Nathan Whiting (4 May 1724, Windham, Connecticut – 9 April 1771) was a

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

and

merchant A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...

in Colonial America.

Biography

Whiting's parents died while he was a child, and he was raised by father's sister Mary and her husband, Reverend

Thomas Clap Thomas Clap or Thomas Clapp (June 26, 1703 – January 7, 1767) was an American academic and educator, a Congregational minister, and college administrator. He was both the fifth rector and the earliest official to be called " president" of Yale ...

. Whiting would graduate from

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

in 1743 while his uncle Thomas was president of the university. In 1745 Ensign Nathan Whiting joined the

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian province ...

army being raised to capture Fortress Louisbourg from the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

. After his service in

King George's War King George's War (1744–1748) is the name given to the military operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748). It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in t ...

, he became a merchant in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...

. In 1750 Nathan married Mary Saltonstall. They would have eight children together. At the start of the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the st ...

, Whiting was appointed as Lieutenant Colonel of the 2nd Connecticut Provincial Regiment. During the Battle of Lake George on September 8, 1755, the 2nd Regiment and the

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

regiment of Col. Ephraim Williams were marching between Lake George and Fort Edward 14 miles away, when their column was ambushed by an army of French and their Indian allies. With the death of Col. Williams, Col. Whiting led the survivors back to Sir William Johnson's camp at Lake George. There the Colonial army held off the French attacks until men from

Joseph Blanchard Joseph Blanchard (1704–1758) was born in Dunstable, New Hampshire (now Nashua) on February 11, 1704 to Capt. Joseph Blanchard and his wife Abiah Hassell. In 1724 he joined the New Hampshire Militia as a lieutenant and served in Capt. Eleazer ...

New Hampshire Provincial Regiment The New Hampshire Provincial Regiment was a provincial military regiment made up of men from the New Hampshire Militia during the French and Indian War for service with the British Army in North America. It was first formed in 1754 with the s ...

attacked the rear of the French army and captured the French commander Jean Erdman, Baron Dieskau. In 1756 Whiting was promoted to full

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

in the Connecticut

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non- professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

. In 1757 his provincial regiment was at Fort at Number 4 on the Connecticut River in

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

guarding the frontier. After the war Col. Whiting served in the

Connecticut General Assembly The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. ...

until his death on 9 April 1771.Welles (1900), p. 150. He is buried at the Grove Street Cemetery, New Haven.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whiting, Nathan 1724 births 1771 deaths People of Connecticut in the French and Indian War People of colonial Connecticut Burials at Grove Street Cemetery People from Windham, Connecticut Military personnel from Connecticut