Steady as she goes: Sungsoo Kim on Israel Gregg

‘Not every act of faithfulness is remembered as a triumph.’

by Sungsoo Kim 18th September 2026

There is a particular kind of courage in going somewhere no one has proven can be reached – not the courage of the battlefield, but the quieter, more resolute courage of the boatman who keeps his hand on the wheel while the current pushes back. Israel Gregg, born in Virginia in 1775, spent much of his life demonstrating exactly that.