William Barton (1748–1831) was an officer in the Continental Army during the American War of Independence who retired with the rank of colonel. He later served as adjutant general of the Rhode Island militia.
Barton was born in Warren, Rhode Island on May 26, 1748. He worked as a hatter in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1771, he married Rhoda Carver. In 1775, he enlisted in the Continental Army as a corporal. He fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill. In 1777, as a major in the Rhode Island state troops, he planned and led a raid on British headquarters, capturing Major General Richard Prescott. For this exploit, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and honored by a resolution of the Continental Congress.
When Rhode Island ratified the Constitution of the United States in 1790, Barton was sent to New York to notify George Washington. [1]
Later in life, Barton became embroiled in a suit in Barton, Vermont, which he helped to found. He refused to pay a fine and as a result, at the age of sixty-four, he was confined under house arrest. At the age of seventy-seven, he was released at the initiative of the visiting Marquis de Lafayette, who agreed to pay the balance of his fine.
Barton died on October 22, with the year of death being given variously as 1831 or 1833. He is buried in the North Burial Ground in Providence, Rhode Island. Fort Barton in Rhode Island was named after William Barton.