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General John Stark of New Hampshire, Scots-Irish Hero in the American Revolution, Coined the Phrase Live Free or Die

 

State Capitol Building, Concord, New Hampshire, Photo, Michael Quinlin

One of New England’s true military heroes of the American Revolution was General John Stark (1728-1822), the son of Scots-Irish parents who emigrated to the American colonies in 1720 and settled in the Scots-Irish colony of Nutfield, NH, where John and his brothers were raised. Today, the former settlement is comprised of the towns Londonderry, Derry and Windham.

It was Stark who coined the famous phrase, Live Free or Die, which is the motto of the state of New Hampshire. Accordingly, New Hampshire formally celebrates John Stark Day each year on the second Monday in April. See recent Governor's proclamation.

John’s father Archibald Stark was born at Glasgow, Scotland, in 1697. His family moved to the Ulster province of Ireland, where Archibald met and married Eleanor Nichols of Londonderry,  according to Memoir and official correspondence of Gen. John Stark, published in 1860 by his son Caleb Stark.

John’s early life in New Hampshire was adventurous. On a hunting expedition with his brother and neighbors, Stark was captured by some native Abenaki people allied with the French, and was a prisoner for several years in Quebec. Later he was a hero in the French + Indian War, saving his soldiers, including those wounded, in a battle at Fort George, for which he was promoted to captain, according to The Scotch-Irish in America by Henry Jones Ford.

For a time in the 1760s, Stark settled into domestic life on his farm with his wife Molly (Page) and 10 children, but the growing acrimony between the British Crown and the American colonies reversed his course in the 1770s.

When news about the Battle of Lexington reached New Hampshire in April 1775, “Stark was working at his sawmill. He stopped his work and went home where he changed clothes and mounted his horse. He started toward Boston and called for volunteers along the way to meet in Medford, just outside of Boston. When the men assembled, they chose Stark to lead the regiment. The vote for Stark was unanimous. Isaac Wyman was elected Lieutenant Colonel and Andrew McClary as Major,” according to American History Central.

During the Battle of Bunker Hill, Stark’s regiment was assigned to the northern flank of the Charlestown peninsula,” writes American Battlefield Trust. “Stark anticipated...British General William Howe's next move by building a breastwork along the beach to prevent being flanked by Howe’s light infantry. Stark predicted correctly as about 350 light infantrymen charged Stark’s regiment. The 1st New Hampshire laid waste to several waves of British attackers until the remaining British troops retreated, losing one third of their force.”

After Bunker Hill, Stark continued his illustrious military career. He fought in the defense of New York and the American retreat from Canada and at the Battle of Trenton and the Battle of Princeton in New Jersey. 

Battle of Bennington War Monument, Photo Encyclopedia Britannica

In 1777, he and his Scots-Irish regiment were instrument in defeating British General John Burgoyne at the Battle of Bennington, where there is a statue in his honor today. To inspire his men, Strark reported told his men, "There are your enemies, the Red Coats and the Tories.  They are ours, or this night, Molly Stark sleeps a widow," according to the American Battlefield Trust.

After the war, Stark returned to his wife Molly and lived out his life on their farm, where they raised their family. He died at age 94 in 1822 and is buried in the Stark Family Gravesite in Manchester, NH.

New England has several landmarks in his honor, such as the John Stark statue in front of the New Hampshire State House, the General John Stark Scenic Byway. A statue of General Stark can be found at Stark Park, a 30 acre public park that was once the site of the Stark Family farm in Manchester.

Postcard of John Stark's Homestead
An historical marker is placed at Stark’s birthplace in Derry, NH. Also, visit the Stark Heritage Center in Stark, NH, which has a number of Stark items, including a replica of his sword.


Courtesy of Skylight Studios

In Vermont, the Bennington Battle Memorial has a statue of General Stark leading his troops into battle. And a statue and plaque to Stark’s wife, Molly Page Stark, is in Wilmington, VT.

Learn more about the Irish and Scots-Irish role in the American Revolution.

Research + Text, Michael Quinlin

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