 Proudly we hail New York City where the American stage begins here is another program with the cast of outstanding players Public service time has been made available by this station for your army and your Air Force to bring you this story as Proudly we hail Rufus Putnam our story is entitled the father of Ohio a story of Rufus Putnam Who long before he organized the first permanent settlement in the Buckeye State had secured a firm place in American history? Our first act curtain will rise in just a moment, but first Today your rapidly expanding United States Army needs intelligent young men with ability and ambition Men intelligent enough to recognize the vital need for a strong armed force Men with ability enough to be trained in a necessary job Men with ambition enough to secure the future for themselves and their loved ones Does this description fit you can you qualify for full information on how you can fit in with the finest? Check with your nearest United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting station now and now your army and your Air Force present the Proudly we hail production the father of Ohio Sadler's Inn is gone and the dirt track that was once the road to Boston town is now a great modern highway The road isn't important except for the fact that it ran smack past the Inn and during that long gone year of 1748 The Inn was well frequented by travelers riding both east and west And so it was that captain Sadler steps on young Rufus Putnam had a chance to meet and talk to and get to know a great many folks This saddler's in yes, sir Are you full up boy? No, sir. There's room for both you and your horse. Are you the stable boy that and a lot more besides sir Captain Sadler is my stepfather Keeps you on the run. Oh, he's very kind to me, sir. I didn't mean oh, of course Before I left Albany I was told to keep an eye open for this spot. They also told me there was a young fellow here who was learning to read Are you he yes, sir? Good good. I thought so now before you see to my horse. You're something I brought you You can keep it overnight a book Robinson Caruso Sir, thank you. I don't know if you can read it all in one night You see I must take it with me when I leave tomorrow birthday present for my grandson in Boston Well, what's the matter if I read all night? I'll burn a whole candle. Oh, I know I know candles are hard to come by Well, I have a next one here you can take well Now it's matter sir if you'll excuse my question why all this for me Well, I know of no other boy in this whole territory with the ambition to teach himself to read It's important land. It's important Oh If you are put out that candle, I told you for not to waste wax. I'm almost undressed. I'm just pulling off my boots Yeah, just one more to go The candle I can't see the light through the cracks Rufus. Did you knock the candle over? I'm coming up Yes, sir. I did but everything's all right now. Nothing could fire Well, we don't know whether Rufus got to finish Robinson and Crusoe at that reading But we do know that Rufus went to live with his sister Hulda and her husband Daniel in North Brookfield Dan was a millwright and Rufus became his apprentice But in between times he read everything he could lay his hands on from geometry to the Bible Ruf it appears to me. It's time. We had a talk. What about Dan? About you What about me? Well, you're already a full-fledged apprentice millwright Won't be long before your attorney, man. I suppose you like being a millwright But well, then we ain't never talked none about what you got in your mind to do Dan you've been both a father and a brother to me and It just isn't anything I can never do to repay you and Hulda But then I'm not gonna be a millwright. No Well, what are you gonna be then an engineer an engineer build bridges roads That's what you that sort of thing Dan You know what I think You think I'm crazy. No, no, no, I think you'll make that good engineer It took Rufus a few years before he got down to the business of engineering For just about that time along came an unpleasant little fracas called the French and Indian War Rufus was young yet a keen eye did Midland well with a musket and his long legs were built for travel So he joined up and it wasn't long before his youth his keen eye his musket and his legs We're all being put to good use up around Lake Champlain Where some of General Montcom's Indian allies were out collecting scalps for the glory of new France Try to reload as you run Gabe woods is full of them think they were as surprised as we were how we're gonna get back to camp Well, that's a circle. Wait, wait, hold up. I said for a minute. They don't seem to be following I Like them They chase everything that moves Yeah, like wild dogs check your priming Gabe. I think we better keep moving fast Ruf I've seen at least six of the devils look if you stood on that rock there and you jumped hard You could catch on to the bottom limb of that big pine and I got an ocean. That's what we better do right? Smartly go up the tree and hide yeah, I think it'd be a sight more sensible to make tracks Listen That was from up ahead That war party we almost stepped on let us go because they knew we'd run straight into the arms of the whole tribe up that tree And quick it's our only chance. I had never seen that many engines must have been over 400 up come down from Canada We've got to get back to the fort quick as we can Gabe with them between us and it You tell me how I'll have to go down the lake. I'm fair enough in the water, but I ain't no fish How do you expect to travel my under 20 miles without boat? I gotta build one just like that What are you figuring on using for tools? We got our knives How long you expect it'll take about a month. We'll build a raft use logs from fallen trees Lash them together with vines And we'll make a kind of a sale out of our shirts the winds blowing down the lake. It'll help us Tell me something You ever build a raft before no, but I want to build me one now Let's get down out of this tree. We've got to reach the fort ahead of that war party or the chances are there won't be any for That don't beat on keep your voice down Make sure that end log there is last tight hurtiest raft ever see roof your wonder Never mind that now Lights have gone and we're still here Hold that steady there Winds rising that should help No, we haven't time to do any more. This will have to do all right now. Let's push her out You'll have to hold the sail mass. She won't stay up by herself. I'll steer when you're tired. We'll switch Sailing a lot of boats in my time roof This one sure takes the king's britches Whether roofs makeshift vessel took the king's britches are not as a moot question But it did carry him and gave down Lake Champlain well past the Indian encampment Before wind and water broke it up It's two passengers swimming to shore ran a fast five miles uphill and downdale before breakfast to warn the fort of Unfriendly visitors on the way as a result of this unorthodox and inspired piece of engineering the Indians were greeted in a somewhat noisy manner I think we ought to get a medal for this. Keep your head down. You get a pine box Listen to my watch me get that one Good shot. I ain't the one I was aiming at but I guess don't rightly matter roof Sure, you ain't never built a raft before Nope Yeah, anything. No, don't think so. I swear roof if you never built a raft before How did you know how to build that one last night? In the dark nothing but knife You hit the limber that tree down there. It's gonna don't shoot very straight How did you know how to do it? I read a book once about a fellow named Robertson Crusoe read some other books too They all helped me and we want to be an engineer Well, I just engineered it and so Where'd that one go? I think I hit your limb Your gun don't shoot me straight in mind Help is like them red devils. I've had a belly full anyway Who is I live on never When Rufus Putnam got out of the army he went back home to Massachusetts and did a remarkable thing He fell in love It was a type of engineering He wasn't exactly up on and like so many others who have come before and after him the condition made him most articulate I Yes, Rufus Yeah, that is Well, it's something that wrong No, no, no, no nothing at all. It's Well, I just you just what? Persis When I ask you That is I I mean I I want to tell you that I Mean You mean you're all mixed up. Yeah, I mean no, no, no, I'm not mixed up If you have something you want to tell me Rufus you'd better do so Pa will be back soon Yes, I know I know I Know what's so all fired funny What's so all fired funny cat got your tongue cat got my tongue, huh? Persis when you marry me, of course silly And so Rufus married his purses Thus engineering his way into the realm of matrimony which was blessed in view course with several additional Putnam's Meanwhile, he was establishing a reputation throughout the colony as a builder and planner of everything from roads to dams Rufus was on his way up and by the time he reached his 37th year He was considered a successful and respected member of his community But then His community as all communities in the 13 colonies were suddenly engulfed in the earth shaking events of their time April 1775 I'll have to go with the others to boston persis I know I must offer my services you understand that of course my dear Do you Do you think this actually means a war? I don't know my dear Perhaps it can be settled peaceably perhaps calmer minds will prevail But if not, then we're committed to it and we must continue until we've won You are listening to the proudly we hail production of the father of ohio will return to our story in just a moment Young man, let's talk about your future and america's future. They're important to each other, you know Today your united states army is charged with a vital responsibility You need only to glance at your local newspaper to realize how vital And to meet this responsibility the army is rapidly expanding its forces They have a job for you a job that must be done by men of courage You can get full details of how you may best serve your future and your country's future By a visit to your nearest united states army and united states air force recruiting station today You are listening to proudly we hail and now we present the second act of the father of ohio Rufus putnam's hope that calmer minds might prevail did not bear fruit This was not a time of calmness It was a time for action a time for revolution A time to throw off old yokes and hold high the new bright torch of liberty Rufus became a colonel in charge of washington's budding engineer corps in that ragged bob tail army As it lay siege to lord house finest in boston town I mean Colonel putnam is here to see you now send him right in captain. Yes, sir Colonel general washington will see you now. Thank you Sit down colonel putnam. How have you been fine, sir? Good I was inspecting brookline fort yesterday and I noticed the improvement you made there excellent piece of work Thank you, sir However, I didn't ask you to come here to talk fortifications Last night the cannons we took at ticonder ogre finally got here 20 of them. That's good. No way to do the rest They arrived without shot Unfortunately, what shot we do have is too small for their use So unless we can lay our hands on cannon balls of the correct caliber These guns and the herculean effort of dragging them across two colonies will have been for naught What size shot do we need, sir? They're all 20 pounders Now if we could put them at a service added to what we already have i'm convinced we'd see the british's evacuating boston Now, I know ordinance is not your department, but since you seem to be a master at improvisation Uh, I'll have to give it some thoughts, sir We have no means of manufacturing shot here And I don't think any of the mills to the south make shot that big I know that colonel seems only the red coats are well supplied with it. Yes, they Sir They're big frigates they carry 20 pounders, don't they I believe so you you have something in mind Well, I just came to me that since they have the cannon balls we need Perhaps we can get them to give us some but how do you propose to accomplish that colonel? Well, suppose when the britishers wake up tomorrow morning They see a brand new fort staring at them across doorchester flats Chances are they'd send out one of the big ships of the line to get rid of it Now the sand is soft along the flats and the shot they'd use shouldn't be too badly damaged You know, it might work. I'll give it a try if you say so, sir. I say so by all means Rufus plan worked so well that when the british ship summer said finally put out to sea The fort was completely demolished and the sand was littered with hundreds of cannon balls A second hand but almost as good as new Later they were returned to the british from the fortifications on doorchester heights that rufus had built Through the long hard years of war that followed rufus was on hand to build and to fight wherever he was needed He did a great deal of both and when it was all over he was no longer colonel putnam But general putnam anxious to get home to his wife and family Well, uh, you you better tell her ruf. Tell me what gabe. Oh There you are my dear never mind that What have you got to tell me? Well gabe just informed me that the petition we put into congress to buy land in ohio has been approved And how does that affect us? Oh, you know, my name was on that petition Well, that doesn't mean you're forced to go. Well, uh, we want him to head up the first party goes out Be in charge of setting up homes I see Gabe Maybe you better drop in later. Sure. Evening, ma'am You'd uh leave us here Only until we had things settled you've been away so much roof. Can't we settle here? It's new out there darlin brand new There'll be so much to build so much to do And I want to be a part of it purses I'm being silly. I know you do. I know you should We'll wait for you We've waited before but this time the waiting won't be so bad because we'll know you're coming back to us Now stop looking so solemn and give me a kiss Gentlemen if our first group of wagons leave danvers about december 10th And joins the second group leaving heartford connecticut a new year's day I think we can reach the ohio lands by april first That is barring any big blizzards and major accidents on rufus will we take the northern route or go by abradic's road through pennsylvania The route through pennsylvania will be the easier And we may be able to put our wagons and supplies on river wraps to reach the ohio I I caution you all to bear in mind that the trip will be very difficult We may meet on friendly indians and We will not take any women and children this time All those wagons in the rear All of you men come up front and help us with this one Any more wagons bogged down in this deep snow. We'll have to make sleds and carry the wheels Oh, it's no use, man All four wheels are down in the snow to the axles Even the horses can't make much headway fighting this. All right. Oh, and hold it Looks as if we camp here for dare so and then turn our wagons into sleds Cargo wagons are carrying enough sled runners for all We'll make it all right Gabe I didn't expect the snows to be so deep so soon At least we're prepared for that However, it's good to know that those who come after us will find this trail well broken Roof, do you still plan to put everything on boats when we get to the river? Yes Bound it to better on the river than going overland and fighting deep snows April tomorrow ruf we should be on our way by then Sure took longer to build these boats and it took to build that raft on a Champlain For all we've accomplished six weeks isn't bad Generalist river miss may spell trouble. How do we see the shore now? How are we gonna stay in the channel? We have no idea where it is. We'll have to take that chance Every once in a while you can see the top of a high tree through this low-hanging mist May tell us something about where we are Ahoy to the right bank as you can and still stay in the channel If you have to beat your boat Take the river bank. It should be close to our turnoff point Gabe though this land farm river mist. How can you tell? Yeah, listen to me All men hold your sticks Hear that hear what that music must be at fort harvard Our turnoff point is just before the port Man on the right drag your pole Man on the left. This is our turn Roof courage too strong We're not turning enough to make it into the muslin Being carried on past the port like we can't turn. I don't think the others can either Well that fog is lifting just a little We're going right on past the port Look at them soldiers on the banks. They're waving to us waving to us Hey, they're not waving Gabe. They're trying to toss ropes to us grab those ropes Roof has put them in his rafts and flat bottom boats were stopped from being carried past their goal As each craft was slowed down and halted it was turned around with the help of the strong ropes held securely by the soldiers on shore The expedition landed on the banks of the muskingham river where it joins the ohio on april 8th 1788 birthday wishes, but There's work to be done It's birthday present enough for me just being here And knowing that soon we'll have our homes built and our families with us Well general, uh, what are we going to name our settlement? Well colonel, I'd like to name this settlement after a lady a queen A woman who helped america win its war of independence The men don't like the name. We can change it later, but for now Let's call our village marietta in honor of marie antoinette of france This is the day the lord hath made Let us bow down and worship and well What's the meaning of this reverend scout just came in he says the tribes are up. They're on the warpath You men will want to leave I will see the women and children get safely home Play from the river bank your others bring cups of water I think we can oh why the clan water general We can make mud and if it'll stay on the roofs the flaming arrows won't set fire to our building We'll work all night long if we have to perhaps we won't be attacked, but we'll be ready just in case Indians did not attack that night or any other night But the village of marietta and rufus putnam were always ready The threat of indian war was ever present until president washington sent general anthony wane to take charge of the army in the west And prepare for any conflict At the same time washington planned another important job for putnam Come in. Oh, it's you gave Bring your letter from president washington from president washington What did say ruf? You have been appointed the first surveyor general of the united states Your duties are en route You will however begin surveying the entire northwest area And so help our country to peacefully spend You'll um You'll be going away again. It's a very great honor my dear But if i'm going to be surveying general, I must have a headquarters Certainly, I can't survey the entire northwest territory by myself So I think you'll find me right here in marietta most of the time Do you believe him gay? Nope, but he sure says it right smart If anybody was to try and sum up rufus putnam's life and all that he accomplished in it His own favorite quotation from the fifth chapter of matthew might best do the trick Ye are the light of the world A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel basket But on a candlestick And it giveth light unto all that are in the house Let your light so shine before men That they may see your good works Well, we hope we have shown you a few of the good works of rufus putnam For he was one of many who lent his greatness to the building and heritage of our land Rufus putnam patriot soldier Builder planner whom proudly we hail Here's a special message for the young men of our country The united states army the senior service of our armed forces is expanding rapidly and needs your help By enlisting in the united states army You'll not only get the finest training in the world But you'll have the special pride that goes with wearing a united states army uniform Why not get full details today? Visit your local united states army and united states air force recruiting station Enlist now This has been another program on proudly we hail presented transcribed in cooperation with this station Proudly we hail is produced by the recruiting publicity bureau for the united states army and united states air force recruiting service This is kenneth banghart speaking and inviting you to tune in the same station next week for another interesting story on proudly we hail