“Live free or die”: The remarkable story behind New Hampshire’s famous motto

John Stark’s Journey from Abenaki Captive to Hero

John Stark went from Abenaki captive to American hero in one wild lifetime.

Grabbed by warriors in 1752 while hunting in New Hampshire, he fought back during his punishment and won the chief’s respect.

After his ransom, Stark joined Rogers’ Rangers, but later refused to attack his former Abenaki hosts. Though he quit the Continental Army after being snubbed for promotion, he soon came back as a militia general.

His troops crushed British forces at Bennington, taking nearly all enemy soldiers captive. Years later, his simple words to fellow veterans – “Live free or die” – now grace every New Hampshire license plate.

The towering Bennington Battle Monument still marks where his unlikely story changed American history.

Young Frontiersman Meets His Match in the White Mountains

John Stark got into big trouble on April 28, 1752.

The 23-year-old hunter was picking up traps along Baker River in New Hampshire’s White Mountains when Abenaki warriors caught him. He was hunting with his brother William, David Stinson, and Amos Eastman.

They had spent winter collecting furs worth £560. The attack turned deadly when the Abenaki killed Stinson.

William got away, but John and Eastman weren’t so lucky. The Abenaki tried to make Stark tell where his friends were hiding, but he refused.

The Bold Move That Saved His Life

Stark showed real guts when facing the gauntlet. He and Eastman had to run between two lines of warriors with clubs and sticks.

Most captives just took the beating, but Stark had other ideas.

He grabbed the first warrior’s club and fought back, attacking both lines of warriors instead of giving in. The Abenaki chief watched with surprise.

Rather than punish Stark, the chief took him into the tribe. Stark stayed with the Abenaki all winter, earning their respect through his bravery.

Spanish Dollars Buy Freedom After Months With The Tribe

Stark got his freedom in spring 1753 when a Massachusetts Bay agent paid $103 Spanish dollars for his release, plus $60 more for Eastman. By then, Stark had lived with the Abenaki for three to four months.

Later, he said he got better treatment from his captors than prisoners usually got from “civilized nations. ” His time with the tribe taught him useful wilderness skills and Indian fighting tactics.

He and Eastman made it back to New Hampshire safely.

Rogers’ Rangers Gains A Skilled Wilderness Fighter

Stark joined the military in January 1757 when he signed up with Rogers’ Rangers during the French and Indian War.

He started as second lieutenant under Major Robert Rogers and quickly moved up to captain, becoming second-in-command. His brother William also joined the Rangers.

The group became known for their wilderness fighting skills and ability to live in tough conditions. Stark and the other Rangers learned combat skills and got to know the northern frontier well.

Loyalty To Adopted Family Trumps Military Orders

In 1759, Stark faced a tough choice when General Jeffrey Amherst told Rogers’ Rangers to attack the Abenaki village of St. Francis in Quebec.

Since he had lived with the Abenaki and felt loyal to his Indian foster parents who lived there, Stark said no to the attack. He went back to New Hampshire instead, putting personal honor above military orders.

The year before, in 1758, he married Elizabeth “Molly” Page, putting down deeper roots in New Hampshire.

News From Lexington Pulls A Farmer Back To War

Just four days after the battles of Lexington and Concord, Stark answered the call to fight. On April 23, 1775, he took a colonel position in the New Hampshire Militia and led the 1st New Hampshire Regiment.

Stark quickly got his men together and marched them south to Boston, where rebels had the British forces trapped. He set up his base in the taken-over Isaac Royall House in Medford, Massachusetts.

His fast action and leadership skills made him valuable to the colonial forces as the Revolutionary War began.

Beach Breastwork Becomes British Soldiers’ Graveyard

Stark showed his battle smarts during the Battle of Bunker Hill. His regiment guarded the northern side of the Charlestown peninsula during the Siege of Boston.

Knowing British General William Howe would try to attack from the side, Stark built a simple but strong wall along the beach.

When about 350 British light infantry charged his position, Stark’s men used the “continuous fire” method he learned from his Rangers days.

The British left 96 dead soldiers on the beach and backed off, losing one-third of their attack force.

Passed Over For Promotion, The Colonel Walks Away

Even after doing well at the Battles of Trenton and Princeton in 1776, Stark didn’t get the credit he earned.

After going back to New Hampshire to find new troops, he found out he hadn’t been picked for promotion to brigadier general.

Even worse, Enoch Poor got the promotion instead, a man Stark thought was a coward with no battle experience. On March 23, 1777, Stark quit in anger.

He went back to his farm, telling Continental officials he would only fight again if New Hampshire itself needed him.

New Hampshire Offers A Deal He Couldn’t Refuse

Four months after quitting, Stark got an offer that brought him back to fighting. New Hampshire asked him to be brigadier general of the state militia.

Stark said yes, but with one firm rule: he would not take orders from Continental Army bosses.

Using money from John Langdon, he gathered 1,500 militia men in just six days, more than 10% of New Hampshire’s men over 16.

When General Benjamin Lincoln tried to boss him around, Stark flatly said no. He only answered to New Hampshire.

Bennington Becomes Burgoyne’s Worst Nightmare

On August 16, 1777, Stark won his greatest battle.

He led 2,000 American militia against 700 British and Hessian troops under Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum near Walloomsac, New York. Stark planned a smart attack from many sides at once.

The results crushed the British. Of Baum’s 374 trained soldiers, only nine got away.

Stark reported just 14 Americans killed and 42 hurt.

The win took away crucial supplies and nearly 1,000 men from British General Burgoyne, helping set up his surrender at Saratoga.

Four Words That Outlived The Man

Too ill to attend a Bennington veterans’ reunion in 1809, the 81-year-old Stark sent a letter instead. He closed with words that would become immortal: “Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.”

The phrase perfectly captured the spirit of the American Revolution and the character of the man who wrote it. New Hampshire adopted it as the official state motto in 1945.

Stark lived to the remarkable age of 93, dying in 1822.

Many considered him the only true Cincinnatus among Revolutionary War generals because he genuinely retired from public life after the war, content to live as a simple citizen of the nation he helped create.

Visiting Bennington Battle Monument

The Bennington Battle Monument at 15 Monument Circle in Old Bennington honors John Stark’s “Live Free or Die” legacy.

While the elevator to the observation deck is broken, you can still visit for $2 per adult (veterans and active military get free admission with family).

Check out the iron kettle captured from General Burgoyne’s camp at Saratoga inside, plus the granite marker showing where the Continental Storehouse once was.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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