Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Whiting, Nathan

WHITING, Nathan, soldier, b. in Windham, Conn., 4 May, 1724 : d. in New Haven, Conn., 9 April, 1771. His father, Samuel, who was first minister of Windham, died during the son's infancy, and the boy was brought up chiefly by his sister Mary and her husband, Rev. Thomas Clap, who became president of Yale in 1740. Nathan was graduated at that college in 1743, studied there for two years longer, and then became a merchant in New Haven, but accompanied the Connecticut troops to the siege of Louisburg in 1745 as an ensign, and in the same year was commissioned lieutenant. He then formed a business partnership with Thomas Darling, but at the beginning of the French war of 1755 he was appointed, in March of that year, lieutenant-colonel of the 2d Connecticut regiment. His command formed part of the garrison of Fort Edward, and on 8 Sept. he was with Col. Ephriam Williams when the latter was surprised by the French and Indians near Lake George. On the death of Williams the command devolved on Whiting, who led the retreat with much skill and coolness. He was promoted colonel in 1756, and served throughout the war. Col. Whiting was a representative in the Connecticut general assembly in 1769 and 1770, and at the time of his death was a candidate for the upper house. President Timothy Dwight says of him : " He was an exemplary professor of the Christian religion, and for refined and dignified manners and nobleness of mind has rarely been excelled." His portrait is in the rooms of the Connecticut historical society at Hartford. — His elder brother, John, soldier, b. in Windham, Conn., 20 Feb., 1706 ; d. there, 28 Aug., 1786, was graduated at Yale in 1726, and entered the minis- try, but, removing to Newport, R. I., entered the military service of that colony, became captain, and in 1761 had risen to the rank of colonel. He participated in several campaigns against the French, and was wounded at the battle of Lake George in 1758. He afterward returned to Windham, and was made judge of probate there in 1775.