In Freedom’s Valent Pursuit
Sometimes, to better appreciate the value of something, we need to remind ourselves of the price that was paid for it. The freedom that we enjoy today, I am sad to say is not held in as high regard as it should be. This is no trivial thing we have, it took much work and cost some their very lives, along with divine intervention for us to live in this state. But as the saying goes, “Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.” I want to highlight some history to help show you the cost of what we now possess, which others are trying to take away from us in little chunks at a time.
There is a man most of you are probably unfamiliar with. He was a freedom-lover and he fought for what he believed in, the gift of freedom was something he wanted his children to know. He lived the life of a warrior which was far more common in his day for he was born in 1696 After fighting in numerous wars he retired to the countryside to enjoy his remaining years with his family. But the battle for our nation’s freedom was just beginning.
The particulars of his time in earlier wars are a bit hard to find but we will focus on his last war. The war for our independence. Living at home with his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren life was enjoyable but in the spring of 1775, he could see a new war on the horizon. And yes, those dates are right, he was almost 80 years old! His name was Samuel Whittmore, and he knew freedom was never free. With the tensions between the crown and colonists rising, Samuel felt his way of life was threatened and he wasn’t going to take it anymore.
April 19th, 1775,
This was the day that British regulars, some of the world’s best soldiers in the world at the time, were given orders in secret to march and try to capture the supplies of the colonial militia at Concord. The colonials found out about the operation and made their own plans. The two sides met at Lexington, where all the tensions came to a head. After the fight, more minute men set out to spread the news and gather more men. Fighting at Concord broke out and the British, not expecting such a fight fell back. Their road back to Boston led them through Samuel’s town of Menotomy.
Some men would have said they had done their part and left it to the younger men but not Samuel Whittmore. His belief in freedom ran very deep. He loaded his musket and a set of dueling pistols, strapped on a saber, and told his family what he was going to do. After he ordered them to remain inside until he returned he set out to set up an ambush with some of the local minute men. He chose a spot near the road so he could have a clear view of them. The Redcoats, with constant fighting and harassing them on the road, soon arrived outside of Menotomy. The Minutemen around him would fire, then run away to reload but not Samuel. He held his fire, waiting until they were close enough to be sure he would do damage. When the enemy was well within range, Samuel stood and fired his musket, next he drew both pistols and fired them off as well. All three shots killed men, and then, with the whole attention of the Redcoats fixed on the man doing this damage to them up close, he knew he couldn’t reload so he drew his saber and attacked the men rushing him.
One of the Redcoat’s shots connected at close range, tearing away half of his cheek. Dazed he kept trying to fight on anyway, but now he was vastly outnumbered. Surrounded by men less than half his age, he was bayoneted multiple times, with one report claiming it was as many as thirteen times! Reportedly, after the British moved on, the villagers who had seen Whittmore’s fight walked over to him. To their complete astonishment, they found he was not dead but ignoring his wounds, he was trying to load another shot into his musket!
The villagers carried him to the doctor, who when he saw the extent of his wounds remarked that it was useless to try and stop so many wounds. The doctor was convinced that even if he dressed them all, Samuel wasn’t going to live long. But after the villagers insisted he tried his best. After the doctor was done they took him home to his family not expecting much. Samuel again proved the fighting spirit he had, he did not die but lived for 18 more years! When asked later if he was given the chance, would he do it again or let them go by? Samuel reaffirmed that he would do the same thing over again. When he did die in 1793, well after the nation had won its freedom, it was from natural causes. He was survived by 185 dependents who he got to see enjoy the freedom that he cherished so much.
Ian Winslow
