One of our favorite talks at the history conference was about Israel Putnam.
Who is he?, you might ask yourself. He was a real man of courage,
one of those great men in history that we want our children to
emulate. Putnam was a farmer in Massachusetts that immediately
left his plough in the furrow, mounted his horse, and left for
Cambridge when he received word of the battle at Lexington &
Concord. Washington was appointed commanding general and Putnam
was one of the four major-generals. Ohhh!! I didn't know
that (because we don't really know our own history as well as we think we do).
Israel Putnam made that famous statement, "don't fire until you see the
whites of their eyes". You see, the colonists were low on gun
powder and needed to conserve until they were sure of defeating their
enemy. Israel Putnam was not afraid to face battle, or
death. His example sustained his men. His compassion was
overwhelming, even in the face of battle. His courage was of a
lion - simple, direct, genuine. He truly had a heart of mercy.
Putnam defines courage for us...doing what he is called to do in the
face of fear, in the fear of the Lord. Putnam knew whom to fear .
. . God!
Kerry
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