Biographical Sketch

The intended first target of the attack would be the great Huguenot leader, Admiral Gaspard de Coligny. With him dispatched, the general massacre could begin. Stealthily in the early morning darkness, Besme, a Bohemian servant of the Duke of Guise, led a small party of determined assassins to the door of the house where the Admiral was lodging. The men knocked loudly, demanding admission in the name of the King!

The ruddy light of early dawn began to streak through the barred window and softly fell upon the face of a sleeping man. The man was John Hus. Despite that almost all of Christendom was arrayed against him and this was the dawn of his last day on earth, Jan Hus slept peacefully. The heavy, grated window barred him from the outside world and partially obscured the beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains.

One hot summer day in 1881, a young man walked into Tuskegee, a small town in rural Alabama. The district was one of the poorest in the entire country. This was cotton country, and the area had been devastated by the War Between the States. Although this rural district had been spared the worst of the animosity, a general feeling of distrust and suspicion still existed between whites and blacks.

Walter Smith had a unique gift as a writer of poems. He sometimes wrote under pseudonyms, two of which were “Orwell” and “Herman Knott.” His poetry was deep and thoughtful and contributed much to Scottish literature. Of his many poems and other writings, one hymn has stood out far above all other productions from the pen of Walter Smith.

Horatius Bonar is best known as an author of hymns. He wrote approximately 150 hymns, including “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say,” “Thy Way, Not Mine, O Lord,” and “I Was a Wandering Sheep.” Although Bonar’s denomination was known for its adherence to the exclusive use of the Psalms in public worship, he saw a need and a place for the composing and singing of devotional hymns that expressed the fullness of God’s revelation in the New Testament.

Gordon was the son of a soldier; his father was Major General Henry William Gordon. In fact, Charles Gordon’s ancestors had consecutively served as officers in the British service for four generations! From the time of his birth, he seemed destined to follow in the footsteps of his fathers. All of Gordon’s brothers likewise became officers in the British army.

Noah Webster was born in West Hartford, Connecticut, on October 16, 1758. Webster came from an important New England family, and he grew up with a love for history. His father, Noah Webster Sr., was descended from John Webster, an early governor of colonial Connecticut. His mother, Mercy Steele, was a descendant of William Bradford, the dedicated and well-loved Mayflower pilgrim who served as governor of Plymouth Colony for many years.

At noon on the appointed day, Daniel stepped into a clearing from one side. Squire stepped into the clearing from the other side. The two Boone brothers had a joyous reunion and exchanged news and supplies. Many historians over the years have marveled at this reunion. Amazingly, with no maps or modern navigational equipment, Daniel and Squire met on the exact day and at the exact place they had agreed upon months earlier.

As Studd advanced in his schooling and in his successful pursuit of cricket, he found himself becoming more and more dissatisfied. Even as his fame and popularity grew, he began to be impressed with the futility of earthly fame and wealth. He stated that he knew “that cricket would not last, and honour would not last, and nothing in this world would last, but it was worthwhile living for the world to come.”

After two hours, General Lee sent word that Moultrie should spike his cannon and abandon the fort while there was still time. General Lee waited in consternation for the fort to be abandoned. But Moultrie was not considering retreat, and he stubbornly kept his post. When the blue flag with the white crescent was shot down from its staff, a courageous young sergeant, William Jasper, dashed outside the fort to retrieve the fallen colors. Tying the flag to a sponge staff (a big, long implement used to clean the inner barrels of cannons), Jasper climbed to the top of the rampart and defiantly lifted the flag to the breeze again.

Over the years, David Livingstone memorized large sections of the Bible. He read science and history. He especially liked to read geography and to learn about strange lands far from the hills of his native Scotland. When he was twenty years old, he openly confessed Christ and dedicated his life to the service of God.

Sergei’s fanatical zeal for the Communist cause and his reckless bravery had attracted attention. While still a cadet, he was approached one day by a major in the KGB, the Russian secret police, with an offer to begin training for this exciting branch of service. Sergei jumped at the opportunity! His training went swiftly. Sergei became the leader of a small squad of trained young men, men for whom cruelty became a way of life.

The younger Glenn was in agony also. His legs received the brunt of injury; the painful changing of bandages on his extremely injured legs resulted in his crying aloud and moaning. Sadly, the doctor explained to the Cunninghams and Glenn that, due to the extent of the injuries from the accident, Glenn would always be a cripple. The faithful, older brother tried to keep his younger brother calm and hopeful.

These words penetrated deeply into Bartholomew Milon’s heart. He had never considered that his soul was as ugly as his crooked body. The Huguenot handed him a copy of the newly translated French New Testament and urged him to read it, promising to visit him again. But no teacher was needed. The Gospel touched the heart of the hunchback. Milon later wrote of his first reading of the New Testament, “Mercy has been shown me, in order that the love of God which pardons the greatest sinners should be placed as on a hill and be seen by all the world.”

Harry Wisbey kissed his wife and squeezed his little children to his heart. The Great War (WWI) was raging in Europe. Wisbey would soon be leaving his home in Northern Ireland to do his part. At breakfast that morning, he read the Bible to his family and then fell to his knees to pray. His voice was so choked with emotion that it was hard for him to pray. Meanwhile, Wisbey’s little boy, too young to know the gravity of the situation, merrily announced after family prayers, “Dada prayer very funny this morning!”

As Captain Pickens led his twenty-five men through an old cornfield and uphill toward a wooded ridge, they were suddenly assaulted by approximately 200 Cherokee braves that had set up a clever ambush. The Indians saw that they outnumbered the militia by almost 8 to 1! From all directions, they dashed forward with sharp knives and deadly tomahawks to kill and scalp the startled American riflemen.

Nicknames often highlight a character trait that is obvious to many. So it was that a worthy Scottish preacher named James Guthrie was given the nickname “Sickerfoot.” This unusual nickname meant “sure of foot” in the old Scottish dialect. Guthrie lived during the dark days of the persecution of the Covenanters. He was one of those who was faithful to Christ in a day when many were compromising the truth in order to save their lives.

Persecution was intensifying against those who preached reform. Thus, Myles Coverdale deemed it wise to flee England for the Continent near the end of 1528. He lived for a while at Antwerp, assisting William Tyndale in his work of translating the Scriptures from Hebrew and Greek into English. When Tyndale was betrayed by a man he had kindly befriended, Coverdale steadfastly continued Tyndale’s work alone, laboring faithfully to complete this English translation.

Suddenly, the quiet afternoon was shattered by the booming of cannon from Fort Charles! Terrible howling arose from the bushes, followed by a volley of shots. Then fierce, unfriendly Indians rushed out of the woods! Some of the men, including Mr. Gyles, quickly seized their guns. They put up a determined resistance. But the few colonists were overwhelmed by nearly forty Indian warriors. One lad, John Gyles, was unarmed, as he had no knife or farming implement with which to defend himself. As such, he was pursued by a stout warrior brandishing a cutlass!

At first, the attack went smoothly. The Savoyards had approached the walls undetected. The Jesuit priests whispered encouragement to them, “Climb boldly; every rung of the ladder is a step to heaven.” The soldiers, buoyed by the priests’ urgings, hurriedly climbed the ladders, anticipating the loot they would receive, as well as the Heaven they hoped to gain.