Benjamin Church

"It's all a matter of perspective. There is no single path through life that's right and fair and does no harm."

―Benjamin Church.

Benjamin Church (1734 – 1778) was a member of the Colonial Rite of the Templar Order, and served as Surgeon General of the Continental Army until 1778, at which point he defected to the British Army.

Serving under Grand Master Haytham Kenway, Church aided the Templars in establishing a permanent presence in the Thirteen Colonies and personally eliminated Silas Thatcher. Church also took part in the campaign to take down fellow Templar Edward Braddock, and continued serving the Order in the following years.

After spending several years with the Continental Army, Church betrayed both the Patriots and the Templar Order to join the British Army in 1778 – for this deceptive act, Haytham Kenway forged a temporary alliance with his Assassin son Ratonhnhaké:ton to take down Church, as they both shared the desire to see him eliminated. As a result, Church was killed by Ratonhnhaké:ton aboard a vessel off the coast of Martinique, after being brutally interrogated by Kenway.

Biography

Early life

Church attended Harvard University where he studied medicine and surgery – instead of compassion, he chose to become a doctor believing it to be the most profitable profession. Soon after, Church graduated in 1754 and became a qualified and talented physician, residing in Boston.

Templar beginnings

"I made a promise to you, Silas – one I intend to keep."

―Church to Silas before executing him.

Church also became affiliated with the Templar Order and was to be recruited by Haytham Kenway. However, due to his wealth, Church was abducted and tortured by Silas Thatcher – a notorious slaver – and Cutter for protection money. Haytham and Charles Lee discovered Church's home ransacked, hence they began to search for his whereabouts by eavesdropping on guards and witnesses to his abduction, leading them to a warehouse on a nearby pier.

In response to his treatment, Church refused to be extorted by Silas and promised to kill him for torturing him. To this, Silas left Church in Cutter's care, who threatened to cut off Church's tongue, ears, hands and even castrate him. Shortly after, Cutter sliced Church's left nostril but the surgeon was saved by the arrival of Kenway and Lee.

Church telling the others about Silas Thatcher

At the Green Dragon Tavern, Church had his nostril sewn up, and he showed gratitude towards Haytham for rescuing him and subsequently gave him information regarding Silas. After recruiting John Pitcairn, Church, along William Johnson, Thomas Hickey and Charles Lee participated in Haytham's plan to infiltrate Southgate Fort, murder Silas and free the Kanien'kehá:ka slaves. By freeing said captive slaves, Haytham theorized that he would be able to gain favor with the Kanien'kehá:ka in order to gain information that would lead them to the mysterious Precursor site.

Putting the plan into motion, Church and the others proceeded to ambush a slave cart transport – there they killed the escorts, disguised themselves in their uniforms and escorted the cart to the fort. Once inside, Haytham stealthily freed the slaves while Church and the others blended with and distracted the guards.

However, upon realizing that the slaves had escaped, Silas raised the alarm. Church and the others triggered a battle, fending off the guards while Haytham pursued forth and wounded Silas. Church then approached the staggered Silas, before shooting him in the head, fulfilling his vow for vengeance. From there, Haytham and the others freed the remaining slaves.

Connor confronting Church and Biddle

In 1755, Church assisted in the assassination of General Edward Braddock, attacking the latter's expedition to Fort Duquesne. In the resulting chaos and confusion, Haytham assassinated Braddock and soon discovered the location to the Precursor site following the aftermath. With it proving to be a dead end, Haytham returned to the Green Dragon Tavern and formally inducted Lee into the Templar Order as Church and the others onlooked, before the group agreed to change their mission to establishing a permanent presence and influence in the British American colonies.

In 1770, Church was present at Martha's Vineyard, where he was talking with Nicholas Biddle in order to recruit him into the Templar Order. While doing so, he was interrupted by Ratonhnhaké:ton – then known as Connor – who demanded to know where Charles Lee was. Unimpressed, Church warned off Connor, further causing a brief confrontation between Biddle and Robert Faulkner, though this argument was cut short by Amanda Bailey's intervention.

Betraying the Order

"Benjamin Church is no brother of mine. No more than the Redcoats or their idiot king."

―Haytham to Connor, regarding Church.

By 1775, Church had joined the Continental Army, commissioned as Chief Physician and head of the medical wing. By then, he was very wealthy and owned a mansion that was later seized and ransacked in order to pay for the Continental Army's war drive.

Church was caught spying for the British. However, he insisted that he was innocent by claiming that he gave falsified information to the opposing force to deter their attacks. Despite this, Church was imprisoned, and upon his release he abandoned both the Continental Army and the Templar Order. To further cripple the former, Church and a group of other defecting Templars stole a large supply of weapons and medicine from a convoy for the Continentals and intended to defect to the British Empire.

Haytham killing the imposter

Church suspected that Haytham planned to kill him for this betrayal, and ordered several men to help guard and escort the stolen supplies out of Valley Forge, as well as ambush and kill Haytham. However, Church was also pursued by Connor, a member of the Assassin Order, who had formed a temporary alliance with Haytham, his father, in order to kill Church and retrieve the supplies for George Washington that the former surgeon had stolen.

Together, Haytham and Connor tracked Church to a warehouse in New York, only to realize that it was a decoy ann subsequently ambushed. However, the pair managed to defeat the guards before the impostor was interrogated into telling them that the real Church had fled to Martinique aboard the naval ship Welcome, before he was killed by Haytham.

Death

"We had a DREAM, Benjamin! A dream you sought to DESTROY! And for that, my fallen friend, you will be made to pay."

―Haytham admonishing Benjamin.

Connor assassinating Church

Despite being a few days ahead, the Aquila, captained by Connor, was able to catch up to the Welcome, finding it abandoned. A Schooner vessel then lured the Aquila into open waters and into an ambush, while Church attempted to escape aboard another Man-of War. However, the Aquila destroyed the escorts and disabled Church's ship by destroying the ship's mast.

Haytham then took control of the Aquila, forcing it into the Man-of-War in order to board the ship. Haytham caught up with Church below deck and proceeded to brutally beat him as punishment, enraged by his betrayal. Urging his father aside however, Connor intervened and swiftly ended Church's life by impaling him through the chest with his Hidden Blade. Despite first refusing, Church revealed the location of the supplies – stashed on a nearby island. He then died rebuking Connor with his final words, arguing that there was no such thing as a righteous cause.

Personality and characteristics

Church was an intelligent, resourceful and cunning man, and a highly valued member of the Templars. To support this, Charles Lee described Church as "a finder and fixer."

However, Church was a highly self-serving and duplicitous man. Despite his years as a surgeon and as part of the Templar Order, Church's only motivation was personal gain. He pursued a career as a surgeon believing it to be a profession that paid handsomely, and that people would pay any price to ensure their lives and health. He had little to no actual concern for the wellbeing of his fellow man and was quick to dismiss those who could not afford his services, fulfilling the unethical doctor stereotype by ignoring his Hippocratic oath. Church was also married, but neglected his wife and pursued another woman.

To further support his treacherous nature, Church played both sides of American Revolutionary War, but even betrayed his true loyalties to the Templars. His final words to Connor suggested that he ultimately became disillusioned with the Templars' cause and saw neither side of those fighting in the Revolutionary War as just. Nonetheless, he chose to side with the British Empire as it suited his desire for personal gain.

Final words

Benjamin's final moments

• Connor: Where are the supplies you stole?
• Benjamin: Go to hell.

Connor stabbed Benjamin with the Hidden Blade.

• Connor: I ask again: where are the supplies?
• Benjamin: On the island yonder, awaiting pickup. But you've no right to it. It isn't yours.
• Connor: No, not mine. Those supplies are meant for men and women who believe in something bigger than themselves. Who fight and die that one day they might be free from tyranny such as yours.
• Benjamin: Are these the same men and women who fight with muskets forged from British steel? Who bind their wounds with bandages sewn by British hands? How convenient for them. We do the work. They reap the rewards.
• Connor: You spin a story to excuse your crimes. As though you're the innocent one and they the thieves.
• Benjamin: It's all a matter of perspective. There is no single path through life that's right and fair and does no harm. Do you truly think the Crown has no cause? No right to feel betrayed? You should know better than this, dedicated as you are to fighting Templars – who themselves see their work as just. Think on that the next time you insist your work alone befits the greater good. Your enemy would beg to differ – and would not be without cause.
• Connor: Your words may have been sincere, but that does not make them true.

Trivia

• Historically speaking, Benjamin Church's title "Dr. Benjamin Church" made him the first Surgeon General of the Continental Army serving as the 'Chief Physician & Director General' of the Medical Service from 27 July 1775 to 17 October 1775.

Reference

• Assassin's Creed III