"The Life and Heroic Exploits of Israel Putnam" by Col. David Humphreys — 1847

Updated on January 29, 2026: This has been sold.

Full title: The Life and Heroic Exploits of Israel Putnam, Major-General in the Revolutionary War by Colonel David Humphreys. Published in New York by Ezra Strong in 1847. 276pp.

Illustrated with plates, from original designs. Also includes an Appendix that contains a Historical and Topographical sketch of the Bunker Hill Battle.

Written by Col. David Humphreys, who served alongside Putnam during the Revolutionary War. Humphreys extends the biography beyond military record into personal recollection.

The book includes observations on Putnams actions at Long Island, Harlem, and Bunker Hill. One of the most famous episodes described in the book is Putnam's capture by Mohawk or allied Iroquois warriors, where he was tied to a tree and nearly burned alive, before being rescued by a French officer. These scenes, drawn from the authors understanding of Putnam's service, provide a close view of early American warfare and its dangers. Samuel Swett contributed the appendix, which focuses on Bunker Hill. His notes explore the contours of the battlefield, and the sequence of events as understood at the time.

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