General David Wooster
Hero of the American Revolution, 1710–1777
Jason Edwin Anderson, McFarland, 2024, 232 pages
Book Review published on: August 25, 2025
Gen. David Wooster? Hero of American Revolution? Who? Never heard of him. Those were my first thoughts when I saw this book for review. As I have an interest in U.S. military history, I was intrigued to learn more. In the book General David Wooster: Hero of the American Revolution, 1710–1777, Jason Edwin Anderson tells the story of Wooster's life in Connecticut intertwined with history of military action in the New England states, much of which, apart from Boston and New York, is overlooked in many parts of the country. Wooster was in military action from the War of Austrian Succession, the French and Indian War, and the American War for Independence within the New England colonies and Canada.
The book begins with an overview of Wooster growing up in a military family, attending Yale, and the impact his faith and the Great Awakening had on him. His first military assignment was serving on and later commanding a Navy sloop against French and Spanish privateers where he was awarded a commission by King George II personally—one of the few colonial soldiers to receive such an honor. He transitioned to an officer in the infantry and participated in the attack on Fort Louisbourg in Canada where he learned about logistics and planning. The book details how many of his contacts from Yale were instrumental in his career and life—after all, he did marry the daughter of the Yale president. The author then provides an overview of Wooster's family, religious background, and business interests. He was also an intellectual and passed what he learned by keeping notes in his orderly book, outlining military life in the fall of 1759 and what he learned about discipline, training, military justice, administration, and logistics.
The author describes many aspects of Wooster's life as a business owner and esteemed member of Connecticut politics. He does an excellent job describing how the different British Acts the British Parliament enacted on the colonies after the French Indian War really impacted people—something you don't fully grasp in U.S. history classes.
The next section covers Wooster's military involvement and personal life in 1775 and 1776. The author focuses on the management of the Connecticut militia, the challenges of having to work for the Continental Army, New York Assembly, and for younger generals in the Army who were more political appointees lacking in military experience—especially after he reluctantly accepted a reduction in rank to Brig. Gen. in the Continental Army from his rank of Maj. Gen. in the Connecticut militia. In this section, Anderson does a great job using excerpts from letters to governors, Gen. Washington, etc. to detail many instances where Wooster is advocating for his men's pay when wounded, pay for extra service when campaigns lasted longer than contracts, and supplies, conflicting orders, etc. While not the most exciting part of the book, it provides excellent insight into the challenges commanders faced during the war. One thing is clear, while Wooster was liked by some and not others, he was respected by his soldiers and they were loyal to him.
The chapter "1777" details the British attack on New Haven and then the Battle of Ridgeway where Wooster's service to God and country ended when he was killed in action at age sixty-seven—still leading troops as was his calling to serve Connecticut and independence. Anderson details the fiscal struggles of his widow including the somber description of how the British returned and burned his home with all his documents and receipts for all the expenses for his soldiers he hoped to collect after the war. Wooster truly sacrificed everything.
The book ends with a summary of Wooster's legacy that covers the dedication of a statue to him in Wooster, Ohio, and notes a fresco of him in the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Room. Anderson focuses on addressing several misleading or derogatory beliefs about Wooster from other historians and accounts.
The research in the book is amazing. The bibliography is eleven double column pages and twenty-three pages of citations and notes. There are few primary sources from Gen. Wooster's past mainly because the British burned his home but surviving items from others provide great details about him. The work is obviously a labor of respect for someone whose contributions are overlooked outside of Connecticut and Wooster, Ohio, which is named after him.
Several areas of supporting information such as map printing, logistics issues, Wooster starting the Freemason Society branch New Haven, Connecticut, how the British calendar changed in 1752, and the economic impact this had on the colonies, the New and Old Lights split in the church, Wyoming Valley land issues, and others were very interesting to learn about.
Anderson includes an excellent histography on how Wooster's leadership shaped Connecticut in the 1700s.
I recommend the book for military historians unfamiliar with details of the military actions in New England or Canada, the challenges of command and leadership during the war, or servant leadership.
The book was a little disorganized in some places jumping around from topic to topic, a few instances of repetition, and the font was almost too small for me to read. That said, it was a very good read about Wooster's development and leadership and the broader New England/Canada theater of operations.
Book Review written by: James Lowry Kennedy Jr., Fort Belvoir, Virginia