New Book, 'First Ranger Benjamin Church: Epic Poem About King Philip's War--Church Believed in Indians, God and Rum,' by Lisa Saunders

Benjamin Church, considered the first American Army Ranger, believed it would take Indians, God and rum to win King Philip's War, which began in Massachusetts in 1675. His descendant, author Lisa Saunders, retells Church's account of learning how to fight from his Native Americans friends as an epic poem.

Saunders said, "I dedicated my poem to the memories of Native Americans who taught their ranger tactics to Benjamin Church, who in turn highlighted them in his memoir published in 1716. Soldiers trained in Native American fighting strategies have helped win wars throughout American history, including against Hitler's army in WWII."

Poem excerpt:

American Army Rangers
lead the way.
Skilled in stealth,
they surprise the enemy in the fray.

Their bloodcurdling history
began in 1675 with carpenter Benjamin Church.
In King Philip's War, he fought alongside
Native Americans to knock enemies off their perch.

Surprise raids and other Indian fighting tactics
were key to Church's victories in war.
He preferred tracking enemies over building forts,
a task he considered a bore.

When Church was too old and fat
to mount a horse without aid,
he took off his armor and wrote a military memoir,
telling of days when the colonists were afraid.

As a warrior, he recalled: "Through the grace of God I was spirited for that work,
and direction in it was renewed to me day by day."

In the tale that follows, you decide if Church received divine insight on when to chase, flee or stay...

Book includes images relevant to Benjamin Church, including his cutlass, and King Philip's War. It is available on Amazon. Visit book at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1725877635

To post a comment, you must register and login.