Write By Example Of This Patrick Ferguson Essay

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In this essay, we are going to explore and prove that Patrick Ferguson, a famous Scottish officer in the British army that was known for his actions during the American War of Independence, was a great man. In considering that Ferguson was a good man, we will specifically be looking at the ideas that he would never shoot another officer in the back, Ferguson would not kill someone who was innocent and would have just been a victim of war, and he would wear a checkered outfit while in battle to ensure that his men could see him and know where he was.
Ferguson was known for having the reputation that he would never shoot another officer in the back. This absolutely speaks to his character as during this time, warfare looked much different than it does now. Killings happened in a variety of ways, but both in battle and in other areas, it was not uncommon to see individuals get killed from behind. Ferguson had honor in that if he were to kill someone in battle, he would at least allow that individual to see who was shooting him. In this particular incident that concerns Ferguson, he had the opportunity early in the war to shoot a major American figure. There was even suspicion that it could have been the great American general and later president George Washington. However, this individual, whomever it was, did not know Ferguson was not there, so Ferguson made the conscious decision to not shoot this individual. I imagine, in some way, that Ferguson realized that he probably would have wanted something similar. We tend to associate this type of act with one of honor, and I believe that this absolutely begins to add value to our argument that Ferguson was a great man.
It is interesting to think about the fact that this individual could have been George Washington. Had Ferguson actually shot this individual and it turned out to be Washington, the entire course of history could potentially be different because of how influential and important Washington was in not only the Revolutionary War, but also in the set up of the American government, American society, and American ideals. Ferguson is allegedly to have said years later that he would not regret his decision even if it was Washington. This would have been a massively huge shift to history and further adds value to the idea that Ferguson was a great man, even knowing that he could have changed the outcome of at least the war, but also history with a single decision.
Ferguson is quite popular for an interaction that he had with Quakers, which is a non-violent Christian sect. During one particular part of the revolutionary war, he was placed in a situation where he could have killed a number of Quakers and burn their houses down. Ferguson made the conscious decision that this was something that he could not do because they were innocent people that would have simply been at the wrong place at the wrong time. In times of war, it is not uncommon for opposing armies to come across a village and completely pillage it, take women and children hostage, and burn the village down. Ferguson simply did not do this, even though it probably would not have been looked down on. Rather, Ferguson took the high road. This continues to add value to our argument that Ferguson was a great man.
Finally, and I think most importantly, Ferguson wore a checkered vest while he engaged in battle. It is critically important to consider what warfare looked like during the American Revolution. There weren’t planes or motorized vehicles for soldiers and engage in battle from. Rather, these battles were fought on large battlefields, out in the open. We’ve all heard the stories that one of the reasons the revolutionary forces did so well is that they did not wear the bright colors of the British and wore clothing that blended them in with their American surroundings. Now, consider the fact that Ferguson was wearing a checkered vest. This absolutely made him not only stand out from his peers, but this also singled him out as being an important member of the British army.
Ferguson wore the checkered vest because he wanted his men to be able to see him while they were in battle. Ferguson could do a lot as a leader if his men could see him – he could direct their movements, direct battle strategy, give his men hope if the battle was going as well as it could or give his men a further rallying cry if they were winning. Ferguson cared about his men and being a leader so much that he was willing to stand out to the opposing army by wearing something that was easily recognizable and easy to shoot at. This absolutely embodies what a great man would do. Great men care about their people before themselves. Ferguson was willing to take on additional individual risk in order to ensure that his men had that. Great men are willing to do what it takes to win in battle or achieve their objective, even if it means putting themselves in harm’s way. Ferguson absolutely did this in this regard, and this solidifies our argument that Ferguson was a great man.
In conclusion, I think that it is easy to see that Ferguson was a good man. Take into consideration the facts that he would not shoot someone else in the back, did everything he could to not kill innocent people and involve them in the terrible realities of war, and that he would wear a checkered vest in order to allow his men to see him in battle all speaks to the fact that this was an individual who was always thinking about someone else and ensuring that his people were taken care of to the best of his ability. These actions are not those of someone that was selfish, only thought of themselves, and who were not a good person. Therefore, when we take into all accounts the actions and reputation that Patrick Ferguson had, Ferguson was, indeed, a great man.