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Capt Henry Roscoe “H.R.” Putnam

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Birth	:	21 Jan 1832 Houlton, Aroostook County, Maine, USA
Death	:	12 Feb 1872 Helena, Lewis and Clark County, Montana, USA
Burial	:	Elm Grove Cemetery, Mystic, New London County, USA
Coordinate	:	41.3713989, -71.9631958
Inscription	:	12th U.S. Inf.
Description	:	Henry Roscoe Putnam was born 1/21/1832. He was commissioned a Captain in the First Minnesota Volunteers on 4/29/1861. The First Minnesota Infantry Regiment was one of the first units organized after President Lincoln's call for 75,000 troops in April, 1861. The Regiment was quickly filled with enthusiastic men from all parts of Minnesota and was one of the few regiments that received training by a qualified officer. Colonel Gorman was an unpleasant but competent taskmaster and by July 1, 1861, the regiment had been sent east and fought with distinction at the First Battle of Bull Run.... Read More	Henry Roscoe Putnam was born 1/21/1832. He was commissioned a Captain in the First Minnesota Volunteers on 4/29/1861. The First Minnesota Infantry Regiment was one of the first units organized after President Lincoln's call for 75,000 troops in April, 1861. The Regiment was quickly filled with enthusiastic men from all parts of Minnesota and was one of the few regiments that received training by a qualified officer. Colonel Gorman was an unpleasant but competent taskmaster and by July 1, 1861, the regiment had been sent east and fought with distinction at the First Battle of Bull Run. Capt. H. R. Putnam was wounded at the First Battle of Bull Run and later served in the Civil War in New York City---he put down a draft riot in New York City. He was promoted to Major and stayed in the army (12th U. S. Infantry) until after the Civil War ended, serving as an aide to a Major General in New Orleans. He died 2/10/1872 and is buried in the old Benton Avenue Cemetery in Helena near his father and mother, James Baker and Climena Mae Putnam and his brother, Capt. James Putnam. See James Baker Putnam notes for details on his grave site. Capt. H. R. Putnam is mentioned in 3 letters published in Minneapolis/St. Paul after the First Battle of Bull Run in July and August, 1861. Capt. Putnam was the commander of Company D of the First Minnesota Volunteers. In the St. Paul Daily Press, July 31, 1861, there is a Letter from C.D. Robinson, a private in Company D. He says, "The Captain [Capt. Putnam] was wounded in the right arm, but not enough to prevent his marching as usual. When the ball struck him, some of the boys who saw him fall, cried out, "our Captain is shot, our Captain is shot!" But the Captain jumped up and said, "It's a lie, I'm not shot." In the Minneapolis State Atlas, August 7, 1861, there is an excerpt from a letter from J. T. Hoblitt to his parents dated July 28, 1861: "In speaking of the fight, I will confine myself strictly to an account of the part whi ch the First Minnesota took in the battle....We soon found ourselves drawn up in battle array before the rebels.... We remained in this position several seconds, when, all of a sudden, the woods swarmed with them, and their bullets came like hail stones in our midst. Many of our boys fell at first fire.... Bullets flew around and about us in all directions.... In addition to the bullets that flew thick and fast, came cannon balls and grape and canister (sic) and bomb shells. We had been run up to within a few rods of a masked battery, which told upon our ranks with terrible effect. Three times we rallied, and three times were we repulsed.... We were in the fight and on the battle field over four hours.... Capt. Acker of St. Paul, little Capt. Wilkin of the same place, and Capt. Putnam each showed "good grit." The latter was wounded in the right arm by a musket ball.... When Capt. Putnam was shot the ball struck him with such force as to knock him down. "O God!" exclaimed one of the boys "our Captain is killed." "Go ahead boys" cried the Capt. as he jumped to his feet "I'll take care of myself!" In the Minneapolis State Atlas, August 14, 1861, there is a letter of Edward Past to a friend: "Soon we emerged into an open field near which the action first commenced, here we found the wounded, the dying and dead lying around in great numbers. No one who has not seen it can imagine the horrors of such a scene. Here we were drawn up in a line of battle, and marched around the rear of our batteries, where the shells were falling thick and fast.... ...[O]ur Captain [Captain Putnam] gave us the order to fire, which we did in one tremendous volley, pouring death and destruction into the ranks of the enemy.... This we repeated three times, when, overpowered by superior numbers we were forced to fall back into a sheltering wood close at hand. Here the broken regiment rallied and moved up again...and again the rebels made their appearance, and we immediately poured a volley into them which they returned. At this volley our Captain [Captain Putnam] was shot down, a bullet striking him in the right arm near the shoulder joint. After firing three times were were again forced to fall back, with our wounded Captain, into the woods, where his wound was bandaged.... Our gallant Cap Put [Captain Putnam] also marched in at the head of his company. He, like a true soldier, did not leave the field, even though he was so severely wounded, and had it not been for him, I greatly fear that our whole Regiment would have sustained a much greater loss.... Capt. Putnam says he never knew his men until he had tried them on the field. When the company first fell back he had to shout the order over and over again before the men could be induced to leave the field." In Major H. R. Putnam's obituary, published in the Helena Weekly Herald on February 15, 1873, it mentions he was the commander of Fort Hall, Idaho, for several years and his brother, "Capt. Putnam [Captain James Edwin Putnam] is now in command of his old post, Fort Hall."

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Capt Henry Roscoe “H.R.” Putnam's memorial?
Capt Henry Roscoe “H.R.” Putnam's memorial is located at: Elm Grove Cemetery, Mystic, New London County, USA.
When did Capt Henry Roscoe “H.R.” Putnam death?
Capt Henry Roscoe “H.R.” Putnam death on 12 Feb 1872 in Helena, Lewis and Clark County, Montana, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Capt Henry Roscoe “H.R.” Putnam's memorial?
Latitude: 41.3713989
Longitude: -71.9631958

Family Members:

Parent

James Baker Putnam

(1807 - 1873)

Climena Mae Stanley Putnam

(1811 - 1904)

Spouse

Margaret L. Scott Putnam

(1840 - 1917)

Siblings

Capt James Edward Putnam

(1842 - 1901)

Frank Stanley Putnam

(1857 - 1938)

Children

James Henry Putnam

(1863 - 1905)

John Edwin Putnam

(1869 - 1906)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Elm Grove Cemetery
Mystic, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3713989, -71.9631958

2. St Patrick Cemetery
Stonington, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3742515, -71.9667579

3. White Hall Graveyard
Mystic, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3773804, -71.9600601

4. Fish Cemetery #18
Mystic, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3675003, -71.9785995

5. Silas Burrows Cemetery
Mystic, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3612860, -71.9748840

6. Saint Patrick Cemetery
Mystic, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3870468, -71.9633026

7. Saint Mark's Episcopal Church Memorial Garden
Mystic, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3562290, -71.9711480

8. Crary Cemetery
Groton, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3885002, -71.9749680

9. Wells Cemetery
Groton, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3899155, -71.9721756

10. Denison Burying Ground
Stonington, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3504100, -71.9603270

11. Industrial Cemetery
Stonington, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3503260, -71.9580330

12. Old Mystic Baptist Church Memorial Garden
Mystic, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3944730, -71.9640510

13. Packer Cemetery
West Mystic, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3532982, -71.9832993

14. Wightman Cemetery
Groton, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3870468, -71.9942245

15. Lower Mystic Cemetery
West Mystic, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3539009, -71.9927979

16. Williams Cemetery
Stonington, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3991203, -71.9556198

17. Packer Cemetery #2
Groton, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3457909, -71.9856415

18. Niles Family Cemetery
Groton, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3784904, -72.0040817

19. Rogerine Cemetery
Ledyard, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.4011154, -71.9774017

20. Wallsworth Cemetery
Mystic, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3601050, -72.0056010

21. Hilliard Cemetery
Stonington, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3725014, -71.9171982

22. Eldredge Cemetery
Ledyard, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.4060097, -71.9641418

23. Miner Cemetery
Stonington, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3405991, -71.9396973

24. Joseph Denison Cemetery
Stonington, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.3927300, -71.9220200