Jane Hampton Cook - Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War

Battlefields and Blessings Series

Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War

Jane Hampton Cook

Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War

Copyright 2007 by Jane Hampton Cook

Published by God and Country Press, an imprint of AMG Publishers

6815 Shallowford Rd.

Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in printed reviews, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (printed, written, photocopied, visual electronic, audio, or otherwise) without the prior permission of the publisher.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

All Scripture marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version, which is in the public domain.

Published in association with the literary agency of Nashville Agency, PO Box 110909, Nashville, TN 37222

Print ISBN: 978-089957042-6

ePub ISBN: 978-1-61715-009-8

Mobi ISBN: 978-1-61715-038-8

Third printing December 2008

Cover designed by Meyers Design, Houston, Texas

Interior design and typesetting by Reider Publishing Services, West Hollywood, California

Edited and Proofread by Rich Cairnes, Dan Penwell, Sharon Neal, and Rick Steele

BATTLEFIELDS AND BLESSINGS and GOD AND COUNTRY PRESS are registered trademarks of AMG Publishers.

www.battlefieldsandblessings.com

Dedication

In memory of U.S. Army Captain Shane Mahaffee, who in May 2006 surrendered his life in service to his country and the cause of freedom in Iraq.

And to my family:
My husband, John Kim Cook
My sons, Austin and Zachary
My father, Larry Hampton
My brother, Steve Hampton

And to my nephews:
Jason
Jeffrey
Joel
Andrew
Samuel
Timothy
Joshua
Daniel

Contents

History provides hindsight. Before writing this book, I didnt realize how many miracles molded Americas quest for independence. One leading character stood out as I researched these stories from the Revolutionary War. He continued to show his hand over and over again in the preservation of the army, the personal lives of the patriots, and the rise of the United States. Many colonists called him Providence. They also saluted him as Captain and called on him as Lord. I want to thank God for the opportunity to write this book and for showing his marvelous deeds among historys pages, both in Americas story and in Scripture.

I also want to thank my family, particularly my husband, Dr. John Kim Cook, who patiently listened for nine months as I talked about my double labor pains: my work on this book and pregnancy. About the time I began writing Battlefields and Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War, I found out I was expecting my second child. Six months into both incubations, I went into preterm labor with my son, which landed me on bed rest. Going from seventy-five miles an hour to zero in less than a minute usually means you have crashed a car. The result in this case, however, was the opportunity to delay my sons premature arrival through Gods miracle of medicine. Thanks belongs to my doctors Glen Silas, Anne Dobrzynski, David Berry, John Maddox, and my retired doctor, Melinda Kelly for your healing hands and wise decision making during my high-risk pregnancy.

In between occasional contractions, bed rest allowed me to complete this book while also receiving the blessing of service from those who pitched in to help. I want to specifically thank my nephew, Joel Parker, who flew from Texas to Virginia to take care of my two-year-old son. I also want to thank my many friends from McLean Bible Church, Mothers of Preschoolers at Immanuel Bible Church, and others who provided meals, brought groceries, and gave us much-needed support. Thanks as well to friends Ben and Ashley Cannatti, whose loan of a laptop allowed me to finish this book while my computer was being repaired and I worked from bed. My gratitude also belongs to my parents, Larry and Judy Hampton, whose hearts were with me during bed rest even though their hands could not be.

Thank you to those of you who shared your stories with me: John and Heather Anderson, Betty Bryant, Mark Bryant, Justin Grove, Jennifer Massengale, Brad Randall, Bonnie and Vic Reid, and Ralph Weitz. Thank you as well to historians David Barton and Mary Thompson and author Joel Rosenberg for inspiring me with your writings.

I especially want to thank Dan Penwell and the hardworking folks at AMG Publishers for making this book and series possible. Your love for books and hearts for service are a blessing to authors, readers, and the industry. I also want to thank Jonathan Clements and the Nashville Agency for your professionalism and personal approach to business. Both have inspired me throughout the years as an author and speaker. Also, a special thank-you to Rich Cairnes who worked beyond the call of duty in researching and questioning me as he edited my manuscript. And a word of warm appreciation for Sharon Neal, the ultimate professional when it comes to proofreading. Thank you also to Rick Steele for his eye for detail and his prepress prowess. And thank you, as well, to Michele Buc, whose eye for the market and media has motivated me to try new things.

And thank you for reading this book. May Battlefields and Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War bless you.

Welcome to Americas quest for independence. I hope these stories of courage and faith will fire up your patriotism and ignite your soul. The Revolution, however, was more than just a war. It was a turning of hearts and minds. Although this book takes you from the starting point to the finishing line in the overall race for independence, it also reveals the individual stories behind the Revolution. The people who lived through this difficult time faced choices and challenges that honed their characters and shaped their view of each other and of God. Their stories are as fascinating as the war itself. To keep their thoughts authentic, the book incorporates their original spellings from their written correspondence. To make the text flow more easily and without distractions, the term sic was not used after each misspelling.

Sprinkled throughout this book, usually once in each week, are two features: Sabbath Rest and The Revolution Today. Because the Hebrew word shabbath means to rest from labor, Sabbath Rest provides a time to rest and take a break from the story of the war, and to discover a preacher, his perspective, and a sermon from the era. The issues people of faith struggled with during the Revolution are often similar to modern-day struggles of the meaning of life, the desire for integrity in leadership, and the hope for peace from war. The Revolution Today highlights an idea, such as contentment, that is just as real today as it was back then. Fashion changes. Technology changes. Communication improves. The human heart, however, will always wrestle with despair, discouragement, and dishonesty while seeking to embrace peace, joy, and love. Micro-changes of the heart, mind, and soul continue the Revolution today.

These short stories and devotions are designed for the time-deprived modern-day reader. You can read them however you choose, as a daily dose of inspiration, an insightful weekly read, or a cover-to-cover download. You can start on January 1st or anytime during the year. If you enjoy daily readings, you may want to start on a Sunday or Saturday whenever you take time for rest and worship. Regardless, I hope you enjoy the Revolution, one page-turn at a time.