Israel Putnam Email
Here are some of the letters we have received
at the Israel Putnam website
Hello,
Thank you for the wonderful web site on Israel Putnam. My grandfather, Hamilton Putnam, wrote a book in 1974 entitled “Country on Fire”. The book is about Israel Putnam and the colonial struggle for survival between 1755 and 1765.
My grandfather passed away in 1996 and was a 10th generation descendent from Israel . I remember visiting the homestead and burial place of Israel back in the 1980’s with him. Many wonderful memories.
Sincerely,
Pete Stohrer
Concord , NH
Click here for a painting of John Ward Dunsmore's "Council of War." General Putnam is the man third from the right. Someone is looking for the location of the original. If you have any information, please contact this website.
Just wanted to question the location of Israel's capture.
All my research shows the Fort Ann area as the scene of the ambush, not Crown Point. This is from various journals and officers reports.
Thank you,
John
Note from the webmaster: If anyones has information on this, please let us know. The map on our site of a marker at Crown Point was sent to us by a site visitor about 10 years ago. If someone has more information on that marker or information on Fort Ann, please email: israelputnam@gmail.com
Does anyone have a family tree of Israel Putnam?
Thanks!
Robert Putnam
Note from webmaster: If anyones does, send it to israelputnam@gmail.com and we will post it on this site
My name is David Putnam Emerson, and I grew up in the Gen. Israel Putnam homestead in Danvers, MA. In case people were not aware, that home (with a date on the chimney of 1648) is currently part of the Danvers Historic Society. If you are in the Boston area, I'm sure people would enjoy a visit to this historic house (located on Route 1). Be sure to stop by next door afterwards and visit Putnam Pantry Candies! Very nice and informative site - thanks.
As a documented (SAR/DAR) decendent of General Putnam (D: Hannah/Winchester, Isaac Dana, Nathan Dana, Perley Bugbee, William Cusack), I am quite upset that some of the Websites of Colonel Prescott mistakenly lay claim to the quote "Don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes". As "Putnam" followers, we need to collectively set the record straight. History has documented the following:
1) It was General Putnam that successfully repelled the British at BUNKER HILL. (On more than one occasions.)
2) It was Colonel Prescott that could not defend "BREED"S HILL".
3) The "Bunker Hill" monument CURRENTLY occupies "Breed's Hill".
4) General George Washington PROMOTED General Putnam, following this historic battle!
General Putnam EARNED the respect of victory over the tremendous odds at Bunker Hill, while others accept the accolades.
James Campbell Cusack (SAR/DAR)
It is my happy good luck to be a direct descendent of Israel Putnam. That
I have learned more by far about (lots of greats) Grandfather Put on this
website than I ever did in 64 years of laziness about the subject is a
disgrace to me and a compliment to your superb website.
I had no idea what a breathtakingly reckless character this man was. Bunker
Hill is of course the event that everyone knows, but now I know that it was
just one event in a continuous chain of situations that would more likely be
found in a dime novel than in reality. Yet there it is. And certainly there are
usually exaggerations in the reporting of such a man's exploits. Still, with possible
whoppers factored in, Putnam's record of exploits remains astonishing. It would make a mountain of an epic movie.
Yet much of its fun and seriousness gets swept aside in most histories. Until now he has been a perpetual footnote. It takes a lot to stay on the stage of history, even if you are an outrageous, picaresque major general. His many memorials, statues, parks, etc., even a
darkling ghost piece by Charles Ives, all of these are regional. Out here
on the West Coast history
sometimes seems to amount to the preservation of Doggy Diner heads, and pathetically, the Gold Rush.
What I read from what he represents to the family gene pool is first and foremost
challenge. Fun it is to brag about him, but much harder to live up to his
example as a man of great courage and decency. It does seem that recklessness is a
family trait, as is warm heartedness, and I am proud to say an
aggressive concern for human rights is our enduring habit. One of his descendents, my
Godfather, Lemuel Hatch Matthews, was an OSS officer who participated in the
liberation of Berchtesgaden and shortly after escorted Hermann Goering to Nuremberg. While
standing on a train platform in my uncle's custody, Goering turned to an American
enlisted man and ordered him to carry his baggage. The soldier protested to my
uncle, "Sir, this man is a POW. What gives him the right to order me around?" My uncle
mustered his very fine Putnam genes, replied, "You're right, soldier." Then he turned
to Goering. "Carry your own bags if you want them."
I will make sure that my two sons and my grand son devour the contents of your wonderful gift to our nation's and my family's history.
Best Regards,
John
One more note: Being tortured, then barely to escape having been burned alive should reasonably
leave the victim in a state of post traumatic stress for the remainder of his life. But, there were few stress counselors in those days, and resilience was an imperative for many during the pre-revolutionary territorial wars.
The colorful surface of Putnam's life is deceptively seductive in that it is easily romanticized, whereas Old Put would certainly proclaim that what he went through at its worst was not much fun at all. Those times in general are excessively romanticized, although the history books are beginning to look more closely at the era and without the chauvinism of
past generations. This can only help us to understand ourselves. We should never slip into a regard for past wars as fun.
John
First of all it's a GREAT site you have here! I
have a relative named Jonathan Shaw that joined
Putnam's company in 1758. His name appears on a
muster roll of Connecticut men in the French &
Indian War I found on Ancestry.com. Do you have any
orderlies or other materials I might use to find out
more particulars on Jonathan's time with Putnam?
Thanks!
Chris
I would like to thank you for the very informative
site you have on Isreal Putnam.
My son chose to do a report on Isreal Putnam for his
history class (8th Grade) when
studying the Revolutionary War. We went through
many search engines/web sites before
we were able to find your site. There is NOT a lot
of information out there on Putnam and
we would like to thank you for your dedication.
Sites we searched include britannica.com
pbs.org (liberty) columbia.edu/k12/history and we
finally found your web site when we
typed Isreal Putnam in the Prodigy search engine.
Thanks again! Karen (and Miles)
Great site on Old Put. When I was at Trinity College in Hartford, I
would rub
the head of the wooden carving of Old Put in the college chapel for
good
luck. Putnam, like so many of the other generals in the Revolutionary
War
(like Greene, Dan Morgan, Heath, Robert Howe, Knox, etc.) remain all
the
darker because Washington shines so bright. Your page serves as a
worthy
tribute to a worthy commander and Nutmeg State Legend.
Kevin Michael Derby
Israel Putnam's chiildren were:
Israel, Jr. June 8, 1740
Daniel March 10, 1742
Hannah August 25, 1744
Elizabeth March 20, 1747
Mehitable October 21, 1749
Mary May 10, 1753
Eunice January 10, 1756
Daniel November 18, 1759 (Born after the first Daniel died)
Rob
My name is Susan and my husband and I own and
operate American
Home-School Publishing. We sell to home schoolers
in America and Canada
and around the world. One of the things that we are
really trying to do
is reaquaint people with our great heritage
including people like Israel
Putnam. My children have read 2 or 3 books each on
this wonderful man,
but we cannot find any in print books to carry in
our catalog.
Do you know of any books that are in print that we
could carry in our
catalog, anything from K to 12th grade? All of the
books that we own
ourselves, except one book for adults, are out of
print. I have been
searching for any figures in the American Revolution
and have found some
good biographies, histories, and historical fiction,
but not nearly as
much as I would like to have. There is so much out
there on Egypt,
Rome, the middle Ages etc. but there is a great
shortage of books on
figures of the American Revolution and the signers
of the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution..
If you know of any books that are available on
Israel Putnam, I would
greatly appreciate any help that you could give me.
Raised in Killingly, Connecticut, I have been
familiar with the name of
Israel Putnam all my life. I am glad to see that
"Old Put" has his own place
on the Internet to perpetuate the memory of this
remarkable character.
Congratulations on a job well done!
Bruce Trinque
John Durkee was an ancestor of mine. I have been> researching his life for many years and, still have> many sources to investigate. Do you have any> references to Durkee? My interest in Durkee goes> beyond the family. I am researching his> Regt.-Putnam's former 3rd Conn., and his> participation along side Putnam at Bunker Hill.> Durkee fought with Putnam throughout the French and> Indian War, were elected on the same "political> ticket" to the General Assembly, etc., etc.>
Leonard
Israel Putnams daughters by wife Hannah Pope were:
hannah born 8/25/1744
married john dana 1764; elizabeth brn 3/20/1747 died
young; mehitable brn
3/21/1749 married capt. daniel tyler 1711; mary brn
5/10/1753 married samuel
waldo 1773; eunice brn 1/10/1756. major gen putnams
sons were israel,
david(died at 17), daniel,david, and peter schyler.
Israel putnam is my
great, grt, grt,grt,grt grandfather. I would
appreciate locating a poem by
arthur guiterman titled "death and general putnam"
It is in a book
published by e.p. dutton & co., inc. 1937 or 1939,
new york. also, those
interested in reasearching their putnam roots as
relates to gen putnam will
find a lot of information at the web site
www.familysearch.org. I hope this
is helpful to you. Sincerely j.Applegate, Tulsa,
Okla.
Your site is interesting; I would have liked to have read the e-mail comments
but the yellow on white made it impossible. The Campus Martius museum is a
great place to visit in Marietta Ohio.
Yours, Rufus Putnam's great, great, great,great, great
grand-daughter
I am the great, great, great granddaughter of General Israel Putnam on
my
father's side according to the information my grandfather related to me
when
I was about ten years old, vacationing at my grandparents residence in
Spokane, Washington.
Suzanne
I believe I'm a decendant of Gen. Putnam. My family records only show
that my
4th Great Grandfsther - SIMEON BUMPUS married a daughter of Gen.
Putnam.
b. 31 Aug 1739 - Wareham, Lyme Co,
i'm trying to find some information about my grandmother,s family on my
father's side. her name was nellie putnam hand. her father was a doctor...
i've been told .
we are direct decendants of general putnam. her married name was
nellie putnam hand williamson... her husband was jasper williamson....they
lived in farmingdale new jersey after world war one... thats all i know
.... i would really love any information anyone might have. thank you
linda
Great web site!
Here is a web site of 32,750 individuals of the Putman/Putnam
family:
http://al7fl.abts.net/putman/putman.htm
To locate Generaal Putnam on this web site, click on find, enter ISRAEL
THOMAS PUTNAM.
Art
Excellent page. I have been reading a lot about Gen. Israel Putnam lately and have found your page to be one of the best. Keep up the great work.
:-)
Jim
I'm making an inquiry ... on Nathan Putnam- a grandson of Israel's (b. approx 1789) and was named Postmaster in the town of Adams, Massachusetts in 1814- he is buried in a cemetery in North Adams... Do you have any
info or could you direct me to a Putnam geneology site?
Thanks for your attention (your site here is very good)-
Clark
It has been passed down over the years that my family is a direct
descendant of Israel Putnam. I am in the process of trying to substantiate
that fact but have not been successful. Do you have any suggestions or
other web sites that may be of assistance. Any help would be greatly
appreciated.
My great-grandfather Herbert Viele is the son of William Putnam
Viele born 28 Jan. 1821. William's mother , we have been told, was a
niece of Israel Putnam. Her name was Margaret (Ruth) Putnam. The two
buckles from his boots were each made into a spoons and my
great-grandfather received one spoon and his brother Charles received
the other spoon. The other brother Andrew received a very old coverlet
made of wool (home grown) which had been dyed, carded, and woven by the
Putnam family. This story has been in our family for generations, but
we cannot find a genealogy record for Israel Putnam.
The following is the direct Putnam line of great grandpa Viele's
mother, Margaret Putnam and sometimes Putman as the name goes back:
Hendrick Putnam b. 1761 and Mariah Quackenbush b.1762
Cornelius Putnam b.1724 and Elizabeth Pruyn b. 1724
Victoor Janse Putnam b. 1681 and Grietje Pieterse Mabie b. 1680
Jan or J pootman or Putman b.1645 and Cornelia Arentse Bradt b.1655
Rutger Putman b. 1597 and Joanna Vandenburgh b. 1597.
Johannes Putman b. 1566 and Matilda Meyer b. 1566.
Rutgerus Putman b. 1510 and Agnez Bosch b. 1510.
I would appreciate any help. Melinda
I read on Israel Putnam's home page that David Humphrey wrote Putnam's
biography.
My interest is in Humphrey, who was an ambassador to Spain and brought
merinos back to Connecticut. Have you any info on Humphrey?
I am a descendant of General Israel Putnam and I am interested to know what
he did after the Revolutionary War. My gg grandfather Sheppard Parkman
Smiley came to Australia in 1852.
Regs KEITH
Aside from Ethan Allen's capture of Fort Ticondaroga, (Without so much as
a shot fired), The second battle of the Revolutionary War was fought on
what is now the border of Revere and Chelsea MA. Since General Putnam
was a commander in what was the first multi or I guess one could say
(United) States' military action against the crown, I think more mention
and honor should be given those due both in the history books and your
webpage, considering the fact that we won the battle. What do you think?
If you have
an answer to any of the above questions, please
click on this line
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constantly being added (Last updated January 19, 2000)