[30
��yohn Stark.
��and assist in arranging the defences of that city. He remained at New York until May, 1776, when his regi- ment, with five others, was ordered to march by way of Albany to Canada. He joined the army at St. Johns, and advanced to the mouth of the Sorel. Various unsuccessful movements were made by this army in Canada, under the successive commands of Gener- als Thomas, Arnold, Thompson, and Sullivan, culminating in a retreat to Crown Point and Ticonderoga. Gen. Gates soon after this assumed the chief command, and assigned a bri- gade to Col. Stark, with orders to clear and fortify Mount Indepen- dence.
When the British army under Carle- ton had retired to winter quarters in Canada, Col. Stark's regiment, with several others, was detached from the Northern army to reenforce Gen. Washington at Newtown, Penn. He arrived a few days before the battle of Trenton, where, leading the van of Sullivan's division, he contributed his share in that fortunate victory. In giving his opinion at the council of war preceding the battle of Trenton, Col. Stark observed to Washington, — "Your men have too long been accus- tomed to place their dependence for safety upon spades and pickaxes. If you hope to establish the indepen- dence of these states, you must teach them to place dependence upon their fire-arms and courage." Col. Stark remained with the commander-in- chief until his winter quarters were established on the heights of Morris- town, when, the term of his men's enlistment having expired, he returned to New Hampshire to recruit another regiment.
��In March, 1777, the new regiment was completed ; but Stark did not take command of it. Certain promi- nent members of congress, and offi- cers of high rank, and aristocratic associations, more familiar with the polite usages of town society than with the simple manners of the fron- tier settlers, were displeased with the rugged and unbending character and blunt speech of this backwoods col- onel, and used their influence against him with such effect, that in the new list of promotions, made that winter, by congress, his name was omitted, and several officers of lower rank were promoted over him. This slight was so keenly felt that he immediately tendered his resignation to the New Hampshire authorities, and retired, temporarily, to his home. He was not however destined to remain long inactive. Within three months from his retirement, the menacing state of affairs following the capture of Ti- conderoga by the British, and the ad- vance of Burgovne's army, threaten- ingto overrun the New England states, called him again to the field. New Hampshire rose to the emergency, and raised a brigade for independent ac- tion against the flank of the invading arm^^ At the request of the state council. Stark accepted their com- mission as brigadier, and took com- mand ; and within two weeks from the capture of Ticonderoga, he was organizing and drilling his force for the coming fra}'.
The battle of Bennington, fought and won on the 17th of August, 1777, by the little army of 1750 men, under his command, has been made familiar to all readers of history. Of this force, New Hampshire furnished 1000,
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