Last week we briefly peered into the life of a man whose battlefield presence promised great victories, valorous leadership, and determined commitment matched by none. And then reality set in and it was discovered that Benedict Arnold was concerned with himself only, which quickly led to him going down a dead-end road of destruction. That is what someone with a lack of true character looks like.
This week we open the history book and find a very different kind of person. A doctor, and no stranger to either side in the fight for independence, Joseph Warren was, simply put, the kind of leader you would follow. It was March 6, 1775, and many had gathered in the Old South Meeting House in downtown Boston to commemorate the anniversary of the Boston Massacre, when British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists, killing five of them and wounding another six. Just by showing up at this anniversary event was considered by the British to be a crime punishable by death, but Warren seemed to care little. He boldly stepped off the carriage, and walked into the building wearing a Roman-style toga, symbolic of defiance against the tyranny of the British government. In the weeks leading up to his speech, Dr. Warren received numerous death threats, and even now, this day, one British soldier opened his hand revealing musket balls as a sign of intimidation. Nothing would deter the speaker.
For 35 minutes Warren railed against the British government and the threat to liberty. He highlighted the “wise measures recommended by the…continental congress,” but should those fail, “the only way to safety is through fields of blood, I know you will not turn your faces from our foes; but will undauntedly press forward, until tyranny is trodden under your feet.” Then liberty would be established on the American throne. He closed his powerful speech with the words, “You are to decide the important question, on which rest the happiness and liberty of millions yet unborn. Act worthy of yourselves.” Generations of free men yet to come hung in the balance as America decided what to do next.
If there were any doubts about whether Dr. Joseph Warren was an enemy of the crown before, those doubts vanished; and if there were ever a free choice for the direction Warren’s life would take, that too was now gone. He was locked in on the fight for his country’s freedom. Now, if Joseph Warren’s life as a patriot only consisted of speeches and verbal orders, it still might be enough. For there were plenty of those. John Adams never raised a musket in defense. Thomas Jefferson never shed blood on a battlefield. But that was not enough for the good doctor. Warren had to become a man of action, and not words only, and so on April 19, 1775, he did just that, leaving the comfort of the lectern and walking onto the field of battle at Lexington and Concord. In those hours, he directed the militia and joined the fighting as the British returned to Boston. At one point a musket ball nearly ended his life. It was a sign to come.
Nearly two months later, Warren showed up at the Battle of Bunker Hill and volunteered his service as a private in the militia. General Israel Putnam thought it absurd that Warren would serve as a private under him, and instead told the doctor that it was he, Putnam, who should serve under Warren. Warren declined and went of to fight. The British assault was relentless, coming in three waves. During the last attack, Warren stayed back to protect the militia during their escape. Unlike the close encounter several weeks earlier, this time a musket ball found its mark. Warren died instantly. What occurred next could only be described as brutal. The British, despising Warren because of the words he had spoken, now would enact their full revenge. Although already dead, soldiers stripped off his clothes, bayoneted him until he was unrecognizable, pushed him into a ditch, and threw some dirt on him. And for one, that was still not enough. James Drew, a British lieutenant, went back two days later, dug up the body, spit on Warren’s face, jumped on his stomach, and then preceded to behead the dead American. William Tecumseh Sherman quite appropriately said, “War is hell.”
My daughter recently came home with a shirt from the school play production. On the back were the names of all the participants. I wish I could say I was surprised that our last name was misspelled, but I was not. It is not an uncommon experience. But what made it frustrating was that we sent emails back and forth with spelling corrections, obviously a pointless venture. I told her I was frustrated because there are relatively few things you actually own and can control in life, that nobody can take from you. Your name is one.
Solomon wrote, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.” Anyone who has his or her eye on a position of leadership, had better ensure they make this a priority. The eyes that are upon you, will attach your name to your actions. If those actions are like those of Benedict Arnold’s, your end is already written. Your ability to have influence has met a dreadful death. However, if like Joseph Warren, your actions are honorable and valorous, then there will be no shortage of people who will be inspired to follow your leadership. Unlike the flip of a coin to decide the receiving team in an NFL game, the outcome is not random, a 50/50 chance, or a shot in the dark. No, the outcome is in your control. Today, decide that a good name is more important than riches, and act worthy of yourself.
Faith, Leadership, and History 