''General Israel Putnam'', also known as ''Putnam's Escape at Horseneck'', is an

equestrian statue An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning ' knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is ...

at the

Putnam Memorial State Park Putnam Memorial State Park is a history-oriented public recreation area in the town of Redding, Connecticut. The state park preserves the site that Major General Israel Putnam chose as the winter encampment for his men in the winter of 1778/ ...

Redding, Connecticut Redding is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,765 at the 2020 census. History Early settlement and establishment At the time colonials began receiving grants for land within the boundaries of present- ...

, United States. The statue was designed by sculptor

Anna Hyatt Huntington Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington (March 10, 1876 – October 4, 1973) was an American sculptor who was among New York City's most prominent sculptors in the early 20th century. At a time when very few women were successful artists, she had a thrivi ...

and dedicated in 1969 in honor of Connecticut native

Israel Putnam Israel Putnam (January 7, 1718 – May 29, 1790), popularly known as "Old Put", was an American military officer and landowner who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). He als ...

, a military officer who served in the Continental Army during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...

History

was a military officer who served as a

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in the Continental Army during the

. Putnam became a well-known historical figure for his actions during the war, which included leading troops at the

Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved in ...

. In 1779, while in

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Conne ...

, the 60-year-old Putnam was spotted by British troops, who proceeded to chase him on horseback. In one of his most well-known escapades, Putnam managed to escape capture by riding his horse down a notably steep hill that was considered unsafe for horse-riding. More than a century later, this story inspired sculptor

to create an

memorializing the event. Huntington, who was born in 1876, was an American sculptor from the

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

area who was recognized by the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 100 ...

as one of the preeminent female sculptors in the country and had studied the craft at the

Art Students League of New York The Art Students League of New York is an art school at 215 West 57th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists. Although artists may stud ...

in the early 1900s. For some time, Huntington had lived in

, near the

, which had served as Putnam's winter encampment during the war. Huntington was especially renowned for her equestrian statues, with some of her more notable works including an equestrian statue of Joan of Arc in New York City and '' El Cid Campeador''. Working on the Putnam sculpture in 1966 at the age of 90, it would be the last of seven major equestrian statues she had created during her career, as well as one of the last works created before her death in 1973. Completed in 1967, the sculpture was donated to the Putnam Memorial State Park in 1969. It was dedicated on September 21, 1969, near the entrance of the park, with Albert D. Putnam, a descendant of Israel, giving the main speech at the ceremony, during which he stated that his ancestor had "rode down the hill to everlasting fame and into the heart of Mrs. Huntington". Another speech was given by Donald C. Matthews, Director of the Connecticut State Park and Forest Commission, who said: "We are here to honor two great citizens, General Israel Putnam and Mrs. Huntington, the most remarkable woman I have ever known." In 1994, the monument was surveyed as part of the

Save Outdoor Sculpture! Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) was a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. The program was initiated in 1989 and ended in 1999. History Save Outdoor Sculpture! was initiated by Herit ...

project.

Design

The bronze sculpture measures tall and has side measurements of and . It stands on a rectangular

fieldstone Fieldstone is a naturally occurring type of stone, which lies at or near the surface of the Earth. Fieldstone is a nuisance for farmers seeking to expand their land under cultivation, but at some point it began to be used as a construction mate ...

pedestal that is tall with side measurements of and . The sculpture depicts Putnam on horseback descending a flight of stairs, holding the reins in his left hand. His body is partially turned backwards and he is looking up and shaking his right fist in defiance. The horse's head is turned to the left and bears a terrified expression. The base of the sculpture bears some small inscriptions from the sculptor (ANNA H. HUNTINGTON / 1967 / STANERIGG), while a bronze plaque affixed to the pedestal bears the following inscription:

Notes

References

Sources

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External links