Detail from Dominique C. Fabronius, Maj. Gen. Israel Putnam, ca. 1864, lithograph – Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Israel Putnam (1718-1790)
Israel Putnam, a patriot and Revolutionary War veteran, is most famous today for his bravery during the Battle of Bunker Hill. Originally from Massachusetts, a 22-year-old Putnam moved to what is now Pomfret in 1740. There, local residents credited him with crawling into a wolf den and killing the last known wolf in Connecticut. He fought in the French and Indian War and became a prominent member of the Sons of Liberty and a leader of the opposition to the 1765 Stamp Act. After serving two years in the general assembly, he became second brigadier of the Connecticut forces that fought the British in the Battle of Bunker Hill. A stroke forced his retirement from the military in 1779, and he died in Brooklyn, where a monument now marks his final resting spot.
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Israel Putnam: A Youthful Trailblazer Turned Colonial Militiaman
Israel Putnam served with distinction in the Seven Years' War and in the Revolutionary War, particularly at the Battle of Bunker Hill. …[more]
