BENJAMIN CHURCH - THE FIRST 'ARMY RANGER'

BENJAMIN CHURCH - THE FIRST 'ARMY RANGER'
(c. 1639 - 1718) Founder of an armed force considered the forerunner of the U.S. Army's Rangers when he led the first ranger force in America, 1676. Church was commissioned by the Governor of the Plymouth Colony, Josiah Winslow, to form the first ranger company for King Philip's War. He later employed the company to raid Acadia during King William's War and Queen Anne's War. Church designed his force primarily to emulate Indian patterns of war, and developed a special full-time unit mixing white colonists selected for frontier skills with friendly Indians to carry out offensive strikes against hostile Indians and French in terrain where normal militia units were ineffective. Excessively rare A.D.S. 'Benja'n Church' as a justice of the peace, [Little Compton, Rhode Island], Aug. 10, 1708, a summons issued sent ordering various Rhode Island sheriffs to arrest one 'Edward Briggs, Yeoman' whom Church states went to a man's house where he did 'speak and give out many abusive words...' and then apparently proceeded to batter one of those present with a club. Unfortunately, Church wrote this writ rather quickly and its legibility suffered as a result. Some marginal chips at top and bottom, those at top costing a few letters of text, staining, but Church's signature is bold and untouched.