General John Stark by Bruce - Part 5 of 5

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Yesterday we saw Stark lead his men to a victory at Bennington, but was not well enough to bring his men to Saratoga. Many went home as their enlistments were up. Stark recruited some fresh troops and captured Fort Edwards and got the surrender of Burgoyne's army. He was finally promoted to brigadier general. This is the last part of the essay.

Stark was appointed by Congress in 1778 to manage affairs in the Albany, New York region. General Gates had been appointed head of the Northern Department, but it was understood that Stark would be responsible for the Albany region. Stark spent much of his time handling disputes between the governments of Vermont, New York and New Hampshire. He also had to deal with the constant threats posed by British and Indian raids and the activities of Tories and spies. In a letter to the president of the New Hampshire legislature, Stark described his feelings about his assignment: “Murder and robberies are committed every day in this neighborhood. So you may judge of my situation, with enemy on my front, and the devil in my rear.” Stark continued in a letter to General John Sullivan: “If I could be relieved I should be glad to join you now, this is a cursed place and people…. We have no troops but militia and they turn out like drawing a cat by the tail…”

In November of 1778 Stark joined General Horatio Gates in Rhode Island. In this position Stark guarded the coast from Point Judith to Providence. In October 1779 Stark led American troops into Newport after the evacuation of the British. Stark next participated in the military tribunal that tried John Andre. Citing poor health, Stark asked Washington for a leave of absence. Washington agreed and Stark returned home to New Hampshire. In April of 1781 Washington appointed Stark head of the Northern Department. Starks’ role would be brief with Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown in October 1781.

Stark would live out the rest of his life in New Hampshire. He continued to display his independent attitudes throughout his later years. He was very suspicious of the possibility of British influence in American politics. He repeatedly spoke out against pro-British factions that existed in the American government. He believed that these factions might attempt to roll back the gains of the Revolution. He opposed the Society of Cincinnati over its call for half pay for life for military officers, a British army custom and its rule of passing membership from father to oldest son. Stark wanted nothing of conciliation with the British and was a strong supporter of the War of 1812.

Molly Stark died in June 1814 from typhoid fever. During the funeral eulogy the minister began to elaborate on the service of John Stark to the nation. Stark became irritated over the praise and began to tap his cane upon the floor. Looking at the minister Stark said, “ Tut, tut, enough of that if you please. At the graveside, Stark said, “goodbye, Molly, we sup no more together on earth.” Ever the independent Yankee, Stark died on May 8, 1822 at the age of 94. Thomas Sumter of South Carolina and Lafayette were the only American Generals of the Revolution to outlive him.

If you would like to see where Bruce got his information from, here is a list of sources he used for this essay:

Brooks, Victor. The Boston Campaign. Conshohocken, PA: Combined Publishing, 1999.

Ketchum, Richard M.. Saratoga. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1997.

Ketchum, Richard M.. The Winter Soldiers. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1999.

McDowell, Bart. The Revolutionary War. Washington, DC: The National Geographic Society, 1967.

Rose, Ben. John Stark, Maverick General. Waverly, MA: Treeline Press, 2007.

I just want to thank Bruce once again for sharing all this information with us. I really learned a lot, and I hope you found it informative as well!!

Believe me yours faithfully,
Rachel

General John Stark by Bruce - Part 4 of 5

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In the last part, we saw John Stark get high praise for his aggressiveness in the war, yet he still got passed over for a brigadier general position. He decided to step down from the military at that point. But when Vermont needed some assistance, the New Hampshire militia was formed, and Stark agreed to command them.

News of Stark’s return spread across New Hampshire. Reverend Timothy Walker of Concord interrupted his church service to announce that Stark had returned by saying, “My brethren, those of you who are willing to go had better leave at once”. Ebenezer Webster, father of the famous statesman Daniel Webster, recruited a company of fifty-four men to join Stark. This was a little more than one out of every three males living in the little town of Salisbury, New Hampshire. Soon some 1400 militiamen had followed Stark’s orders to meet him at the site of the Fort at Number Four in Charlestown.

Stark marched his men across Vermont and met British and Hessian troops at Bennington on August 14, 1777. Feeling the strain of ever increasing supply lines, Burgoyne had sent soldiers to Bennington for horses and supplies. As rain fell the day before the battle Stark was given time to prepare. Knowing that the Tories fighting with the British would be wearing civilian clothing like Stark’s own men, Stark ordered his men to put cornhusks in their hats or shirt pockets to save confusion. That evening a regiment from Berkshire County, Massachusetts joined Stark’s forces. Reverend Thomas Allen, leader of the Berkshire soldiers met with Stark. Allen indicated to Stark how anxious his men were for battle saying that it would be impossible for the Berkshire men to muster troops in the future if they did not soon see battle. Stark replied, “ if the Lord gives us sunshine tomorrow and I do not give you fighting enough, I will never call on you to come again.”

With the dawn of August 15 the rain had stopped. Stark prepared his men for the coming battle with the words, “My men, yonder are the Hessians. They were bought for seven pounds and ten pence a man. Are you worth more? Prove it! Tonight the American flag floats from yonder hill, or Molly Stark sleeps a widow…” Under Stark’s leadership the British forces at Bennington were overwhelmed and Burgoyne’s quest for supplies ended. George Washington in a letter to General Israel Putnam after Bennington said, “As there is now not the least danger of Gen. Howe’s going to New England, I hope the whole force of that Country will turn out and by following the great stroke of Gen. Stark near Bennington entirely crush Gen. Burgoyne…” The events of Saratoga soon followed.

General Gates attempted to get Stark and his militia to come to Saratoga and join the army that was preparing to meet Burgoyne. Unknown to Gates was that Stark and many of his officers had come down with the measles and were in no condition travel. Also, feeling that they had defended New England and with their enlistments expiring, most of the men in Stark’s army returned home to New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont. Once well, Stark returned to New Hampshire to recruit fresh troops. During his absence both battles of Saratoga took place. Knowing that the only way he could save his army was by retreating, Burgoyne attempted to head back to Canada. On the night of October 11 Stark crossed the Hudson River with fresh troops from New Hampshire. His forces captured Fort Edward and positioned artillery to block Burgoyne’s escape. The surrender of Burgoyne’s army was thus ensured. Soon after Burgoyne’s surrender the Continental Congress promoted Stark to Brigadier General. John Stark had finally received the recognition he deserved.

Continue on to Part 5.

Believe me yours faithfully,
Rachel

General John Stark by Bruce - Part 3 of 5

Part 1   Part 2

In part 2, we saw Stark get married and his wife became known as Molly Stark. They ultimately settled in Derryfield, New Hampshire. When he got news of Lexington and Concord, Stark immediately went and joined the effort. He was named colonel of the newly formed First New Hampshire. Soon he and his regiment were at the front line.

The British attack began with an assault of light infantry of the Welsh Fusiliers on the New Hampshire position at the beach. As the front line reached the stake, Stark lowered his arm with the command to fire. The New Hampshire line erupted in a wall of fire. Over half of the fusiliers were killed or wounded with this first volley. A second volley left only five or six survivors as the remaining fusiliers continued the charge towards the American position. As the first assault was failing, soldiers of the 4th Regiment of Foot climbed over the dead Welshmen and moved toward the stone wall. The British assumed that while Stark’s men were reloading they would be able to sprint over the wall and bayonet the New Hampshire men. Unbeknownst to the British, Stark had hidden more

men with loaded weapons behind the wall. As the British approached, Stark again gave the order to fire. As the smoke cleared, dozens of British soldiers could be seen lying dead or wounded in front of the stone wall. Stark commented, “ I never saw sheep lie as thick in the fold”. With these terrible losses, the British were forced to abandon their assault on Stark’s position.

As the battle on Breed’s Hill progressed and the British gained the American redoubt on the third assault, Stark’s New Hampshire soldiers and Knowlton’s Connecticut troops challenged the British advance up Bunker Hill by conducting a fighting withdrawal. Stark’s withdrawal impressed even the British. General Burgoyne, watching the withdrawal through his telescope, commented, “that the retreat was no flight, it was even covered with bravery and military skill”. Stark’s skillful withdrawal kept many Americans from becoming prisoners of the British.

Stark’s next action was at Trenton. Stark crossed the Delaware with Washington. He was part of Sullivan’s Brigade at the south end of town. Stark was in the thick of the fight leading men against the Knyphausen Regiment. Seeing a chance to hit the Knyphausen Regiment from the flank, Stark sent Captain Ebenezer Frye and some sixteen men to attack. To everyone’s amazement, Frye returned with sixty prisoners. Stark’s aggressiveness had completely surprised the Hessians.

After Trenton and Princeton, Washington sent Stark back to New England to recruit new troops. As he traveled, Stark learned that he had been passed over for promotion. Stark was furious as a man of lesser experience, in Stark’s opinion, Colonel Enoch Poor of the Second New Hampshire Regiment had been promoted to brigadier general over him. Stark’s fury led him to appear before the New Hampshire legislature in Exeter and resign his commission while receiving a vote of thanks from the legislature for his services.

Stark’s retirement was a brief four months. Concerned over the movement of Burgoyne’s army down Lake Champlain and the Hudson River, Vermont asked New Hampshire for assistance. With the State of New Hampshire having no funds available, Portsmouth shipyard owner John Langdon stepped forward with the money to outfit a New Hampshire army for Vermont’s assistance. When asked who should command the New Hampshire army, Langdon replied, “Our friend John Stark, who so nobly sustained the honor of our arms at Bunker’s Hill, may safely be entrusted with the command, and we will check Burgoyne!” Stark agreed to lead the New Hampshire troops under the condition that the troops would be solely under his command and that he had full authority to direct operations. Stark did not want to be encumbered with having to take orders from anyone in the Continental Army. The New Hampshire legislature agreed and Stark was made Brigadier General of the New Hampshire Militia.

Continue to Part 4.

Believe me yours faithfully,
Rachel

General John Stark by Bruce - Part 2 of 5

Part 1

Upon hearing of his father’s death in 1758, Stark returned home from Ranger service to settle the estate. Stark was a frequent visitor to the home of Elizabeth Page of Dunbarton, New Hampshire. On August 20, 1758 Stark married Elizabeth. From then on she was known as Molly Stark. Once hostilities had ceased between the British and French, Stark purchased the land his brothers and sisters had inherited from their father. He and Molly then settled on that land in Derryfield, New Hampshire.

On April 19, 1775, news of the events of Lexington and Concord spread across New England. Stark, like so many other veterans of earlier colonial wars, rushed to join the new military units that were being formed. Leaving word for his neighbors to join him, Stark made his way to Medford, Massachusetts. Some twelve hundred men from New Hampshire had mustered in Medford. Under the authority of the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts two regiments were formed from these New Hampshire men. By unanimous vote Stark was made colonel of the first regiment. Soon after, the Provincial Congress of New Hampshire voted to enlist two thousand men for eight months into three regiments. Colonel Stark commanded the first regiment, while James Read and Enoch Poor were to command the second and third regiments.

On the morning of June 17, 1775 Colonel William Prescott had seen almost half of his detachment fade away from the defenses of Breed’s Hill. Israel Putnam was sent to persuade American commander Artemus Ward to release desperately needed reinforcements. Ward complied and sent John Stark’s New Hampshire regiment and several other New Hampshire companies along with Colonel James Reed’s Connecticut regiment to reinforce Prescott. As Stark’s men made their way to the front lines, another officer approached Stark suggesting that they quicken their pace. Stark stubbornly looked at the man and replied, “Dearborn, one fresh man in action is worth ten fatigued ones”. Stark continued walking, unconcerned with the slow and deliberate pace he had settled upon.

Once he arrived on Charlestown Peninsula, Stark surveyed the scene. He became convinced that the Americans were most vulnerable along the Mystic River beach. Stark ordered his men to fortify this narrow shoreline by hauling stones from the nearby cliffs and building a stone wall to the water. Stark positioned his best sharpshooters behind this wall. With the wall completed, Stark climbed over the wall and drove a stake into the sand some 40 yards in front. He then gave the order, “not a man is to fire til the first Regular crossed that stake; watch their gaiters. When you can see their gaiters clear, that’s when to shoot.” This was Stark’s way of ordering his men to shoot low so that the recoil of their muskets would send the balls into the chests of the Redcoats.

Next up, find out how Stark's men do fighting on the front lines.

Continue to Part 3.

Believe me yours faithfully,
Rachel

General John Stark by Bruce - Part 1 of 5

A gentleman that I reenact with, Bruce, recently sent me an essay that he researched and wrote about General John Stark. General John Stark was the first commander of the First New Hampshire regiment, so he is of particular interest to us. I will be posting Bruce's essay here on the blog, but I am going to post it in sections, since it is a bit long. But trust me, it is expertly written, and an enthralling read, so be sure not to miss any of the pieces. As I have clearly stated, I knew not too much about this time period when I started with the regiment, and I knew next to nothing about General John Stark. I even went to John Stark High School in Weare, and still knew nothing about the man. So I found this essay completely fascinating and I want to thank Bruce for not only taking the time to write it, but also for his willingness to share it with me, and all of you. Please do enjoy and leave a comment to let Bruce know what you think!



John Stark, New Hampshire’s Soldier Hero

Written by: Bruce Batten

John Stark was New Hampshire’s most famous soldier. He was known for his independent, ornery, Yankee personality. He gave much to the American Revolution and is remembered most for his words, “Live Free or Die” which became the motto of the State of New Hampshire. However, there is more to the story of John Stark.

John Stark was of Scotch-Irish stock. His father was a native of Glasgow, Scotland. In 1720 his father sailed to America, but his ship was denied entry to Boston over fears it carried smallpox. Stark’s ship was forced to winter in present day Wiscasset. Maine. In 1721 the Stark family moved to Nutfield, New Hampshire, later renamed Londonderry, in 1722. Londonderry became a settlement for Scotch-Irish potato farmers and weavers. John Stark was born there on August 28, 1728. Eight years later the Stark family moved to Derryfield, New Hampshire, now part of Manchester.

John Stark spent his early years working on the Stark farm and in the family’s lumber business. He also spent a great deal of time exploring and hunting on the New Hampshire frontier. In 1752, Stark and his brother William traveled with neighbors David Stinson and Amos Eastman on a hunting trip to the Baker River area near present day Rumney, New Hampshire. This area was still under Indian control and the group encountered an Indian War party. Stinson was killed, but with the help of John, his brother William was able to escape. For his part in William’s escape, John Stark was made to run an Indian gauntlet during his captivity. Some six weeks later he and Eastman were rescued by a group from the Fort at Number 4 at Charlestown, New Hampshire.

John Stark gained his military experience fighting with Robert Rogers. In 1756 he was commissioned a first lieutenant in Rogers’ Rangers. In 1757 Stark was part of a Ranger expedition sent during the winter to capture French sleds traveling between Crown Point and Fort Carillon. Some sleds were captured while others escaped. Soon after, additional French and Canadians attacked the Rangers. Stark and another man traveled more than forty miles through deep snow to get help.

In March 1757 Stark saved Fort William Henry from the French by his refusal to supply his Irish Rangers with liquor to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. When the French attacked the Fort, the drunken Irish Troops of the regular army were unable to meet the challenge. Stark’s sober Rangers fought off the French and saved the fort. As a result of Montcalm’s later attack, Fort William Henry was eventually forced to surrender to the French in August 1757.

Continue to Part 2.

Believe me yours faithfully,
Rachel