The original records are located in The National Archives, Public Record Office, Kew. John Armstrong. The battle on Bunker's Hill took place on June 17th, 1775 and was one of the crowning victories for the 38th and the whole of the British army. [16] Hazen, History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register, 238. These stories, whether of the same man or not, are examples of how little information exists about soldiers, particularly those of color, who played a critical role in the founding of the United States. The troops also constructed miles of trenches, five earthen forts (redoubts), and a state-of-the-art bridge over the Schuylkill River. Only one of these precious few records remained in his possession when he approached the court: a discharge paper from the 4th Massachusetts, issued to him at the close of the Revolutionary War in 1783. Hannigan wrote that digging into muster rolls led him to "to believe that Fortune Freeman was originally a slave from Essex County, Massachusetts named Fortune Conant." Though we do not know why Freeman enlisted to fight, something persuaded him to join in the fight for independence and something kept him in the war for over six years. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. Within two months, however, Washington reversed this decision, and despite many attempts to block Blacks from serving their country, hundreds of Blacks enlisted nonetheless. I found them employed in building little huts for their winter quarters. Was he born into slavery? Washington wrote to fellow Continental general Philip Schuyler that The Oneidas and Tuscaroras have a particular claim to attention and kindness, for their perseverance and fidelity. These warriors arrived atValley Forge on May 15, 1778. However, when looking through muster rolls, there is no record of a "Fortune Freeman" enlisting in 1776 in Danforths company. 1783, after a brief stay in Halifax, returned home to England. WebFrom 1878 to 1898, all muster rolls and pay lists are in WO 16. 53. What about his parents or any siblings? The only definitive information about Freemans post-war life is that he resided in New York City by 1818. NARA M246, page 150, via Fold3.com. 48, Image 88, via FamilySearch.org. [31] Muster/payrolls, and various papers (1763-1808) of the Revolutionary War, Vol. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. In order to preserve their culture and prevent encroachment upon their rich western domain, most American Indians sided with the British. Even in Washingtons home ofVirginia, Blacksoldiers fought in Virginia units. WebUnder Dearborn the 3rd regiment was at the Battle of Monmouth, where some of its most soldierly men participated. John P. Resch. Under the command of General George Washington and many other generals, the integrated army that served in the Revolution was a unique fighting force that catalyzed the formation of the Republic. The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. During the action at Barren Hill, Oneida soldiershelped delay the advancing British force. On the morning of June 27, having massing his forces at Bath, Feversham marched towards Monmouth's position with his advance units. If Fortune Freeman is Fortune Conant, it is possible that he returned to Boston after his first discharge. WebPension Rolls and Correspondence (1790-1846) RG 1800.066 Revolutionary War Records (3 boxes) Box 1 Revolutionary War Records, Accounts, 1776-1807 (23 folders) uuid:3d7d0c57-d1b8-4aa6-b03e-56b0d8f90c70 NARA M804, page 13, via Fold3.com. Not only were they serving in units from the northern colonies, but 58 African Americans had mustered into the North Carolina Line. It is also possible that he lost contact with the pension program by moving, whether of his own volition or forced by outside circumstances. Promises of freedom motivated thousands of enslaved African Americans to join Continental and British forces. Muster Roll of Captain Charles S. Ilsleys Troop E of the Seventh Regiment of Cavalry, Army of the United States, (Colonel James W. Forsyth,) from the 31st day of October, 1890 to the 31st day of December, 1890. In 1777, British strategy included a plan to capture Philadelphia, the patriot capital. From free and enslaved Blacks, to Native Americans, native born colonists, to foreign recruits, Washington's integrated army was a diverse and unique fighting force for a longand grueling eight-year war. Certainly, hardship did occur at Valley Forge, but the encampment experience could be characterized as suffering as usual, for privation was the continental soldiers constant companion. Another Native American tribe, the Catawba, assisted South Carolina militia commander, Colonel Thomas Sumter during the Second Battle of Hanging Rock on August 6, 1780. By the end of 1818, the program cost nearly $2 million.[7]. Fortune Freeman recalled that he participated in the September 11, 1777 Battle of Brandywine, where he claimed to have been "wounded in the thigh by a musket ball. One of the men, Jonathan Overton, served in the North Carolina Continentals and lived to be 101, dying in 1849. 32, Image 104, via FamilySearch.org. [Names in bold are believed . The 3rd then wintered near Danbury, Connecticut. John Hannigan, "The Many Lives of Fortune Freeman," Rethinking the Age of Revolution, Blogs @ Brandeis, 10 December 2013, https://blogs.brandeis.edu/revolutions/2013/12/10/the-many-lives-of-fortune-freeman/. /TT0 1 Tf Motivation for enlistment varied, but many who joined in the fight sought to secure their own blessings of liberty while they fought to gain their countrys independence from Britain. https://www.loc.gov/collections/george-washington-papers/articles-and-essays/timeline/the-american-revolution/. From 1888 onwards, the series contains only muster rolls, there are no longer any pay lists and by 1898 muster 52, Part 2 (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 1986), 184, via Haithi Trust. WebThe abstracts were so carefully prepared that it is rarely necessary to consult the original muster rolls and other records from which they were made. By mid-December he had decided to encamp at Valley Forge. While his wartime declarations remained the same, he provided additional personal information in his restatement per the requirements and described his dire circumstances. An advanced force of some 4,000 American troops was allocated to attack the marching British Army and cut it in half. John Cadwalader. [13] Fortune Conant is listed as joining Elijah Danforth's company the same company Fortune Freeman remembered joining over 40 years later when he applied for his pension in New York City. Download the official NPS app before your next visit, https://blogs.brandeis.edu/revolutions/2013/12/10/the-many-lives-of-fortune-freeman/, https://revolutionarywar.us/continental-army/massachusetts/, https://www.loc.gov/collections/george-washington-papers/articles-and-essays/timeline/the-american-revolution/, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-03961, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05812, https://www.socnh.org/alexander-scammell/, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-07314, https://snaccooperative.org/ark:/99166/w6129qv4. Included in their ranksof2,400were approximately 120 Black militiamen, including Peter Salem. Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643. Historical and Military Criticism, with Topographical Illustration (New York: A.S. Barnes & Co., 1876), 336. Under the direction of military engineers, the men built a city of 2,000-odd huts laid out in parallel lines along planned military avenues. During the larger Saratoga Campaign, when British and their Native American allies were besieging Fort Stanwixin upper New York State, a pro-patriot militia columnunder the command of Nicholas Herkimer marched to the patriot'srelief. Elnathan Haskell's Company in the 4th Massachusetts Regt. WebNOTE: The following information was transcribed from the original Muster Roll held at the National Archives and Records Aministration, College Park, MD. Ross is often credited with sewing the first American flag, thirteen red and white stripes with thirteen stars in a field of blue in the corner. [27] By December, he appears once again in an account of soldiers receiving clothing at camp in Peekskill. At the Battle of Saratoga, Continental forces succeeded in forcing British Lieutenant General John Burgoyne's surrender in a dramatic victory for the cause of American independence. By June, Freeman arrived in West Point, New York and appeared on muster rolls for Haskell's company. Though monetary value depreciated as the war progressed, were bounty payments used to purchase his freedom? General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. and Hull stayed with Kosciuszko during the heaviest fighting in the Southern theater. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston. Pay Roll of Lt. Col. Daniel Whitings Company in the 6th Battalion of Mass Bay Forces Commanded by Col Tho Nixon for Nov 1779, Muster and payrolls 1777-1780, Muster/Payrolls and Various Papers (1763-1808) of the Revolutionary War, Vol. One of the casualties that day was Herkimer who was mortally wounded but kept command by being propped against a tree. Army records and eyewitness accounts speak of a skilled and capable force in charge of its own destiny. Was Danforth's promotion to captain and participation in the war a motivating factor in Conant's enlistment? V)gB0iW8#8w8_QQj@&A)/g>'K t;\ $FZUn(4T%)0C&Zi8bxEB;PAom?W= S 43,572, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 56,000 acres in 25 states! [33] Muster Roll of Capt. 18 756 576 -39.75 re WebBattle of Monmouth, also called Battle of Monmouth Court House, (June 28, 1778), indecisive engagement in the American Revolution, fought at Monmouth, New Jersey. His cause of death or later whereabouts remain unknown. /CS0 cs 1 scn In 1779 the 3rd Regiment was assigned to the Sullivan Expedition, and saw heated action at the Battle of Newtown, again evidenced by the toll shown in their muster rolls. Also serving in various theaters of operations were Native American troops. By November, Freeman transferred from his command post back to Haskell's company. In February 1781, the unit merged with the 2nd Rhode Island. Mechanicsburg, Penn. His aim was to use them as scouts to gather intelligence, harass British patrols, and to confiscate supplies that could be of use to the main army. The British surrender at Saratoga brought the French into the war as American allies in February 1778. A muster roll of 16 Creek Indians who arrived presumably in late 1850 or early 1851. 2y.-;!KZ ^i"L0- @8(r;q7Ly&Qq4j|9 The encampment brought together men, women, and children of nearly all ages, from all walks of life, from different ethnic backgrounds, and from various religions. American Revolution: Battle of Monmouth. For the British, General Sir Henry Clinton commanded 11,000 men under the leadership of Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis. The weather was extremely hot during the battle, and almost as many soldiers died from heatstroke as from battle. "Politics and Public Culture: The Revolutionary War Pension Act of 1818." When word arrived that General John Burgoyne and his men began to march into New York from Canada, Nixon's regiment received orders to support General Horatio Gates and the Northern Department, serving the area of New York north of New York City. nQt}MA0alSx k&^>0|>_',G! Throughout the Revolution,the fightfor independencepermeated intoNative American tribes and alliances. Some of the muster rolls provide the date when duty began, and in the case of officers, the date of their commission, and perhaps some additional comments indicating such types of information as whether they were detached on special duty or the dates of any desertions. There is also the record from the British of a prisoner of war, George with the word Negro written beside his name. Elnathan Haskell's Company in the 4th Massachusetts Regt. "[18] But he also said he witnessed the surrender of General John Burgoyne following combat at the Battle of Saratoga, which took place in October 1777 in upstate New York. NJDARM: Collection Guide - Records only give us a part of someones life, and sometimes they are misremembered, forgotten, or incomplete. There is no record, however, of any Fortune Freeman or Conant that served in Nixon's regiment after June 4, 1780. However, there is no record of Nixon's regiment at the Battle of Monmouth. Military Officers Recorded in the Office of the Secretary of State, If the men are the same, Elijah Danforth is also the most solid connection we have to Billerica being Fortune Freeman's hometown. In November of 1775, Washington barred the enlistment of free Blacks and slaves. WebThe muster rolls from the War of 1812 are a miscellaneous group of nine companies (mostly from East Tennessee) that served as volunteers or militia during the war. The Rhode Island Assembly decreed on February 14, 1778, to allow, every able-bodied negro, mulatto, or Indian man slave in this state to enlist into the two Battalions to serve the during the Continuance of the present War with Great-Britain Even more striking was the following clause, every slave, so enlisting, shallupon his passing muster before Col.Christopher Greene, be immediately discharged from the service of his master or mistress;and be absolutely FREE, as though he had never been encumbered with any Kind of Servitude or Slavery. Although this last clause was repealed within four months due tothe outcry of Rhode Island slave owners, more than 100 free and formerly enslaved Rhode Island African Americans had enlisted in the Continental cause to fight for their own independence. Their individual stories are recorded below: BROWNE Thomas Aged 33 and baptised at Chardstock in 1651. Leavened by The Philadelphia Campaign, Volume II. Freeman may have moved to Hingham to try and start a new life as maritime towns had generally more job opportunities than farming towns. WebA unique historical record compiled from the rolls made by the Hanoverian army of the Duke of Cumberland after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. He provided a sparse list of apparel described in the record as "all old and nearly worn out. Index card abstracts of accounts, muster and pay rolls, descriptive lists and accounts, etc. Following the stalemate, Washington established camp at White Plains, just north of New York City.[21]. Henry Allen Hazen, "History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register. Their roles in Washingtons army included pioneer duties, such as constructing fortifications and clearing roads to musicians, guides, spies, and rank-and-file infantrymen. Payment records indicate payment through September 1824, but they end with no explanation. Towards the end of March 1778, Nixon's regiment moved to the Highland's department, overseeing the defenses of the Hudson River near New York City. Others, born free, joined and fought for home, country, and a hope to get any financial footing in life. The successful conclusion of the Revolution marked only the beginning of the struggle for some individuals for personal liberty. It is likely that Freeman decided to stay in New York after his discharge. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. BT Hingham, though much smaller than Boston, sat on the same vital harbor that brought in goods, and more importantly in the later war years, support from France in the form of troops, arms, and money. 1 0 obj <> endobj 2 0 obj <>stream endstream endobj 37 0 obj [/ICCBased 41 0 R] endobj 41 0 obj <>stream We were unable to find any birth record for Fortune Conant. uuid:97fc00cf-7f9f-47ec-8fe1-3e396fafbf5d Cuffee Wells is just one example. [25] "The American Revolution Timeline," George Washington Papers, Library of Congress. For Washington to split his army and keep half in New York and half on the march, he had to assemble units quickly that could march with speed. [12] Henry Allen Hazen, History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register (Boston: A Williams & Co, 1887), 25. Webas a baggage guard at the Battle of Monmouth, N.J. (June 28, 1778). This process does not force the page flat, as in the usual The defenders were a motley collection of colonists, from various New England colonies. The Black private joined thousands of other veterans in a post-war exodus from their home states. The largest conglomeration of tribes, the Iroquois Confederacy, split along regional lines. There is no pension file relating to Frederick because he was not married and did not have any minor children or aged parents dependant upon him for support. From this location, twenty miles northwest of Philadelphia, the army was close enough to maintain pressure on the British yet far enough away to prevent a surprise attack. His bounty payments would not have hit their full value so soon after his first discharge. Commanded the Grenadier Company of the Rangers from August 6, 1776 to October 24, 1778. Mary Stockwell, Ph.D. Notes: 1. Is it possible these two different identities tell the same story? This is attested to by an anonymous observer who recounted his visit to Valley Forge in the New Jersey Gazette on December 25: I have just returned from spending a few days with the army. [27] Fortune Conant, Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War. It is possible that Fortune Conant, a young man who enlisted either enslaved or perhaps recently freed, later changed his name. [39]"About 4,000 (22 percent) of the beneficiaries under the 1818 act chose not to submit to a means test. in the service of the United States Commanded by William Shepard for the Month of May 1781, Muster/payrolls, and various papers (1763-1808) of the Revolutionary War, Vol. WebWhile the British had escaped, the Americans claimed victory in the Battle of Monmouth and Washington was lauded for his bravery. (NJDARM: Collection Guide -)Tj After the war, many Blacksgave their pensions and enlistment bounties to their former masters as a payment for their freedom.