 Myles Standish was the military leader of Plymouth Colony from the beginning . He organized and led the first party to set foot in New England , an exploratory expedition of Cape Cod upon arrival in Provincetown Harbor . He also led the third expedition , during which Standish fired the first recorded shot by the Pilgrim settlers in an event known as the First Encounter . Standish had training in military engineering from the University of Leiden , and it was he who decided the defensive layout of the settlement when they finally arrived at Plymouth . Standish also organized the able @-@ bodied men into military orders in February of the first winter . During the second winter , he helped design and organize the construction of a large palisade wall surrounding the settlement . Standish led two early military raids on Indian villages : the raid to find and punish Corbitant for his attempted coup , and the killing at Wessagussett called " Standish 's raid " . The former had the desired effect of gaining the respect of the local Indians ; the latter only served to frighten and scatter them , resulting in loss of trade and income . 
