Regimental flag of the 2nd NH Regiment, courtesy of the New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord NH.
“In victory, the hero seeks the glory, not the prey.”
-Sir Philip Sidney, 16th Century
One of the oldest American battle flags in known existence is that of the 2nd New Hampshire Regiment, formed in 1775 at the onset of the Revolution. Today, it is preserved as part of the vast collection at the NH Historical Society in Concord. Upon it reads the regimental motto selected by soldiers of New Hampshire: “The Glory, Not the Prey.”
Sir Philip Sidney’s words resonated with the soldiers of NH: Heroes fight for what they believe in - for what is right - and care not about the spoils of war. Once the war had officially begun on April 19, 1775, they, by the thousands, voluntarily left home to support the cause of liberty.
Within 48 hours of the British march on Lexington & Concord, and subsequent commencement of the Siege of Boston, more than 800 men from NH arrived in Cambridge to take their place in the lines. Within a month, that number swelled to greater than 2,500.
Their first major engagement would come at the Battle of Chelsea Creek, where New Hampshire regiments under John Stark of Manchester would successfully board & overtake the British warship HMS Diana. After removing all of her cannon and powder (which would be used to hold the lines at Bunker Hill a month later), as well as removing her tall White Pine mast, they set the Diana ablaze #burntheships. By order of General Washington, her mast would be erected atop Prospect Hill in Somerville - the highest point around Boston - from which the first American flag would be flown.
Monument atop Prospect Hill overlooking the city of Boston, marking the location where the mast of HMS Diana was placed to fly the first American Flag.
At the Battle of Bunker Hill, it was the regiments from NH who saved the day and, likely, the war effort itself: upon reaching the field, Colonel Stark, along with Granite Staters led by Colonel James Reed of Fitzwilliam, disobeyed their orders and instead rallied to secure the left flank at the base of Bunker Hill - a weakness in the lines fellow officers had failed to account for.
John Trumbull’s “Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker’s Hill.” Major Andrew McClary of Epsom is depicted to the left directly beneath the Flag of NE, raising his musket to protect the dying General Warren. McClary left his plow in his field on the morning of April 20th upon hearing of the British march on Concord MA, and was in Cambridge by the 21st to join the fight. He was the last man on the battlefield at Bunker Hill, and died covering the retreat. He was buried with full honors in Medford, MA, alongside fellow soldiers who perished in the battle.
The British would attempt two full assaults on this flank, failing at both as they endured heavy losses. When British reinforcements arrived, General Clinton redirected his forces towards the redoubt - a defensive fortification - atop Breed’s Hill for their third, and only successful, assault. As the New Englanders retreated back to Cambridge, it was the NH regiments who covered the rear; they were the last to leave the field. Although technically a defeat for the Patriots, the heavy toll on the British during their first 2 assaults on the NH lines made the battle a strategic & motivational victory for the Americans. Further, the battle proved Americans could hold their own against the best army in the world on the open field.
"A few more such victories would shortly put an end to British dominion in America.”
-General Henry Clinton, in correspondence to Britain shortly after the battle
Months later, when the Patriots occupied the heights of Dorchester to the south of Boston, General Howe - then commander of British forces in America - opted to evacuate the city rather than suffer a repeat of Bunker Hill by attempting to remove them.
Granite marker at the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown commemorating the action of the New Hampshire Regiments.
On November 29th of 1776, the Continental Army was dealt a major blow when regiments from Connecticut announced they would only remain within the lines surrounding Boston until the 6th of December, opting instead to spend the winter at home.
“The Connecticut Troops will not be prevailed upon to stay, and such a dirty mercenary spirit pervades the whole that I should not be at all surprised at any disaster that may happen.”
-General George Washington, in a letter to Colonel Joseph Reed
Once again, New Hampshire answered the call: By December 2nd, 31 new companies of riflemen - totalling over 2,500 volunteers - were raised from across NH to take their place. They reported to Colonel Stark at Winter Hill soon after, and fortified the northern siege positions before they were abandoned. This brought the total of Granite Staters in the Continental Army to over 5,000; more than any other state. These men remained at their posts throughout the harsh winter of 1775-1776, until the British evacuated Boston in March.
“The Connecticut troops have gone home; yet the militia from New Hampshire have come in to take their places. Upon this occasion, we have discovered a new zeal that does them the highest honor. New Hampshire behaves nobly.”
-General Nathaniel Greene of Rhode Island, December 18, 1775
In the closing days of 1776, NH soldiers made the famous crossing of the Delaware River alongside General Washington, then led the surprise attack on British & Hessian forces at Trenton. Colonels Stark & Enoch Poor - of Exeter - led the vanguard of NH soldiers into the town’s streets in the initial assault, overtaking Hessian defensive positions with fixed bayonets, as much of their powder had become wet in the winter storm and thus, was unusable.
“The Battle of Trenton” by H. Charles McBarron Jr., depicting the Patriots storming the streets of the town.
When other regiments tasked with securing the rear of the town failed to cross the river, deeming it “impossible,” New Hampshire General John Sullivan of Somersworth adjusted: after leading his men across the river, he assumed their position and halted the enemy’s retreat. It would be Sullivan who would personally accept the surrender from Colonel Johann Rall as the Hessians attempted to flee from the town; the first decisive American victory of the war, and a total one at that: The British would suffer over 100 wounded or killed - as well as over 800 captured by Sullivan’s men - compared to less than 10 casualties endured by the Patriots.
The New Hampshire Regiments were the heroes of the Battles of Bennington & Saratoga; the events which turned the tide of the war in favor of the Patriots. In the summer of 1777, the 1st, 2nd & 3rd New Hampshire Regiments - along with the new 1st NH Brigade, raised by John Stark himself - met Burgoyne’s army in western Vermont to repel the British “Saratoga Campaign,” the plan by which they intended to end the war. Stark would become known as the “Hero of Bennington,” having personally led his men - with saber in hand - to overwhelm British & Hessian forces in fortified positions atop the high ground. Note: our very own Ebenezer Mudgett - leader of Weare’s Pine Tree Riot in 1772 - served here as a private within Stark’s ranks.
"There are your enemies, the Red Coats and the Tories. They are ours, or this night Molly Stark sleeps a widow!"
-General John Stark, moments before their attack
“The Battle of Bennington” by Frederick Coffey Yohn, depicting General John Stark leading NH Regiments into the enemy’s defenses. One of the cannon captured here by the Patriots made it back to NH: The “Molly Stark Cannon” was gifted by Stark to the New Boston Field Artillery Company, who still maintain & display it to this day, firing it 3 times every year on the 4th of July.
In response to the Patriot victory in battle, men by the hundreds volunteered to join the Patriot cause for independence; a movement that until this moment had been in doubt by many American colonists. Further, the victory at Bennington convinced France to align with these United States, becoming the first foreign nation to recognize our independence; an effort to which Benjamin Franklin had committed months without success.
Soon after, the British would find themselves surrounded at Saratoga. When Burgoyne finally surrendered to the Patriots, it was NH militia’s Colonel Jonathan Chase of Cornish who would accept it on the field of battle.
At Yorktown - the final stand for the British in America - New Hampshire soldiers were again present & engaged at the decisive moment: The men raised by Alexander Scammell of Durham fought alongside Alexander Hamilton during the bold night attack that history remembers as the “Storming of the Redoubts.” Once taken, General Cornwallis surrendered his army to the Patriots, effectively ending British military operations in America and thus, the war itself.
“The Storming of Redoubt No. 10” by Eugene Lami. It was here that Alexander Hamilton led a regiment of light infantry comprised mostly of NH soldiers raised by Colonel Alexander Scammell of Durham. Scammell - one of Gen. Washington’s favorite young officers - was mortally wounded at Yorktown; the highest ranking officer to perish during the engagement.
Once victorious at the war’s end, the soldiers of New Hampshire returned home, resuming the simple lives they had left to join the cause.
There are many stories to tell of the Revolutionary War heroes from New Hampshire; stories we look forward to sharing with you in the coming months. What’s clear is whenever the war effort was at its most dire - and defeat at its most imminent - the men of NH repeatedly stepped up as the heroes our country needed to achieve victory.
The most famous among them - John Stark - declined to take his share of the fame and fortune inherent to war heroes. He instead resigned his commission and returned to work on his family farm in Manchester’s north end. He never held political office, has no monuments dedicated to him in our nation’s capital, and no denomination of currency bears his likeness.
“Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.”
-John Stark’s toast to the veterans of Bennington, 1809
Monument at John Stark’s burial site on his family farm - today Stark Park - along the Merrimack River in Manchester.
The spirit & memory of the New Hampshire regiments - and the words of Sir Philip Sidney which inspired them - resonates deeply with all of us here at Able; the work we put in everyday isn’t driven by the prospect of awards, riches, or to be touted as better than another. Rather, our motivation is the pursuit of what we believe in; of what we love.
With that, in honor of the brave volunteers from New Hampshire who left home to fight for our independence - most of whom will never have their names enshrined in history - we introduce Glory, not the Prey. We believe you’ll love it as much as we do.
Cheers.
Note: We want to give a big shout-out to the team at the NH Historical Society for all of their help & expertise in this effort; looking forward to our continued work together. If you’re interested in NH’s history, they’re worth a visit. Consider supporting their work here: https://www.nhhistory.org/Join/Donate/Ways-To-Give
