From The Gazetteer of the State of New Hampshire (in three parts), 
compiled from the best authorities, by Eliphalet Merrill and the Late 
Phinehas Merrill, Esq.,
Printed by C. Norris & Co. , Exeter, NH, ©1817, pg 67-71
Part I - General View- History

1777 - Over the army which was raised this year the officers were appointed by congress, 
and the men were enlisted for that term or during three years.  The New Hampshire 
regiments were commanded by colonels Joseph Cilley, Nathan Hale, and Alexander 
Scammel.  These troops were supplied with new French arms, and their rendezvous was 
appointed at Ticonderoga.  The whole body was to be under the immediate command of 
Brig. Gen. Poor.  They remained at Ticonderoga until the approach of the British army 
under Gen. Burgoyne rendered it expedient to abandon the post.  Col. Hale’s regiment 
was ordered to cover the rear of the invalids, on which account he was several miles 
behind the main body.  The next morning after the march commenced, he was attacked by 
an advanced part of the enemy at Hubbardston.  In this engagement Major Titcomb was 
wounded; Col. Hale, Captains Robertson, Carr, and Norris, and adjutant Elliot with some 
other officers, and about 100 men were made prisoners.  The main army continued their 
retreat to Saratoga.  At Fort Ann they had a skirmish with the enemy, in which Captain 
Weare was mortally wounded.  When the intelligence of this retreat reached New 
Hampshire, the assembly had finished their spring session and had separated.  An 
immediate summons from the executive committee reassembled them, and in a short 
sitting of three days they organized the most effectual means for common defense.  They 
formed the militia of the state into two brigades, the first of which they entrusted to the 
command of William Whipple, and the second to John Stark.  One fourth part of Stark’s 
brigade and one fourth of three regiments of the other brigade, were immediately 
dispatched under the command of Stark, to arrest the progess of the enemy against our 
western frontiers.
	The officers of the militia were instructed to take away the arms of all those 
persons who scrupled or declined assisting in the defense of the country.  And a day of 
public fasting and prayer was appointed which was observed with devotion and solemnity.
	The above mentioned appointment of Stark with the pay of a Brigadier-General in 
the continental army was peculiarly satisfactory to the public and not unpleasant to his 
own feelings.  In the arrangement of the general officers the preceding year, a junior 
officer had been promoted while Stark was neglected.  He had written to congress on the 
subject, but his letters were suffered to lie on the table.  He therefore left the army and 
returned home, he was now by the unanimous voice of his fellow citizens, invested with a 
separate and honourable command, and the orders he received were these, "to repair to 
Charelston on Connecticut river, there to consult with a committee of the New Hampshire 
grants, (now Vermont) and to act in conjunction with the troops of that new state or any 
other of the states, or of the United States, or separately, as it should appear to him most 
expedient for the protection of the people and the annoyance of the enemy."  In a few 
days he proceeded to Charleston and as soon as his men arrived, he sent them forward to 
join the forces of the new state, under Col. Warner, who had stationed himself at Manchester, 
twenty miles north of Bennington.  At this place Stark joined him, and here he met Gen. Lincoln, 
who had been dispatched from Stillwater by Gen. Schuyler (commander of the 
northern department) to conduct the militia to the west side of the Hudson river.  Stark 
informed him of his orders and of the dangers which the people of the grants apprehended.   
He further observed, that he had consulted with the committee, and that if he (Stark) 
joined the continental army and left them exposed, the people were resolved to retire to 
the east side of Connecticut river and thus leave New Hampshire a frontier.  He therefore 
expressed his determination to remain on the enemy’s flank, and watch his motions.  He 
accordingly mustered his forces at Bennington and left Col. Warner at Manchester.  A 
report of this determination was transmitted to Congress.  The orders, upon which it was 
founded, were there disapproved, but the wisdom of them was attested by subsequent 
events.
	Gen. Burgoyne, with the main body of the British army, was now at Fort Edward.  
From that station he dispatched Lieut. Col. Baum, with about 1,500 of his German troops 
and 100 Indians to spread themselves over the Grants as far as Connecticut river, with 
orders to collect horses and cattle for the use of the army and to return immediately with 
their booty.  The Indians, who preceded this attachment, were discovered about 12 miles 
from Bennington.  Stark dispatched Col. Gregg with a body of 200 to arrest their 
progress.  On the evening of that day he was informed, that a body of regular troops with 
a train of artillery was in full march for Bennington.  The next morning he advanced with 
his whole brigade and some militia from the Grants, to the support of Gregg, who found 
himself unable to cope with the superior force of the enemy.  Having marched about a 
mile, he met Gregg retreating and the main body of the enemy within a mile of his rear.
	On discovering the approach of Stark’s column, Gregg halted on an advantageous 
position and drew up his men in full view on the eminence, but could not bring them to an 
engagement.  He then fell back about a mile and encamped, leaving a small party to 
skirmish with the advance, who killed thirty of the enemy besides two of the Indian chiefs.
	The next day was rainy.  Stark kept his position and sent out parties to harass the 
enemy.  Many of the Indians improved this opportunity to desert, declaring that the woods 
were full of Yankees.  On the following morning Stark was reinforced by a militia 
company from the Grants, and by another from the county of Berkshire in Massachusetts.  
This raised his force to 1,600 men.  He dispatched Col. Nichols with 250 men to the rear 
of the enemy’s left wing; and Col. Hendrick with 300 to the rear of their right; and 
stationed 300 to oppose their front and keep them in play.  Then ordering colonels 
Hubbard and Stickney with 200 men to attack their right wing, and 100 more to reinforce 
Nichols in the rear of their left; the attack commenced on that point precisely at three 
o’clock in the afternoon.  It was immediately followed up by the other detachments, Stark 
himself advancing with the main body.  The engagement continued two hours, by which 
time he had forced the enemy’s line and breast works, taken two pieces of brass cannon 
and a number of prisoners, and had compelled the remnant to retreat.  Just at this moment 
he was informed that another body of the enemy was within two miles of him.  This was a 
reinforcement for which Baum had sent when he first knew the amount of the force he 
was to oppose.  It was commanded by Col. Breyman.  Fortunately Warner’s regiment 
from Manchester met them and arrested their march.  Stark rallied and renewed the action 
and it was warm and desperate.  He employed with great effect the cannon he had 
captured, and at sunset compelled the enemy to retreat.  He pursued them until night, at 
which time he halted to prevent his men from injuring each other in the dark. Stark took in 
this action two other pieces of cannon, together with all the enemy’s baggage, wagons, 
and horses, and found that they had left on the field 226 dead.  Their commander Baum 
was taken prisoner, and soon after died of his wounds.  Besides him 33 officers, and more 
than 700 privates were taken.  Out of Stark’s brigade four officers and ten privates were 
killed and 42 wounded.
	  In the account of this Battle which Stark transmitted to the New Hampshire 
committee he said, “our people behaved with the greatest spirit and bravery imaginable, 
and had every man been an Alexander or a Charles of Sweden, they could not have 
behaved better.”  Congress heard of this victory only from common report. After waiting 
sometime in expectation of letters, inquiry was made why Stark had not written to 
congress as well as to his own state.  He answered that his correspondence with them had 
closed as they had not attended to his last letters.  The immediately took the hint, and 
although they had but a few days before resolved, that the instructions under which he had 
acted were destructive of military subordination, yet they presented their thanks to him 
and to the officers and troops under his command and promoted him to the rank of 
Brigadier-General in the continental army.  The northern army was now reinforced by the 
militia of the neighbouring state.  Brig. Gen. Whipple marched with most of his brigade, in 
addition to which, volunteers in abundance flocked to the army under  general Gates.  
Two desperate battles were fought, one at Stillwater and the other at Saratoga, in both of 
which, the troops from New Hampshire had a large share of the honour gained by the 
American army.  In the former action two lieutenant-colonels, Adams and Colburn, and 
Lieutenant Thomas were among the slain; and in the latter, Lieutenant-colonel Conner and 
Lieutenant M’Clary were killed with a great number of their men.  The consequence of 
these repeated victories was the surrender of  Burgoyne’s Army.  After this great object 
was attained, the New Hampshire regiments performed a march of forty miles and forded 
the Mohawk river below the falls, in the space of fourteen hours.  The object of this rapid 
movement was to arrest the progress of a British detachment under General Clinton, who 
threatened Albany with the same devastation which he had extended over the country 
below, but hearing the fate of Burgoyne he returned quietly to New York.
	The American army then marched into Pennsylvania and passed the winter in huts 
at Valley Forge.  In addition to those officers from New Hampshire, who were killed at 
the northward, we lost also Maj. Edward Sherburn, who was slain in a daring but 
unsuccessful action at Germanton.  After the capture of Burgoyne, all danger of a 
Canadian invasion ceased and the theater of war was removed to the southward.  The 
troops from New Hampshire now formed into a distinct brigade, had their full share of the 
common dangers and sufferings of the army.  At the battle of Monmouth, a part of them 
were closely engaged under the command of Colonel Cilley and Lieutenant-Colonel 
Dearborn, and they behaved in such a manner, as to merit the commendation  of the 
illustrious Washington.  They continued with the main army all that spring, and were 
stationed at Reading during the ensuing winter.
	In that summer of 1778, when the French fleet appeared on our coast, with the 
intention to aid us in our struggles with Great Britain, an invasion of Rhode Island, then in 
possession of the British was projected, and General Sullivan was appointed to conduct it.  
Detachments of militia and volunteers from Massachusetts and New Hampshire formed a 
part of his troops  but a violent storm having prevented the co-operation of the French and 
driven them to sea, the army, after a few skirmishes, were under the mortifying necessity 
of quitting the Island.  The retreat was conducted by general Sullivan with great skill and 
prudence.


Submitted by T.C. Parziale 5/30/00
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