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Quicktime (requires plugin)The "Molly Stark" Cannon of New Boston reads "There are Redcoats, and they are ours, or this night Molly Stark sleeps a widow," said General John Stark on August 16, 1777 as he watched the British advance toward the American fort at Bennington, Vermont.
Although General Stark’s horse was killed in action, the Americans captured "four pieces of brass cannon, several stand of arms, eight brass drums, a quantity of German broadswords and about 700 prisoners." It was a pivotal victory for the Americans in the Revolutionary War.
As a token of his appreciation for the gallant action, General Stark awarded one of the cannons to the New Boston Artillery Company, which was attached to the Ninth Regiment of the New Hampshire militia. The cannon, which had been cast in Paris, France in 1743, was named the "Molly Stark" in honor of the General’s wife.
Molly Stark held a special place in the troop’s heart as she turned her home into a field hospital and was both nurse and doctor to the men during a smallpox epidemic. She was the daughter of New Hampshire’s first postmaster, John Stark and his wife Molly, who together had 11 children after marrying in 1758.
The "Molly Stark" cannon saw action in the War of 1812 and was held by the New Boston Artillery Company until the company was disbanded in 1852. In the ensuing years, many area towns laid claim to the cannon and many stories have been told about its travels. The New Boston Artillery Company was re-organized in 1938 and took custody of and responsibility for the "Molly Stark."
To this day, the "Molly Stark" is fired every Fourth of July at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds as part of New Boston’s Independence Day celebration.