Portal:Biography/Selected biography military/3

Myles Standish (c. 1584 – October 3, 1656) was an English military officer hired by the Pilgrims as military advisor for Plymouth Colony. One of the Mayflower passengers, and a signatory of the Mayflower Compact, Standish played a leading role in the administration and defense of Plymouth Colony from its inception. Standish served as an agent of Plymouth Colony in England, as assistant governor, and as treasurer of Plymouth Colony. He was also one of the first settlers and founders of the town of Duxbury, Massachusetts. In 1621 the Plymouth Colony militia elected him as its first commander and continued to re-elect him to that position for the remainder of his life. A defining characteristic of Standish's military leadership was his proclivity for preemptive action which resulted in at least two attacks on different groups of Native Americans; the Nemasket raid and the Wessagusset massacre. During these actions, Standish exhibited considerable courage and skill as a soldier, but also demonstrated a brutality that angered Native Americans and disturbed more moderate members of the Colony.