by Elisha Ann Wahlquist
God has blessed mankind with amazing and diverse creativity. One definition of creativity is; "approaching a need, task, or idea from a new perspective."
Let's explore some illustrations of creativity, found in the American Revolution. Below are some of the many examples that flood the accounts of that period.
Many times, the colonists used ingenious tactics. During the retreat from Concord, the Minutemen could have faced the Redcoats in pitched battle. However, they hid Indian-style behind logs, trees, and walls, which enabled them to have a much greater effect. They would have been mown down like grass if they had fought a battle against the disciplined veterans of Britain, but instead they utterly demoralized as well as damaged their enemy. The regimented Redcoats had no chance against the irregular warfare of the Minutemen, whose inventive tactics allowed them to greatly harass and discomfit the British regulars.
Also on Dorchester Heights they used creativity in their plans. The ground was too hard to dig the necessary trenches to defend it, and it looked like it would be impossible to resist the British there. Almost by chance, a young officer noticed a diagram of a piece of French equipment in a book that could be used to solidly fortify the hill. Once discovered, they created many of these devices, but Yankee ingenuity added the crowning touch. Barrels, filled completely with stones, were placed end-to-end against the bottom of the breastwork. These would be pushed as the Redcoats approached, and they would then roll down into the ranks of the enemy and cause damage and confusion. Unfortunately, the British marched off without assaulting these works, but there is no question of what the result would have been.
An instance of using available resources creatively occurred at Breed's Hill. Alarmingly, there was only a scanty supply of powder available. The officers cleverly forbade their men to fire until they could see the whites of their enemies' eyes. There were far greater casualties among the British than if they had let the men fire sooner. This conserved their powder and allowed them to repel the Redcoats many more times, before, through lack of powder, they were forced off the hill. Although it ended in retreat, this was an important battle for the Americans.
Another instance of a deviceful use of resources occurred in Springfield. There, the townsmen were resisting five thousand British. Soon, however, they ran out of paper wadding to hold the powder and ball in place in their muskets. Because of the resourcefulness of their pastor, they were saved from having to retreat. Rev. James Caldwell rushed into his church, gathered as many Watts Psalms and Hymns as he could carry and rushed out to the men who were concealed behind a stone wall. "Put Watts into 'em, boys! Give 'em Watts!" he cried.
Housewives also used their creativity to further the cause. When the local militia under General Putnam scattered before the British and began making their way back to the main army, they would have been destroyed if it had not been for Mrs. Murray, a secret friend of the American cause. When General Howe stopped by for short refreshment, she treated him to cake and wine and creatively managed to have him tarry for two hours. If even a half-hour had been cut off that time, General Howe and his army would have advanced and cut off General Putnam's retreat. Instead, General Putnam and his command escaped and successfully joined the main army.
Another creative housewife was Lydia Darrah. Her home was in Philadelphia, which at that time was held by the British. When a private conference was held at her house, she listened through the keyhole and was able to hear of a plan to march late at night and attack General Washington's army. Realizing that it was imperative to warn him, she slipped from the house, telling her family she was going to get some flour. Boldly she went to General Howe and asked for a pass to the mill. She left the bag of flour at the mill and was able to inform the American army of the British's intentions. If she had not creatively thought of the excuse to get flour, she probably would not have made it to the American troops in time.
Throughout the American Revolution, creative men and women made possible the dream for freedom. Without them, much less would have been accomplished, and many more lives would have been lost.
We should be grateful for the gift of creativity that God gave our forefathers, and endeavor to use it ourselves. With it, ordinary tasks or difficulties can be transformed into stepping-stones that lead to greater heights of success!
-6/26/03
