Eagle Feathers #197 – Old Put

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

He was born and raised in Salem Village, today’s Danvers, Massachusetts. As a young man, he moved to Connecticut when it was still considered a frontier. He was a Major with Rogers Rangers during the French and Indian War and narrowly escaped death at the stake as an Indian prisoner. He aided in the capture of Havana in 1762, the relief of Detroit during Pontiac’s War in 1764 and preceding the Revolution, was a charter member of the Sons of Liberty.

Through the years, there have been towns, streets, schools, and counties in nine states named after him. In Somerville, Putnam Street, located directly across from the new high school project is named after him. Also, Putnam Road in Ten Hill’s bears his name. Israel Putnam was a Patriot. On receiving news of the battle in Lexington, he left his plow in the field and rode to aid the Middlesex Minutemen.

On June 16, 1775, he led over 1,000 Americans from Cambridge through today’s Somerville, to fortify Charlestown Heights. On the following day while commanding the Americans during the Battle of Bunker Hill, he applied his ranger tactics with devastating effect. He instructed his anxious soldiers, “Don’t fire till you see the whites of their eyes.” After withdrawing from the battle to Prospect Hill, he commanded his troops to fortify and to raise their Connecticut flag bearing the motto, “An appeal to heaven.” This was six months before General Washington raised the Grand Union Flag there.

He then fortified Cobble Hill to guard the Charles River’s entrance and its shore. During the siege of Boston, this stronghold became known as “Putnam’s Impregnable Fortress.” He next successfully engaged two British naval ships on the Mystic River. This was known as the Battle of Chelsea Creek. After capturing the ship Diana and stripping its deck, his men removed its main mast. They took it to Prospect Hill where General Washington used it to raise the Grand Union Flag.

Putnam was as strong as an ox and his men admired him. Other than his enemies in battle, he is said to have had none. Four years into the war and many campaigns later, he suffered paralysis and retired from service.

Today, his family keeps his memory alive with their famous candy store, Putnam Pantry. This nationally recognized sweet shop is on US Route One in Danvers, Massachusetts. It is located on the old Putnam Homestead, birthplace of Major General Israel Putnam.