True Bravery.

Today's Marketing Cookie is about true bravery.

Last year on Patriot's Day, I wrote about the seven hundred British soldiers who marched into Lexington and were met in battle by only seventy-seven farmers with muskets. I discussed their courage in facing the most powerful army in the world and how most of those seventy-seven died or were captured in their fight for freedom.

Today, I want to highlight the unsung heroes and uncelebrated patriots of that first day of battle. Very few history books mention that among the seventy-seven men who stood against the British in Lexington were black men, both slave and free.

One such man was Salem Poor. Born into slavery on a farm in Andover, Massachusetts, owned by John Poor and John Poor Jr., he was named Salem Poor after the surname of his master. At 22, Salem bought his freedom for 27 pounds, a year's salary for an average working man at the time.

In May 1775, Salem Poor enlisted in the militia, opposing the British troops occupying Boston. During the Battle of Bunker Hill, British Lieutenant Colonel James Abercrombie was mortally wounded by Salem Poor, which helped turn the tide of the battle.

Poor's valor at the Battle of Bunker Hill prompted 14 officers, including Colonel William Prescott, to cite him for heroism and petition the General Court of Massachusetts, praising him as a brave and gallant soldier.

George Washington's initial response was to prohibit the recruitment of all African Americans. However, after Lord Dunmore offered freedom to slaves willing to serve with the British, Washington reversed his position and ordered the recruitment of any black men willing to fight. Poor immediately re-enlisted in the militia and fought bravely with the Patriot forces, including at Valley Forge and the Battle of White Plains.

Salem Poor's story is a heart-wrenching example of someone born into the evils of slavery who, even after gaining his freedom, chose to fight for a nation that continued to view him as less than human. Despite being let down even after proving his heroism, Poor remained steadfast in his fight for freedom.

As we consider Salem Poor's story, it gives new depth to the concept of bravery. His determination to stand for freedom, despite the odds, embodies today's fortune: "It takes guts to get out of the ruts."