Anyone reading this dopey article would never realize it but the event being depicted occurred in 1758 during the French and Indian War when Putnam won a sterling military reputation as a company commander in Rodger's Rangers. The details are provided here:
http://members.tripod.com/~compmast/putnam/indians.html
Putnam's capture and the attempt to burn him was once a rather a rather famous event in New England folk lore. That was before the pc liberals effectively took control of public culture in New England. I am sure there are many tough sturdy Yankees still around in New England (after all the Vermont Army National Guard has absorbed more fatalities in Iraq than any other state force and the worthy sons of the Green Mountain Boys engaged in no new age whining about these loses.)but the PC brigade is busy making these real Yankees marginalized in their own land.