Samuel Whittemore: The Minuteman Who Proved You're Never Too Old to Fight

Quick answer: Who was Samuel Whittemore?

Samuel Whittemore was a farmer from Menotomy (now Arlington), Massachusetts, and a veteran of colonial wars. On April 19, 1775, at about 78, he ambushed British troops retreating from Concord, killed one and hit two more, then was shot in the face and bayoneted repeatedly. He survived and lived until 1793. Massachusetts named him its official state hero in 2005.

The battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, opened the American Revolution, and one of the most colorful men to fight that day was Samuel Whittemore. He was already a veteran. In 1745, at about 50, he served with Colonel Jeremiah Moulton's Third Massachusetts Regiment when New England forces took the French fortress of Louisbourg, where he came away with a fine French saber that he treasured the rest of his life. He was as combative in civilian life. During a heated election he declared that a haughty local colonel was no more fit for office than his old horse, and he won the court fight that followed. As tensions with Britain grew, Cambridge elected him to committees opposing Parliament's revenue acts, and in 1772, at 76, to its Committee of Correspondence. When word of the fighting reached Menotomy on April 19, Whittemore loaded his musket and two dueling pistols, buckled on his saber, told his family he was "going to fight the British regulars," and took a position behind a stone wall on Mystic Street. Other militiamen urged him to pull back. He waited until the 47th Regiment of Foot was nearly on him, then fired his musket and killed a soldier. He fired both pistols, killing one man and mortally wounding another, then drew his saber as the regulars closed in. One shot him in the face. He was bayoneted 13 times and beaten. When the column passed, neighbors found him still conscious, trying to reload. Carried on a door to Cooper Tavern, he was treated by Dr. Nathaniel Tufts, who thought it was useless. Whittemore recovered and lived nearly 18 more years, dying in February 1793 in his late nineties. In 2005 Massachusetts declared him its official state hero.

Why it matters for leaders: Sam Whittemore's last stand was the act of a man who had stood up for what he believed his entire life.

Q: How old was Samuel Whittemore on April 19, 1775?

A: Born in 1695, he was about 78, though his memorial stone says 80.

Q: Where is Samuel Whittemore buried?

A: In the Old Burying Ground in Arlington, Massachusetts.

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By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation