Colonel Stoddard was the eighth child and fourth son of the Rev. Solomon Stoddard, and therefore Edwards's uncle on his mother's side. He was a man of great prominence in all the leading affairs of the town, the county, and the colony. "His life," says Trumbull (_History of Northampton_, Vol. II, p. 172), "was the connecting link between the two series of great leaders who controlled the affairs of Western Massachusetts for nearly a century and three-quarters. His predecessors were John Pynchon of Springfield and Samuel Partridge of Hatfield; following him came Joseph Hawley and Caleb Strong of Northampton, and these five men were the leaders in the Colony, the Province and the State." He was a stalwart upholder of royalty and the royal prerogative, and for this reason had many opponents; but the general esteem in which he was held is evidenced by his many offices and by the fact that he was seventeen times reëlected the representative of the county to the General Court. He was a valued friend of Governor Shirley, in connection with whom there is a characteristic story of him. It is that he once called and asked to see the Governor when the latter had a party dining with him, but declined the servant's invitation to come in. The company were surprised and shocked at what they regarded as an act of discourtesy to the chief magistrate. "What is the gentleman's name?" asked the Governor. "I think," replied the servant, "he told me his name was Stoddard." "Is it?" said the Governor. "Excuse me, gentlemen, if it is Col. Stoddard, I must go to him." (From _Dwight's Travels_, Vol. I, p. 332, quoted by Trumbull, _op. cit._ p. 173.) His death removed one of Edwards's strongest supporters and probably contributed to the tragic issue of the great controversy in which the preacher was now engaged. In this connection it is interesting to find that Colonel Stoddard in 1736 helped to lay out the township of Stockbridge and that he had much to do toward establishing the mission to the Indians there, to the conduct of which Edwards was called after his dismissal from Northampton. Edwards's sermon is an eulogy, but there is every reason to suppose that it gives on the whole a just impression of Stoddard's character, services, and attainments. On him, see further Trumbull, _op. cit._ Vol. II, Chap. xiii. 116. =Present war.= King George's French and Indian War (1744-1748-9). Colonel Stoddard, as commander of the Hampshire forces, directed the military operations in that part of the country until his death. Major Israel Williams of Hatfield, who later succeeded to the command, writing under date of June 25, 1748, to Secretary Willard, says: "We are now like sheep without a shepherd.... God has been pleased to take him (who was in a great measure our wisdom and strength and glory) from us at a time when we could least spare him." (Trumbull, _op. cit._ Vol. II, p. 158.) FAREWELL SERMON