David Wooster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Wooster
|
|
|---|---|
1776 mezzotint by Thomas Hart
(artist's conception, not made from life) |
|
| Born | March 13, 1711 Stratford, Connecticut |
| Died | May 22, 1777 (aged 66) Danbury, Connecticut |
| Place of burial |
Wooster Cemetery, Danbury
|
| Allegiance |  British Empire United States of America |
| Service/ |
British colonial militia British Army Continental Army † |
| Years of service | British colonial militia: 1739–1745 British Army: 1745–1761 Continental Army: 1775–1777 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands held | Montreal, Connecticut militia |
| Battles/wars | King George's War |
| Signature |  |
David Wooster (March 13, 1711 – May 2, 1777) was an important American general. He fought in both the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. He sadly died from injuries he got during the Battle of Ridgefield in Connecticut. Many towns, schools, and public places are named after him today. People remember him as a hero of the American Revolution.
Contents
Early Life and Military Start
David Wooster was born in Stratford, Connecticut, which was a British colony at the time. He went to Yale College and graduated in 1738.
In 1739, a war started between Britain and Spain. David Wooster joined the local army, called the colonial militia, as a lieutenant. He later became a captain. In 1741, he helped protect the coast from possible Spanish attacks.
In 1745, David Wooster married Marie Clapp. Her father was the president of Yale. They had four children. His son, Thomas, also fought in the American Revolutionary War. David Wooster became a captain in a special army group. He fought in the Siege of Louisbourg. After this battle, he traveled to France and then to England. He even met King George II and joined the British Army.
When the French and Indian War began in 1755, Wooster served until it ended in 1761. He was promoted to colonel and led the 3rd Connecticut Regiment. His regiment was part of the tough Battle of Carillon in 1758. They also helped capture Fort Ticonderoga in 1759.
Fighting in the American Revolution
When the American Revolutionary War started in April 1775, David Wooster was in charge of the local army in New Haven, Connecticut. A famous general named Benedict Arnold wanted weapons for his soldiers. Wooster first tried to stop him, but Arnold insisted. Wooster then let him have the weapons. This event is still remembered in New Haven as Powder House Day.
Wooster was made a major general of the Connecticut militia. His troops were sent to defend New York City. When the Continental Army was formed, Wooster became a brigadier general. His soldiers joined General Philip Schuyler and General Richard Montgomery for the 1775 invasion of Quebec.
Wooster helped in the Siege of Fort St. Jean in late 1775. After Montreal was captured in November, he took military command there. When General Montgomery died in the Battle of Quebec, Wooster took command of all the American forces in Quebec.
His time in Montreal was difficult. Relations with the local people became strained. He was later cleared of any wrongdoing. In April 1776, Wooster brought more soldiers to help General Arnold at Quebec City. British soldiers arrived in May, and the American army had to retreat. They went all the way back to Fort Ticonderoga by July.
Wooster then returned to Connecticut. He became the first major general in charge of defending the entire state.
The Danbury Raid and Wooster's Sacrifice
In April 1777, British General William Tryon led an attack on Danbury, Connecticut. The British wanted to destroy a large supply of Continental Army goods there. On April 25, about 2,000 British soldiers landed near Fairfield. They marched inland and reached Danbury on April 26 without much trouble. They chased away the small group of American soldiers. The British destroyed many supplies and set fire to parts of the town.
When Wooster heard about this, he told General Arnold, who was visiting his family. Wooster quickly gathered the local militia to fight back. Arnold took several hundred men to set up a position in Ridgefield. Wooster took a smaller group to attack the back of Tryon's column as they returned to the coast.
Wooster's first attack surprised the British. But Tryon was ready for Wooster's second attack as they got closer to Ridgefield. During this fight, Wooster was badly wounded when the British fired their cannons. He was taken to a house in Danbury. He died there on May 2, 1777. Wooster's last words were, "I am dying, but with a strong hope and persuasion that my country will gain her independence."
Remembering David Wooster
On June 17, 1777, the American Congress voted to build a monument for David Wooster. However, it was not built for many years. His grave was not found until 1854. Today, a 30-foot tall monument marks his burial spot. General Wooster is buried in Wooster Cemetery in Danbury. A sign and a monument also mark the exact spot where he fell during the Battle of Ridgefield.
The monument has many carvings, including military and Masonic symbols. It also has a quote from Wooster: "Of his country Wooster said, 'my life has ever been devoted to her services from my youth up, though never before in a cause like this—a cause for which I would most cheerfully risk and lay down my life'."
In the 1820s, New Haven named a public square Wooster Square after him. Today, the whole neighborhood and several streets are named after Wooster.
Many other places are named after him too. These include Wooster School, Wooster Mountain State Park, and several streets in Danbury, Bethel, and Ridgefield. There is also David Wooster Middle School in Stratford, Connecticut. A street in SoHo, New York City, and the city of Wooster, Ohio are also named for him. The city of Wooster, Ohio, is home to the College of Wooster and Wooster High School Generals.
Ben Douglass, who wrote a history of Wayne County, Ohio, in 1878, described Wooster as "a man of prepossessing appearance, of rare intellectual culture and accomplished education."
