John Stark: Maverick General
Though we live in a time of unprecedented interest in the character of our  founding fathers, many of the American Revolution's most important leaders  have been overlooked. One of those forgotten is John Stark, a brilliant  battlefield tactician from New Hampshire, whose decisive action at key  points in the War of Independence helped determine its outcome.In his biography, author Ben Z. Rose focuses on a handful of key people in  John Stark's life in an effort to gain insight into his motivation and  character. These include his wife, Elizabeth "Molly" Stark, who hailed from  a prominent Puritan family; his oldest son, Caleb, who enlisted in the  Continental Army at the age of 15; Robert Rogers, founder of the colonial  ranger force that bears his name; Seth Warner, the Green Mountain Ranger  who fought for Vermont's independence; fellow-New Hampshire Revolutionary  War General John Sullivan, who fought alongside Stark at the Battle of  Trenton; and Horatio Gates, who rivaled George Washington for leadership of  the Continental Army.John Stark inspired the phrase "Live Free or Die" in a letter to the  citizens of Vermont almost 200 years ago during a Battle of Bennington  reunion. Stark's sentiment at the time was clearly intended to warn against  another British invasion, which occurred a short time later when the  British burned down the US Congress during the War of 1812.As we live in an age where the pendulum swings between concerns over the  intrusion of government in our daily lives and fear of foreign enemies,  Stark's words speak to us with the same relevance as he did more than 200  years ago.