William Lester Putman (Jan 11, 1820 - Nov 11, 1868)
Charlotte Mabry Putman (Dec 16, 1843 - Mar 16, 1924)
William Lester Putman was born Jan 11, 1820, the son of Jahu and Rachel Putman.
He lived most of his life in Wilson County, Tennessee. He worked as a saddle maker.
Mexican War 1847
Tensions between the United Stands and Mexico escalated with the Battle of the Alamo in 1836 and annexation of
Texa in 1845. President James Polk sent General Zachary Taylor to the disputed territories where they were
attacked by Mexican forces and war broke out in 1846. The U.S. Secretary of War asked for volunteers from
Tennesse and 30,000 responded, included 26 year old William Lester Putman. He became part of the First Tennessee Regiment.
They enlisted for 12 months on May 26, 1846. They arrived in Mexico June 30, 1846.
See Mexican War Veterans, A Complete Roster, by Wm. Hugh Robarts
https://archive.org/stream/mexicanwarvetera00roba
Note: Col William Bowen Campbell mentions two officers killed in Monterrey that are not listed in Roster: Capts W.M. Allen and Lieut. Putman
The First Tennessee Volunteer Regiment was commanded by Col William Bowen Campbell. During the war, they became known as "Bloody First" because of the high number of caualities. During the war, Col. Campbell wrote a series of letters. These were first published in the Tennessee Historical Magazine in June 1915, then bound into a book, known as the Mexican War Letters of Col. William Bowen Campbell of Tennessee, Writen to Governor David Campbell of Virginia, 1846-1847
July 3-7, 1846: The regiment arrived in Brazos Island, off the coast of Texas.
July 7-Aug 21, 1846: The regiment moved up the Rio Grande and camped on a small hill, called Loma, just a few miles from Matamoros.
August 21-September 17, 1846 The regiment moved further up the Rio Grande past Matamoros, near Carmago, Mexico.
At this camp dysentery and measles ravaged his troops.
September 19, 1846 - February 1847 The regiment arrived in Monterrey after hard, two days march from Carmago.
September 28, 1846 Monterrey, Mexico
The Battle of Monterey has been fought..."
I arrived here on the evening of the 19th inst with the Army under the command of Genl. Tayler...
Sunday 20th was employed in reconnoitering until evening...
I moved off at a quick pace and soon came under the range
of the guns of the great fort called the Citadel at the North ... When within 400 yds of the outer fort one
cannon ball raked my line, striking it about 10 feet in my rear and killed four and wounded badly 3 men of my Regt...
my whole line as they had all to pass by the spot where lay the dead and wounded...
One of my Capts - W.M. Allen and Lieut. Putman were killed dead (probably a relative of William Lester Putman)..."
March 1847 Vera Cruz, Mexico
April 1847 Plan Del Rio, Mexico - Their 12 months expired in May and they returned home, before the fall of Mexico City.
Putman family lore remembers that William Lester lost his gun in a powder explosion and probably had to pay for the loss.
Married Cinthia Weir Sep 6, 1848
He married Cintha Weir on Sep 6, 1848 in Wilson County, Tennessee. Unfortunately, she died only two or three years later (ca.1950-1951). William Lester apparently moved to Pea Ridge, Arkansas in 1851 and started a saddle shop. Since his brother, James Pervine Putman and his wife, Marinda, had their first child, John K. in Arkansas, Sept. 19 1851, it is likely William, perhaps newly widowed, and his brother came together to northwest Arkansas. By 1860 he had moved to Cannon County, Tennessee, based on the 1860 census and his prisoner of war records on Johnson's Island. Tennessee CensusCivil War June 1861
William Lester joined the Confederate army along with a large group from Cannon and Wilson County Tennessee at Camp Trousdale, Tennessee in June 1861. He joined as a sergeant and was in Captain Carden's Regiment of Tennessee Volunteers (18th Tennessee Infantry Regiment). His older brother, Joseph Gordon Putman, also served in the Confederate army as a scout. He was soon promoted to the rank of Captain and put in charge of a regiment, which became known temporarily as Putman Regiment, a part of the mounted infantry of Tennessee Volunteers.Fort Donelson, Tennessee Feb 16, 1862
 Buckner's Defense |
U.S. Military Prison on Johnson's Island Ohio on display at Confederate Museum, Richmond, VA
The Papers of Andrew Johnson Vol 5, 1861-1862
William L. Putman wrote a letter from Johnson's Island to Andrew Johnson on April 17, 1862
asking for a parole because of bad health.
Vicksburg, Mississipi Prisoner Exchange Sep 16, 1862
On July 22, 1862, Union Major General John Adams Dix and Confederate Major General Daniel Harvey Hill reached an agreement called the Dix-Hill Cartel to parole soldiers until a proper exchange could occur. Almost immediately, Union captives from Richmond VA, Belle Isle Prison and other prisons across the South began to empty. Confederate captives from Camp Morton, Camp Chase, Johnson's Island, and others moved to Vicksburg for the exchange. Prisoner Exchange and Parole, by Roger Pickenpaugh On September 16, 1862, William Lester Putman was officially paroled at Vicksburg, Mississippi. (Tennesseans in the Civil War, Vol 1. Copyrighted © 1964 by the "Civil War Centennial Commission of Tennessee"). Most Confederate parolees went to Demopolis Alabama, since they were not allowed to return to their regiments or fight. After the fall of Vicksburg, July 3, 1863, many parolees, escaped across the Mississippi river. Perhaps, Putman was part of them. Family history believes that he contracted tuberculosis in prison (from which he finally died in 1868). Many paroled Confederate soldiers returned to their regiments after their release. However, it is believed that Wiliam Lester returned home instead of rejoining his regiment. His Tennessee regiment fought at the battle of Chickamauga on Sep 19, 1863, the last major battle for his regiment that winter.Married Charlotte Mabry Oct 27, 1863
William Lester married Charlotte Oct. 27 1863, the daughter of John W. and Marinda Mabry. This marriage is another indication that he returned home after his parole, instead of rejoining the army. Charlotte became pregnant soon after their marriage with their daughter, Margaret Lee, who was born in 1864, but died as an infant and was buried in Tennessee.
 Tombstone of William Lester Putman, Pea Ridge, Arkansas cemetary |
Northwest Arkansas 1868
After the Civil War, William and Charlotte's first son, John Janu "JJ" was born in Tennessee (Feb. 16, 1866-Dec. 24, 1942). About 1868, William returned to northwest Arkansas on a trip with Jahu and Rachel to move his sister, Sarah, to be near their brothers and sisters and their families. Their second son, William Henry was born in Arkansas (Jan. 12, 1868-June 4, 1959). William Lester died Nov. 11, 1868 of T.B., ten months after his second son's birth and four months before his last son, Joseph Martin "J M" was born (Mar. 31 1869-June 28, 1960). The 48-year-old father was buried in Pea Ridge Cemetery.
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William Lester Putman and Charlotte Mabry Putman had four children:
After William Lester's death, his wife, Charlotte, married James Monroe Bogle on Aug. 20 1874 and had seven children. Charlotte had 11 children total, counting four children she had with William Lester. She moved to Texas with James Bogle. She died in 1924 and was buried in the Crowley Cemetery, Tarrant CO, TX.
Funeral ca. 1919. Note: It could by Charlotte Bogle's funeral in 1924.
(Photo courtesy of Charles Robert Putman II)
Left to Right: Luther Bogle, Curry Bogle, William Henry Putman,
Ada Bogle, John Jahu Putman, Ida Bogle, Unknown,
Joseph Martin Putman, Denny Bogle, Ed Bogle
Funeral ca. 1919. Note: It could by Charlotte Bogle's funeral in 1924.
(Photo courtesy of Charles Robert Putman II)
Standing: Joseph Martin Putman, William Henry Putman, Ed Bogle,
Luther Bogle, Curry Bogle, Denny Bogle
Seated: Ada Bogle, John Jahu Putman, Ida Bogle, Unknown
Date unknown (1910? - 1930?)
J M Putman, Ed Bogle and John Jahu Putman
(Photo courtesy of Carol Putman)
The back of the photo lists, left to right, William Henry Putman, Joe M. Putman,
Aida (Bogle) Evans, Curry Bogle, Luther Bogle, Henry Bogle. Dated April 9, 1952
Photo courtesy of Carol Putman
1952 Putman / Bogle family reunion at William Henry Putman's home in Frankston, Texas.
1. William Henry Putman, 2. J.M. Putman, 3. Lynn Howard Putman, 4. Unknown, 5. Aida Bogle Evans,
6. Paula Jean Putman, 7. Unknown, 8. Unknown (Gussie Bogle?), 9. Curry Bogle, 10. Luther Bogle, 11. Elizabeth Bogle,
12. Joe Kyle Putman, 13. Lucile Hall Putman, 14. Henry Bogle, 15. Unknown(Lizzie Evans Bogle?), 16. Frank Gouger,
17. Jo Anne Putman, 18. James Lee Gouger, 19. Theresa Mae Curran Putman, 20. Willie Mae Putman Gouger
Photo courtesy of Marie Putman
 J M Putman, Curry Bogle and Ada Fletcher - June 1958 Photo courtesy of Carol Putman |