I am researching for a family history book I’m writing for Anita’s side of the family. I had found a note from another researcher that said this Peter Ault fought in the War of 1812 in Capt. McElroy’s Rifle Company, but there was no source stated. I’ve been on a lot of wild goose chases based on other people’s faulty research, so I needed to verify this was true, and then research the Captain’s company in the war.

The term “Rifle Company” usually is used for active duty military. So, I searched the Roster records of all US Army units in the War of 1812, but could not find Peter Ault or Capt. McElroy. So I found a 1916 copy of a book online that was a roster of all militia units in Ohio. That required scrolling through page by page, and line by line, several hours of work. When I finally got to the end of the book I found him: Private Peter Ault serving under Captain James McElroy, from October 1812-January 1813. There were no big battles that occurred during that time period in central Ohio, so I think he never participated in any conflicts.

Sometimes, the heroes in life aren’t the ones that fight in the visible battles, but the ones who support those that are fighting. That’s the value of prayer. I so appreciate the men and women in our church who are prayer warriors behind the scenes. No one thinks of them as heroes, but I do. Wars can be lost because of lack of support. You don’t have to be a Medal of Honor winner, just be prepared to serve.