This post follows on from several references to this particular topic which were made by myself on previous ARW-related threads.
Israel Putnam of Connecticut became 1 of the best Indian fighters of the French and Indian War, leading a unit of colonial Rangers in constant skirmishes against the French and their Indian allies, and once actually being captured himself and narrowly missing being burned alive at the stake by his Caughnawaga (IIRC ?) Iroquois captors. By the time of the Bunker Hill campaign, when Congress was considering the selection of a suitable commanding gen for the Patriot war effort, Putnam and George Washington were the most qualified candidates to be assessed. Due to inter-colonial political considerations, Washington, as a southerner, was selected to command the Continental Army over Putnam, since, although the war effort at that time was concentrated largely in the North and largely fought by militiamen from New England (although the other colonies did arrange for the transportation of stores, and Dan Morgan bolstered the colonial forces besieging Boston with 10 coys of riflemen from Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania), it was deemed appropriate for a southern military figure to be accorded a prominent role in order to cement some form of colonial unity. The rest, as they say, is hist.
However, WI Putnam, based on his extensive military experience and despite political considerations, had been selected to command the American forces instead of Washington ? How would the ARW have eventuated with Putnam in charge, could an American victory still have occurred ? But, with a Northern gen in charge from this early stage, would inter-colonial unity have been affected to an adverse extent ?
Israel Putnam of Connecticut became 1 of the best Indian fighters of the French and Indian War, leading a unit of colonial Rangers in constant skirmishes against the French and their Indian allies, and once actually being captured himself and narrowly missing being burned alive at the stake by his Caughnawaga (IIRC ?) Iroquois captors. By the time of the Bunker Hill campaign, when Congress was considering the selection of a suitable commanding gen for the Patriot war effort, Putnam and George Washington were the most qualified candidates to be assessed. Due to inter-colonial political considerations, Washington, as a southerner, was selected to command the Continental Army over Putnam, since, although the war effort at that time was concentrated largely in the North and largely fought by militiamen from New England (although the other colonies did arrange for the transportation of stores, and Dan Morgan bolstered the colonial forces besieging Boston with 10 coys of riflemen from Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania), it was deemed appropriate for a southern military figure to be accorded a prominent role in order to cement some form of colonial unity. The rest, as they say, is hist.
However, WI Putnam, based on his extensive military experience and despite political considerations, had been selected to command the American forces instead of Washington ? How would the ARW have eventuated with Putnam in charge, could an American victory still have occurred ? But, with a Northern gen in charge from this early stage, would inter-colonial unity have been affected to an adverse extent ?