Putnam, Israel (1718-1790), an American patriot, was a general in the American Revolution (1775-1783). One of the few experienced soldiers at the beginning of the war, Putnam rose from the rank of second lieutenant to lieutenant colonel in the French and Indian War (1754-1763). He became a major general in the Continental Army.
During the difficult years before the war, Putnam was a stout opponent of the British government. He became a leader in the Sons of Liberty and served as chairman of the Brooklyn (Connecticut) Committee of Correspondence. When Putnam heard about the Battle of Lexington, he hurried to Cambridge and joined the colonial soldiers. Later, he fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Putnam was born on Jan. 7, 1718, in Salem Village (now Danvers), Massachusetts. During the French and Indian War, the Indians captured him, but he escaped from death through a dramatic rescue. In 1762, Putnam led a Connecticut regiment in an unsuccessful expedition against the French in the Caribbean. He died on May 29, 1790.
