Hometown Heroes of the Civil War
The Putnam brothers served in the Civil War
By Michael Rocchetti
Brothers William S Putnam and John Day Putnam, both from nearby Brooklyn, served during the Civil War.
William S. Putnam
William S Putnam (1843-1864) was a Corporal in the 12th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Company C. He was the great-great-grandson of General Israel Putnam. He enlisted on Jan 28, 1862, and mustered in as a private on Jan 31, 1862. He was promoted to Corporal on Oct 3, 1863. He re-enlisted on Feb 17, 1864. His unit was sent to Louisiana in late 1862, and he fought in several engagements there including the Siege of Port Hudson, LA. In mid-1864 his unit was redeployed to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, and he fought at the battles of Winchester, Fishers Hill and Cedar Creek – where he was killed in action on Oct 19, 1864.
He was born Jan 30, 1843 in Brooklyn CT, the son of William H. and Eliza Putnam. He had four sisters and two brothers – one of which was John Day Putnam who also served during the Civil War. He is buried at the Old Trinity Church Cemetery, Brooklyn CT.
John Day Putnam
John Day Putnam (1837-1904) served honorably as a Sergeant in a Wisconsin regiment, and went out west after the war, serving as a federal agent. He won the admiration and respect of the people of Los Angeles for his daring exploits in combatting human traffickers, rescuing and repatriating Chinese captives, unwittingly imported into a life of indentured servitude in the mine pits, sweat shops, and brothels of the Wild West. John Day Putnam was also admired and respected back home in Brooklyn. In-fact, he was the honored guest who unveiled the General Israel Putnam Equestrian Statue at the dedication ceremony in Brooklyn on June 14, 1888.
He was born June 19th 1837 in Brooklyn CT, was educated in the local schools, and in March 1859 married C. Ellen Lowell of Sharon, CT. He afterwards moved to Wisconsin and at the outbreak of the Civil War enlisted as a member of the 1st Wisconsin Regiment. He served 3 years in the Army of the Tennessee under Generals Rosecrans, Thomas and Sherman, and participated in the battles of Perryville and Murfreesboro and other minor engagements.
At the close of the war he returned to Wisconsin and in 1864 engaged in farming until 1873, when he entered the flour milling business. He was a representative in the Wisconsin legislature of 1883. He then moved to California. In 1891 he was appointed as a Federal Agent in the US Treasury Department and later was appointed as the Chinese commissioner for the Pacific coast, holding the office at the time of his death. He was survived by his wife, four sons, and three daughters. He is buried at the Greenwood Cemetery, in River Falls, Wisc.
Hometown Heroes is a series published in the Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger with this mission: We owe it to our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines to make sure that they are never forgotten, and that the memory of their service and sacrifice will forever live on in the hearts and minds of the grateful people of Putnam.
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