Putnam patriot., 1920-08-13
their friends to preserve the memory

young farmer, who was in later years | to win fame as a wise leader, brave fighter.
 and a National hero.
 He dared to lead where any dared
 to follow"
 Committee Major George Haven Putnam. Earl B. Putnam, George Pal mer Putnam, Mrs. George w. Emer- son. Ernest Bradford Ellsworth, God ! frey Malone Day, Eben Putnam, Mrs. Emily Malone Morgan. Henry | Waite Bigelow, George Israel Browne. William H. Palmer
 From the Wolf Den the party moved to Pomfret street. On account of the heavy thunder shower that had brok- en. several cars did not stop for the concluding exercises, but the commit tee was gratified to find an audience of at least hundred gathered in the church auditorium, Here the speech of presentation was delivered by Ma ior George Haven Putnam of New York, which was in part aS follows: Members of the Putnam Association
 Fellow citizens of New Eng
 We have come together to honor the memory of a great American. a man who was typical representative of the generation of Americans under whose leadership were constructed the foundations of our Republic The place of Israel Putnam in the history of Connecticut and of the United States is already assured. His patri- otic service has been acknowledged in national histories and state records. His personality is recalled by the beautiful statue that has been placed in his home town. Brooklyn, and in the similar monument that stands be- fore the state capitol in Hartford
 "Our immediate purpose today is to recall an incident in the earlier years of Putnam's career an incident which was characteristic of the man and which gave full evidence of the energy, courage and will power that enabled Putnam to do what he did do with his life. The story of his en- counter with the wolf in the cave has become part of our Colonial history and is known to all intelligent Ameri- can boys"
 The speaker then launched into an outline history of Putnam's life, his birth in Salem, Mass, in ITS. which showed he was II years older than Washington. At the age of r he, single handed. subdued a fierce bull. In the days of the Roman augers this would nave been connected with the part he played later in helping to overcome the rule of the colonies by John Bull.
 The speaker next alluded to Put nam's marriage at the age of 21 years to Hannah Pope, with whom he en- joyed 26 years of happy married life. In TAO he became a citizen of Con- neeticut He bought farm at Mort lake, which was later incorporated in the town of Pomfret. The killing of the wolf took place of winter eve ming in 1742. "The cave" said the speaker, ''gives sufficient evidence of the difficulty of that undertaking It was something that had to be done single handed and there was no ques- tion among the farmers, young or old, as to who would be the first to volun- teer for the task It is curious CO., incidence that a century or more ear Her the Putnam or Puttenham fam fly in England. from which Israel was descended, had adopted as it's crest wolf's head"
 The speaker called attention to the fact that in 1902, Gideon Putnam, nephew of Israel, used as a design for his sign for the first hotel building in Saratoga. N. Y, representation of Putnam dragging the wolf from her den.
 Then Major Putnam began to out line the generals career as a fighting man His volunteer for service in 1755 for the French and Indian war and his part in the campaign against Crown Point He said, "We can i'm agine the scorn with which a man like Israel Putnam would, at a time when the villages were subject to the in roads of Indians, or when at time, houses might be and were burned, and women and children carried into cap tivity, have treated the objection that a pacificist of today might have raised to war. If there had been any man of the time who would, like our pacifi cists of later date, have recommended that the aggressive people should be allowed to have their way and that the righteous man should stand by with hands folded while his neighbors, or possibly his own family were be- ing assaulted, such a fellow would have received short shrift from man like Putnam"
 The speaker then told of Putnam's fighting as lieutenant at the battle of Lake George. The death of Col onel Ephraim Williams on the battle field and his writing with his blood brief will leaving his property for the founding of Williams College.
 Tn 1756, holding the rank of cap tain, Putnam joined the rangers and rendered conspicuous service. In l757 he was stationed at Fort Edwards.