Samuel Whittemore was an American soldier. Gather ‘round to hear tell of his exploits.
Sam was born in Charlestown, MA in 1696 to an ordinary family. He wasn’t blooded until, as a 48-yr-old private, he helped capture the French Fortress of Louisbourg during King George’s War. /1
Sam returned from King George’s War at 52-yrs-old, and lived in peace for 12 years. Then, he signed up to serve in the French & Indian War, helping to capture the Fortress of Louisbourg yet again. He was 64-yrs-old. /2
On April 19, 1775, British forces were returning from the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Militiamen sniped the redcoats all along the way, so they were fired up and read for payback as they approached Sam’s village. The 79-yr-old grabbed his musket, two dueling pistols, and… https://t.co/DJKn5Yzd5Vtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…
The British were a finely-honed force, and the Americans were outnumbered but ready to give them a fight. Minutemen blasted away at a distance, scoring few hits, but Sam held his fire until they were right on top of him. /4
With his musket, he killed on redcoat. Then, he made both of his dueling pistol shots count, killing another and mortally wounding yet another redcoat. As he drew his rapier, the British concentrated their fire on Sam’s position. /5
A .67 caliber musketball struck Sam in the face, tearing off part of his jaw, his cheekbone, and blowing his eyeball clean out of his head. The enraged redcoats rushed forward and drove their 12” bayonets into Sam’s body 13 times. /6
The British move on, and the surviving militiamen regrouped and looked for Sam’s body. They mourned the old man, but perhaps not too bitterly, since 79 years is as much as any man could ask for. Except, when they approached his body, Sam was still alive, feebly trying to reload… https://t.co/q4qC5P8AbRtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…
They carried Sam to a doctor, but the doc said there was nothing they could do. The musket-toting minutemen instructed him to do whatever he could anyway, so Sam was bandaged up and patched together, as his fellow militiamen stood on death watch. /8
The old bastard still wouldn’t die. He actually recovered, and then lived another 18 years, working his farm most of his remaining days until he finally allowed God to take him away at age 96.
Some men are just different. /end
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