Jonathan Smith was 93 years old when this daguerreotype was taken on October 20, 1854. When he was 14 years old, he enlisted to fight in the American Revolution. He eventually joined a church in the free state of Rhode Island, became a lay preacher, and was ordained to the ministry. Jonathan buried two wives, married a third, produced a number of children and grandchildren, and had this photograph taken for one of his granddaughters. Joseph Bauman produced a book entitled Don’t Tread on Me: Photographs and Life Stories of American Revolutionaries where Jonathan’s story, and seven others, may be found along with their photographs. Those photographs may also be found in this Time magazine article from 2013.
It is amazing that we have photographs of men that fought in the Revolution. What is even more wonderful to me is that we do not have photographs of the Declaration signers, members of the Continental Congress, or the leaders of the army; we have pictures of ordinary men who signed up to fight for freedom. Jonathan Smith’s face is truly the face of independence.
The photograph has been colorized, but it still speaks volumes. Those eyes saw harshness and those hands labored long. Jonathan’s hands built fortifications and likely held a musket as he fought in the Battle of Long Island and the Battle of Rhode Island, but those hands also held the Scripture as he proclaimed the Word of God.
As believers, we have had heroes of the faith for 2,000 years. Baptist preachers who stand out in this pantheon include Charles Spurgeon and Billy Graham. But Jonathan Smith was a Baptist preacher who labored in obscurity. We would probably never have heard of him except for this photograph, and therein lies the beauty of unsung heroes.
The heroes of the faith are those like 14-year-old Jonathan Smith, the ones who dug the trenches, who carried the muskets and ammunition, who suffered bitterly cold winters and often wondered where their next meal would come from. Heroes of the faith labor without recognition, know they are serving a higher cause, an eternal cause, and that the momentary afflictions of this world are immaterial.
The American Revolution looms large in our country’s mythos, and rightfully so. But we must never forget that it was fought by the Jonathan Smiths of the world. And while megachurches and mega-preachers capture much of Christendom’s imagination, it is the Jonathan Smiths of the faith that carry the Word forward. It is the Jonathan Smiths, preacher and lay folk alike, who might be recognized and appreciated by a few, but who will labor mostly in obscurity. And it is the Jonathan Smiths of the faith that will ultimately hear their master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Thank you for your service, Jonathan Smith, for your country and for your Savior.