Captain Benjamin Church
From Freepedia
Captain Benjamin Church (about 1639, Plymouth Colony – 17 January, 1718, Little Compton, Rhode Island) was an American carpenter, military officer, and ranger during the Colonial era.
Captain Church was married to Alice Southworth 26 Dec 1667 in Duxbury, Massachusetts. He resided for a time in Duxbury and later moved to Bristol, Rhode Island. He held public office as the first represenative of Bristol at Plymouth between 1682 and 1684. He is the grandfather of Benjamin Church (August 24, 1734 - 1776), the first Surgeon General of the Continental Army.
Church commanded an independent Ranger company during King Philip's War (1675–1678) on the New England frontier against Indians. Church's men were the first Rangers successful in raiding the Indians' hiding places in forests and swamps. During previous decades, American Rangers were on the defense against the Indians. He persuaded many hostile Indians to surrender and join his unit where they operated skillfully as Rangers. These men became known as Praying Indians. During King Philip's War these Rangers followed Indians into the forests and swamps and conducted effective raids and ambushes on their camps. The war soon ended after a company operation on August 12, 1676, when one of Church's Indian Rangers (John Alderman) killed King Philip. Upon inspection of Philip's body, Church is quoted as saying "a doleful, great, naked, dirty beast." Philip was then butchered in a manner standard with English punishment for treason.
Over the next 28 years, Church led five New England raiding parties into Maine and Canada against the French and Indians. Church kept notes on his tactics and operations which were eventually published in 1716.
Sources
- US Army Infantry Rangers Hall of Fame
- Henderson Glen Family Website
