Biography of Thomas A Putnam, Sebastian Co, AR

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SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed 
Publishing Co., 1889.
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page 1357

Thomas A. Putnam was born April 26, 1845, in Hall County, Ga., and is a son of
Berry B. and Martha F. (Tate)  Putnam, natives of Georgia. The father was
married in his native State, and from there immigrated to Johnson  County,
Ark., where he remained two years. He then lived four years in Franklin County,
Ark., and after  spending another year in Grayson County, Tex., settled in
Sebastian County, where he has since lived. During  the war he served two years
in Company H, Second Arkansas Cavalry, being discharged at Memphis, Tenn. He
also fought in the Florida War. He is a Republican, and has served as justice
of his township. He is now seventy  years of age. Mrs. Putnam was born February
23, 1828, married in 1844, and died October 2, 1864. She was the  mother of
nine children, four of whom are living, viz.: Thomas A., Mary A. (wife of James
P. Frye), Nancy M.  (wife of John Luck) and Eliza J. (wife of J. A. Wilburn).
Those deceased are George R., William E., Leonidas,  Martha B. and an infant.
In 1866 Mr. Putnam married Sallie Cardin, who has borne him one child, Millie,
wife  of Lon Carson. The paternal grandparents of our subject were of German-
Irish descent, and natives of South  Carolina, where they spent their entire
lives. The maternal grandparents passed the greater part of their lives in
Georgia. Thomas A. Putnam was reared upon a farm in Arkansas, receiving
[p.1357] but a common-school  education, and when sixteen years old joined
Company F, Seventeenth Arkansas Volunteer Infantry,  Confederate Army. He
fought in the engagements at Pea Ridge, Corinth and Iuka, and after two years'
service  was discharged at Port Hudson, La., in March, 1863. He then returned
to Fort Smith, and after the death of his  mother went to Illinois, where he
remained one year. He then returned to Sebastian County, and January 20,  1869,
married Martha H., daughter of Castleton and Mary Ward, natives of Alabama.
Mrs. Putnam was born in  this county, and has borne six children: Vanonar V.,
Larosa L., Annie M., Pearl, Willie O. (deceased), and an  infant, now deceased.
Mr. Putnam lived within a mile of his present place until 1878, and then bought
the farm  he now owns. This contains 220 acres, eighty being under cultivation.
Both himself and wife belong to the  Methodist Episcopal Church.