York in 1851 Tor Europe. and that !" the negotia-
ton Of the peace in 1854. which took effect the
succeeding year. prevented his return, AZ he was
one Of the t1fty-six gentlemen and three ladies'
included by name in the New York act Of at
tainder, which became operative on the conclu-
sion Of peace. and BY which their lives were fpss
Jdcto forfeited and their estates conhscsted."
The extract in reference to Putnam In taken
from q tootnote. in which Judge Jones cites no
proof or authority for his statement. 1t seems.
therefore, that Mr.. Stone. in this instance, i'm
peaches Gen. Putnam's integrity on the max ed
say-so OF an attainted loyalist, whose oath
would not have been taken at the time in any
court OF justice In the State Of New York.
The other extract quoted by Mr.. Stone is taken
from the journal Of Capt. John Montressor. an
engineer officer in the British Army. In stating
the causes of the failure OF England to subiugats
this country, he names two which Mr.. Stone
quotes:
"~First-Taking post at Boston. a mere libel on
common sense. being commanded all round. a
mere target. for the enemy"
"Second-Not purchasing the rebel Generals
Even Israel Putnam OF Connecticut might have
been bought. to my certain knowledge. for 81
per day, or 8 shillings New York currency. The
following rebel Generals might have been OBJ
tanned at \ still ~HeitLeur mdrchdis tbetter bar
gain. viz: Lasher, the shoemakeg Of New York;
Heard Gen. Heardh. the tavern keeper OF Wood
bridge" By comparison with the original I dud
that Mr.. Stone has not given tho complete list Of
venal rebel Generals as docketed by Montressor,
who names also -Pomeroy. the gunsmith,' and
-Pribble, the tavern keeper OF Canterbury. old
England"
II we accept Montressor's statemen as to
Putnam, we must accept it also as to Col. Lash
er Of the New York militia. Gen. Heard. and
Gen. Pomeroy. and -Pribble" whom I cannot
. DlACtt. anu NTlLo LuCu III uOWu no "Ot2u
traitors. One consideration that throws some
doubt on the accuracy OF Montressor Is that.
while he states that Putnam could have been
bought by the British, to bis certain knowl-
edse.'' for one dollar per day, We know from the
records that Putnam was appointed " fourth
Maior-Ge neral' by act Of congress, June 1e,l775,
and that the pay Of q Maior-General had been
fixed by the act of June l6 st S166 per month.
and when acting in a separate department, at
1900 " -. ala -hU
should he sell himself TO the British for one dol
lar per day when hs was receiving from more
than hve TO more than ten times that amount
from the rebels" Even those who suspect his
integrity ought to give the old Yankee credit for
more shrewdness In making a bargain
A perusal OF Capt. Monrressor's journal shows
that he had q very high opinion OF John Mon
tressor. and . very Door opinion Of everybody
else. It Is full of carpins criticism OF his su-
perior officers. He devotes three pages tc
"Blunders in America" BurZoyue, Howe
CORVALLIS. and Clinton were all " blunderers.
and none OF them appreciated Capt Montressor
His Journal Seems TO have been kept largely te
recount his grievances and record his C! aims
Here are some Of the headlines: =" Extra Services
By NJ" Ny Pretensions to Prefernent." Elk
, Traosai3na ay Persona Se5yices'. E : " y prete0 o.
: sions from NJ Ancestors Services Lineally,'
/, sc, BE was a sadly disappotntei and tissatts
2 hCn hA nhe q
, i Thi, i the man upon whose authority HMr. ston;
{ s X a.t .es PaPss@~ P SIT fS q, !!G sSs tt 10 O S%t Ii
!, men, the hero Of our schoolboy days-was
r These extracts are given by Mr.. Stone in cor
! roboration Of a statement which he says wa
a shortly before his death, thai the behavior o
Putnam at Bunker Hill was the result OF hi
Gage, then commander Of the British forces a
: Boston, where he was besieged bv Washington
with a view OF eventually coming over to th'
. n Nj. Dawson believed that Putnam was en-
. gagged in a Jraitorous correspondence with Gen
: Gage he owed it TO The truth OF history to pre-
! sent the proof upon which his belief was founde'
Z in some OF his well known historical and au
q thorttative works on the American Revolution;
. presume ne has not done so, or Mr.. stone woul'
r have 81 edit It inst snt q Nh II" vs @sSa ID fsf Ii
. life time had published his belief without Rivtnl
= the proofs upon which it was founded. his mer'
belief would have been entitled to no considera
|. ton. and Mr.. stores rehearsal NJ it after nj
= death cannot make It Any stronger than T. T9u.
a son had made a similar statement to Nr; SCon
u Us 20 George Washington, would he produce
j, a. the basis Of an argument that washington
o In contrast with the evidence against Pa
= MANS integrity %eShunsd by M. stone, l one
= Men who knew him and who, IN the nature q
things, we're the best Judges Of h, character.
Z Putnam. addressed to the State society Of n
I Cincinnati in Ccnnecticu. and frs; published D
their DFltTs W u DtNh. $500
Q pnreys nni served under Putnam IN the line an
Z on his staif, and afterward, in 1850. was AZ
pointed on the stat OF Gen. Washing
y ton, and was at Mount, Vernon whe
he sent thIs address, June 4. l7ss
to the President OF the society, stain
a that unavoidable absence would prevent hts d.
n uVering it In person. In hIs letter he says: |
occurred to me that an attempt To preserve tn
o actions OF Gen. Putnam in the archives OF on
a State Society would be acceptable 20 AL its mem
bers, az they mad all served " tn great sntiafac
n ton under his immed ate orders. Ger
Putnam IL universally acknowledged to hav
been as brave and AZ honest a man a. eve
AmeriCH produced.'
Col. Humphreys mad had the very best oppol
tuniIies OF kno wing tho secrets Of his day, haI
ing access not only To the papers Of Gen. Pu
~ nam, but to those Of the Commander-in-Chie
Including the vast correspondence, secret SCI
r. vice reports. Intercepted letters. &c, in asi
:, ington's pnssesaion at Mount Vernon. II thar
- was any discriminating evidence against Pu
nam. ne certainly ought TO have kHOwn IL.
he knew it, would he have dared 70 make Oh
declaration / have quoted 10 the Cincinnati
Connecticut That society ordered hls ,lettI
and address to be published and thereby indOrSe
them WOuld they have done 80 II there hA