military operations against Spain had included a siege 

 of Havana. One of the field officers in tlie assault on that 

 city was Lieutenant-Colonel Israel Putnam of Pomfret, 

 Connecticut. Later, he became widely known as "Old 

 Put" of Bunker Hill and Revolutionary War fame. 



When Colonel Putnam returned to his home town in 

 late 1762 he acquired a fame far beyond tliat of a hero 

 back from war. As a field officer he recei\ ed a consider- 

 able share of the "enormous boot>" that resulted from 

 the fall of Havana. Included in his portion was reported 

 to be an impressive quantity of the finest Havana cigars. 



In the Connecticut seaport at which he transferred his 

 possessions from ship to shore, three local donkeys were 

 needed to pack his prizes. No self-respecting Yankee 

 donkey would carr>' less than 200 pounds— more, with a 

 little urging. Witli allowances for the weight of equip- 

 ment, luggage and souvenirs, there must have been 

 many thousand cigars loaded on the animals. 



legend — or reality? 



The report that Putnam first brouglit rare Havanas to 

 Connecticut— the first man indeed to import any cigars 

 into the colony— had a reasonable basis which made it 

 fairly widespread at the time. Putnam had been a smoker 

 before he went to Havana. Long before the British cam- 

 paign, cigars made in that city had acquired a reputation 

 as the absolute best. How then could an experienced 

 smoker resist an opportunity to acquire, without cost, 

 the most expensive of smoking commodities? 



When the pieces of evidence are assembled they do 

 suggest that the incident of importation actually oc- 

 curred. Furthermore, when the heroic son of Connecti- 



26 



