15 Facts About Samuel Spring

Rev Samuel Spring was an early American Revolutionary War chaplain and Congregationalist minister.

Samuel Spring's father was John Spring, a militia man and local wealthy farmer, and his mother was Sarah Read.

Samuel Spring was a great-great grandson of John Spring, a Founder and early settler of Watertown, Massachusetts, who travelled to America under the patronage of his cousin Sir William Spring, 1st Baronet, and was the great-grandson of John Spring of Lavenham and the great-great grandson of Thomas Spring of Lavenham.

Samuel Spring's father was the town's moderator, selectman, and surveyor of highways, but lacked even a rudimentary education.

Sarah, Samuel Spring's mother, remained determined that he would have the best education possible.

Samuel Spring studied under the Rev Nathan Webb, founding pastor of the first Congregational church begun in the First Great Awakening period of the Massachusetts Colony.

Webb's early training of Samuel Spring helped prepare him to enter New Jersey College, where he graduated in 1771.

Samuel Spring took advanced theological studies from Samuel Hopkins of Newport, Rhode Island.

Samuel Spring was licensed as a minister in 1774 on the eve of the American Revolution.

Samuel Spring served in both the Siege of Boston and in the invasion of Canada.

Samuel Spring initially served in the regiment commanded by Colonel John Fellows of Sheffield.

Samuel Spring carried Benedict Arnold from the battlefield to the Hotel Dieu.

Chaplain Samuel Spring was discharged from the Continental Army at the end of 1776.

Samuel Spring was a founder of the Massachusetts Missionary Society in 1779 and of the Andover Theological Seminary in 1808.

Samuel Spring was very influential in a fundamentalist wing of the Congregational Church and many of his sermons and discourses were printed and widely disseminated.