Of the ten children born to Israel and
Hannah Putnam in the twenty-six years of their happy married life, seven
were living at the time of the mother's death, the youngest only three
months old, and bearing the name of Peter Schuyler, in honor of the New
Jersey colonel who had befriended his father when a captive in Canada.
CHAPTER X
TAVERN-KEEPER AND ORACLE
No one could call in question Israel Putnam's loyalty, yet the year
following his last campaign in behalf of King George, he might have been
found opposing the Government and riding from town to town, for the
purpose of inciting men to make armed resistance to the iniquitous
"Stamp Act," which had been passed and made a law early in 1765. While
James Otis, Samuel Adams, and Patrick Henry were eloquently declaiming
against it, Putnam was for putting words into action, and as one of the
"Sons of Liberty" was active in urging his countrymen to make a stand
for freedom.
Though prevented by an accident from taking part in the proceedings by
which the "stamp-master" for Connecticut was compelled to resign his
position and disavow the office to which he was appointed, yet Putnam
was foremost in bringing this condition of affairs about.
Pages:
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107