On This Day: Southern slave Robert Smalls steals the steamboat Planter, spirits it through... (1862)

On May 13, 1862: Southern slave Robert Smalls steals the steamboat Planter, spirits it through Confederate lines and hands it to the United States Navy, who quickly commission it as the gunboat USS Planter and appoint Smalls as captain, thus making him the first black man to command a United States ship.

This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about godly leadership and its impact. Consider using it when preaching about leadership, discovery.