The Ball That Hit Putnam-Mr. Augustus Mead Says He Has Found It-and is Positive it's the One. (1901)

Greenwich Graphic: Saturday, November 30, 1901, Page 4.

Authentic history, as well as popular opinion, as that of the many bullets fired at the daring General Putnam in his mad ride down the hill which bears his name, one passed through his head covering, and this has been verified, for the same bullet has been found.

While excavating in the repairing of the drive at the east side of his residence on the Post Road, men in the employee of Mr. Augustus Mead discovered this Revolutionary relic embedded in some three feet of earth. Mr. Mead is strong in his belief that this is the same ball that passed through the General's hat, and luckily so, for it is a three pounder, and if it had pierced the head instead of the hat, history must needs have been re-written, and instead of the thrilling account of a daring plunge down seventy-four stone steps, we would have had simply "Another fearless general killed in a skirmish between the British regulars and the Colonial patriots."

This now innocent, unassuming and harmless appearing piece of Revolutionary warfare we believe, with Mr. Mead, is the bullet which might have caused a change history and deprived the schoolboy of what is near and dear to his heart – stories of adventure and daring, and if a thorough scientific and scholarly  investigation should be had, with employment of algebra, geometry, or the higher mathematics, taking the hypothesis: the position of the rider, the angle at which the bullets were fired, and the distance traveled, together with other data, the only logical and current deduction would be as we have stated.

We are told that a picture of Putnam can be traced on the cannonball, with a date when it struck him. We have this on the authority of Mr. John Dayton, whose word is to be relied on.

But to be serious with regard to this cannon ball. Opposite this place on the farm of Jabez Mead, often in ploughing, English coins were turned up, and the supposition is, that is more or less skirmishing was carried on in this locality during the Revolution, this evidence of British soldiers is accounted for, as in the case of this old relic of long ago.