Bennington

MARTINDALE, Stephen

Vermont Historical Magazine, No. XI, October 1867, p 188
(extracted from a section on the history of Dorset, Bennington County, 
Vermont)

Col. Stephen MARTINDALE settled in Dorset [Bennington County, Vermont] in 
1783; came from Stockbridge [Berkshire County], Massachusetts; was a 
volunteer at the Bennington battle at the age of sixteen, weighing at that 
time just sixty-six pounds. He joined Colonel WARNER's regiment. The 
Colonel on seeing such a stripling in the ranks ordered him to take care of 
some horses, greatly to the mortification of MARTINDALE. Though thus 
prevented from participating in the first action he was gratified with a 
chance of engaging in the second. After the enemy had fled, a fellow soldier 
called to him for help to secure several prisoners, some eight in number, of 
whom two were inclined to be obstinate. All, however, were finally 
successfully "surrounded" and secured by one or two sturdy and gallant 
yeomen. During the War of 1812 he was Colonel of the regiment composed of 
drafted men and volunteers, and marched them to the lines for the defense of 
the State. Having received orders not to cross the lines he did not 
participate in the action at Plattsburgh. In person he was very tall and 
spare, courteous and gentlemanly in address, very energetic and active in all 
his movements, and one of the most graceful riders we ever saw mounted on 
horseback. He several times represented the town in the Legislature, and 
[Stephen MARTINDALE] died in 1825, aged eighty-five years.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly