Israel Putnam, born at Salem, Massachusetts, on the 7th of January, 1718, was a lineal descendant of one of the Puritan Pilgrims. Even as a boy, he displayed that fearlessness and resolution that in later years characterized his military career. A fierce wolf was causing much loss of life among the sheep, and great annoyance to the farmers in the neighborhood, while cunningly eluding all their efforts to kill her. Putnam tracked her to her den, and descending into its gloomy recesses, shot her by the light of her own blazing eyeballs. He led the life of a farmer until the breaking out of the French and Indian War, when by his indomitable courage and enterprise he won a name that gained for him a high rank at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. When news of the skirmish at Lexington flew like wildfire over the country, Putnam, who was ploughing, left his yoke of oxen standing in the furrow, and mounting his fleetest horse, hurried to Boston.
On the 19th of June, 1775, Congress appointed Putnam major-general, but it was not until the month following that he became acquainted with General Washington, who subsequently declared him to be “a most valuable man and a fine executive officer.” He served with distinction throughout the war, again and again effecting by his daring boldness results that seemed impossible with the limited resources and insufficient number of men at his command. In the winter of 1778, while superintending the building of the fort at West Point, he visited one of his outposts at West Greenwich. Governor Tryon with five hundred dragoons made at this time an attack, hoping to capture Putnam, who had but fifty men. Stationing himself on the brow of a steep hill, Putnam received the attack with a discharge of artillery, then ordered his men to withdraw to a swamp where no cavalry could follow them, while he himself escaped by urging his horse down the almost perpendicular declivity. Not one of the British dared to follow. The descent known as Horse Neck has since borne the name of “Putnam’s Hill.” During the next winter, while still superintending the erection of new fortifications along the Hudson River, he suffered a stroke of paralysis from which he never recovered, although he lived till the 19th of May, 1790. His friend, Dr. Dwight, in summing up his character speaks of him as—
“A hero who dared to lead where any dared to follow; as a patriot who rendered gallant and distinguished services to his country; as a man whose generosity was singular, whose honesty was proverbial, and who raised himself to universal esteem, and offices of eminent distinction, by personal worth and a useful life.”
During the Revolution he was familiarly known as “Old Put.” The British offered him money and the rank of major-general if he would desert the American cause; but he could neither be daunted by toil and danger, nor bribed by gold and honors.
