Putnam patriot., 1921-12-09

ed her ready loyalty TO England out
not many Of her men were needed as
soldiers and so little was her peace
disturbed during this long period that
a proclamation which was issued
declared that her people enjoyed the
halycon days Of peace and tibet time
as il advances may unfold scenes of
more wealth and wider action but not
Of more contentment and purity
Her steadfast loyalty to the mother
country called her from this halcyon
peace to the battlefield again before
the middle TO the 18th century. Eng
land and Spain were then at war and
Connecticut called for volunteers to
help England capture the city of Ha.
vana. The city was easily taken but
yellow fever proved more deadly than
the Spaniards and but few of Connec-
tieut's brave soldiers lived to tell the
story of their expedition.
France next took the field against
England and the scene of the fighting
on this side Of the ocean shifted te
Canada Louisburg, the Gibraltar OF
North America" must be taken from
the French Five thousand New Eng
land troops, eleven hundred of them
from Connecticut. marched TO cooper
ate with a British fleet in this seem
ingly impossible undertaking. TheiI
hardships and sufferings We're terrible
but in faw weeks the news that tehy
had been victorious carried JOY u
every New England home Ten years
Of peace followed and then a greater
and blacker war cloud began to
gather
The final struggle for the control
of North America was at hand This
struggle we call the French and Indian
War On one side was England and
her thirteen colonies stretched along
the Atlantic. On the other side was
France and her colonies occupyine
Canada and attempting to hold the
Ohio aud the Mississippi valleys
France was aided by Spain and most
Of the Indians.
Connecticut promptly raised i,006
troops TO join provincial army that
was sent TO take Crown Point Major
general Phineas Lyman Of Sufiield was
commander Of the New England
troops Nathan Whiting Of New Ha
ven and Israel Putnam of Pomrfe'
were among the ablest Of his aSsis.
tants Il was due 20 the able leader
ship Of these three men that the pro
vineial army won brilliant victory
over the French and Indians on the
battlefield near Lake George 1t wa,
said that under the command Of Gen.
eral Lyman the New England people
kept up the most violent fire that had
as yet been known in America"
Each year until the war was over
+ Connecticut sent more than her quota
Of men TO take part in the thiekesi
and heaviest Of the fighting. BY the
end of 1860 Canada and the Ohio
valley had been won for England but
another campaign remained
In 1861 large force Of provincial
troo ps was sent TO the West Indies 70
AID British fleet in capturing Hav.
ana Phineas Lyman and IsraeI
Putnam commanded Connecticut
quota Of one thousand men most OF
whom. like those who had helped "a
take the city ia the preceding war
fell victims 10 the dread scourge OF
yellow fever,
The year l775 brought the great
war Of the American Revolution
When news came TO Pomfret that III,
battle Of Lexington had been fought
Israel Putnam left his pillow in the
furrow. took a few hours for prepare
tien, and then with his horse at full
speed rode all night long in order I,
reach Concord the following morning
Six regiments Of Connecticut mer
were soon in the field. Three thousand
OF the army OF fifteen thousand mer
that assembled at Cambridge wer,
from Connecticut Connecticut mer
planned and financed an expedition
against Fort Ticonderoga. This expe
dition was joined by Ethan Allen anc
his Green Mountain Boys and AIler
was placed in command.
On the morning Of May 10 the,
4 aaHf 8 Ha.4 a ) i