Blood & Plunder: Benjamin Church

Major Benjamin Church has proven to be one of the most effective commanders in Colonial North America. During King Philip’s War, he is able to bring many of the tribes fighting against the English over to English side. The Native American groups he lived among before the conflict had a great respect for him, as he had toward them. His turning of those tribes to the English side is a major blow to King Philip’s (Metacom) war effort. His company of “Praying Indians” and New England Militia was responsible for the demise of King Philip, which effectively ended that conflict. Church also leads many an expedition into the North to fight the French and Indians (primarily Wabanaki) during King William’s War. Church will eventually be rightly credited as the original American Ranger. Church employs a mix of European and Native American tactics along with careful planning and intelligence gathering. This proves to be very successful in the frontier fighting he is often tasked to engage in.