When Fortune Freeman enlisted in 1781, it brought the guarantee of pay. One of the men, Jonathan Overton, served in the North Carolina Continentals and lived to be 101, dying in 1849. Was he enticed by the hope for a new nation? Samuel Carhart's men, Monmouth County, 1780 and 1781 388 9-months men, Monmouth County 1778; Col. Forman's return, Fourth Regiment [no date]; and 9 BT In the spring of 1818, an old man named Fortune Freeman appeared before the Mayor's Court of New York City. However, recalling a wound at Brandywine, specifically, complicates understanding the story of Fortune Freeman. [12] Though no definitive connection could be found between this William and Fortune, it does put the Conant family in the region at the time when Fortune joined the war. [40] Fortune Freeman, Pension No. National Archives He is currently a Supervisory Park Our FREE Virtual Teacher Institute is the can't miss online educator event of the summer. NARA M804, page 10, via Fold3.com. There were 35 warriors as part of the force, led by Generals New River, a Catwaba leader, and Billy Ayers along withMajor Jacob Ayers. Archive.org. When he returned to Massachusetts, he may have been able to finally claim freedom for himself. 2y.-;!KZ ^i"L0- @8(r;q7Ly&Qq4j|9 Webbefore the battle of Sedgemoor. "[16] Perhaps these recruitment efforts helped Fortune Freeman remember Danforth's name so many decades later. battle p. 736 pgs. In his pension, Freeman stated his discharge in 1780, which lines up with Conant's discharge. By the end of 1818, the program cost nearly $2 million.[7]. 2 (1988): 13958. Muster rolls and officer commissions are recorded in: 1. The six Oneida soldiersthat died that day in the action of Barren Hill are buried in a single plot in Saint Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania, named in honor of the French general in command of American forces that day, the Marquis de Lafayette. 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. If the men are the same, Elijah Danforth is also the most solid connection we have to Billerica being Fortune Freeman's hometown. [8] Might a man named Fortune Conant, possibly enslaved, who may have been freed during service, changed his name, stating for all of posterity his status of being a "free man" prior to reenlisting in 1781? The 15th Virginia Regiment was raised on December 28, 1775 in eastern, Virginia for service with the Continental Army. The 38th served under various colonels' names until designated the 38th Regiment of Foot in 1751. HyTSwoc [5laQIBHADED2mtFOE.c}088GNg9w '0 Jb Women followed the army to be with their husbands and contributed actively to the cause. Left Valley Forge with 306 assigned, 194 fit for duty. 2nd Maryland Regiment Von Steubens hands-on training program helped the army become a more proficient marching machine. [15] Freeman may have recalled Danforth easily as a familiar name to him in his younger days. Shortages of clothing did cause severe hardship for a number of men, but many soldiers had a full uniform, and the well-equipped units patrolled, foraged, and defended the camp. 12th pennsylvania regiment revolutionary war Web250 Capt. [43] "New York (State). During the Battle of Brandywine, Washington attempted to prevent the British army from taking Philadelphia, the patriot capital. 1, Image 114, via FamilySearch.org. WebFour muster masters were appointed to carry out the intent of the Provincial Congress. The Muster Rolls are neatly typed pages tightly bound in oversized books which require the use of a special overhead copying process. Was there hope for financial independence following the war? The only definitive information about Freemans post-war life is that he resided in New York City by 1818. [35] "From George Washington to Alexander Scammell, 17 May 1781," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05812. [25] "The American Revolution Timeline," George Washington Papers, Library of Congress. Benedict Arnold. NJDARM: Collection Guide - [2] A preliminary study of pension records from 1981 found that of 13,500 Revolutionary War veterans, more than half (54 percent) had moved from their home state after the war. 6. [32] Muster Roll of Capt. [34], In 1781, Washington ordered the formation of a light infantry regiment commanded by Scammell, "with a view of having a Corps ready to execute a project of the kind which I shall propose to you, which is to endeavour [sic] to strike, by surprise, [enemies establishing themselves at or near Fort Lee]. Peter Salem was a freed slave from Massachusetts who is known for mortally wounding British Major John Pitcairn during the fighting at Bunker Hill. NARA M881, page 5, via Fold3.com. Without finding Fortune's name in any Conant family records, we are left with questions about his early life. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history. in American History and also has a B.A. )U!$5X3/9 ($5j%V*'&*r" (,!!0b;C2( I8/ Archive.org. [33] Muster Roll of Capt. The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Iwo Jima--5th MarDiv/28th Marines/2nd Connecticut In The Revolution PUTATIVE ROSTER OF BERTIE COUNTY I found them employed in building little huts for their winter quarters. WebUnder Dearborn the 3rd regiment was at the Battle of Monmouth, where some of its most soldierly men participated. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 56,000 acres in 25 states! Following this amendment, Freeman reapplied. Additionally, no recorded Massachusetts regiments participated at Brandywine during the battle. ", Born sometime between 1747 and 1760,[9] Fortune Freeman lived in Massachusetts until at least the start of the American Revolution. WebWith the return of the Continental army to the outskirts of New York City following the Battle of Monmouth Court House in June, muster rolls of the army were taken in White In November of 1775, Washington barred the enlistment of free Blacks and slaves. [5] John P. Resch. 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. [Muster rolls, etc., 1743-1787] - Archive Elnathan Haskell's Company in the 4th Massachusetts Regt. [20] Henry B. Carrington, MA, LLD, Battles of the American Revolution 1775-1781. 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." Nevertheless, perhaps he encountered difficulties with work, and his bounty monies did not hold out as long as he had hoped. African American Patriots at the Siege of Ninety Six The Black private joined thousands of other veterans in a post-war exodus from their home states. Mifflins Division|2nd Pennsylvania Brigade| 5th Pennsylvania Regiment. British Army muster rolls and pay lists c.1730-1898 - The National Was he freeborn? By summer, Washington could claim that the war effort was going well. As the sound of combat grew fainter, the battle for individual rights began. 8.25 0 0 8.25 18 744.75 Tm Perhaps in his old age, he believed he fought alongside those men, or maybe he embellished his service in the hopes of his pension application being accepted. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. Is it possible these two different identities tell the same story? John Ward Dean, A.M. (Boston: New England Historic and Genealogical Society, 1896), 474. [31] He served in Elnathan Haskell's company, William Shepard's regiment. 0.298 scn Disease, not cold or starvation, was the true scourge of the camp. [26], Following the muster roll trail leads Conant to Bedford, New York. State Board of Charities," Social Networks and Archival Context, https://snaccooperative.org/ark:/99166/w6129qv4. 2011-05-16T09:36:32-04:00 2021 Valley Forge Legacy Muster Roll Project. Archive.org. [12] Henry Allen Hazen, History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register (Boston: A Williams & Co, 1887), 25. NARA M881, page 4, via Fold3.com. It is also worth noting that the dollars were paid in Continental dollars which were quickly depreciating in value. Was he enslaved by the family? "[41] He also said that he had no family aside from an 18-year-old daughter named Mary and revealed her status as "bound out to service. Paintings courtesy of Don Troiani,www.historicalimagebank.com. 32, Image 99, via FamilySearch.org. By June, Freeman arrived in West Point, New York and appeared on muster rolls for Haskell's company. WebThe New Jersey Historical Society stated that in 1760 the regiment was part of the final campaign against the French in Canada. Aside from his own declarations, few records of his life exist before or after the war. Included on those returns were the names of at least 755 Blacks serving in the ranks. quarter given : the muster roll of Prince Charles Edward Stuart's In 1777, British strategy included a plan to capture Philadelphia, the patriot capital. The law promised pensions to veterans "in reduced circumstances"[4] who had served at least nine months in the Continental Army. WebFrom 1878 to 1898, all muster rolls and pay lists are in WO 16. of soldiers who served in Massachusetts companies and regiments during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783. THE CONTINENTAL LINE, MILITIA, AND STATE TROOPS 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. Brandywine Battle Aaron Longstreet's roll, 2 October 1776 310 Muster roll of Major Van Cortland's Company, 6 September 1779 317 Payroll of Capt. Sign up to receive the latest information on the American Battlefield Trust's efforts to blaze The Liberty Trail in South Carolina. There is no record, however, of any Fortune Freeman or Conant that served in Nixon's regiment after June 4, 1780. In some cases, the muster rolls are accompanied by payrolls and receipt rolls. Whether Freeman misremembered his experiences or stated an additional battle to gain his pension, it is significant that he chose to state his presence at both battles. Capt. Colonel William Prescott's militiaheld their own until ammunition ran low, repulsing the British from Bunker Hill. WebThe Marylanders also fought at the Battle of Monmouth (June 1778). Was he born into slavery? [6] Congress estimated wrong. 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. There is, however, a "Fortune Conant" who enlisted in Elijah Danforth's company in 1777. This series of battles and Nixon's presence in New York starting in July further support the idea that Freeman served at Saratoga and not Brandywine and witnessed a pivotal turning point in the American Revolution. 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. in history from Wheeling Jesuit University. Muster Rolls & other Records of Service of Maryland Troops in the American Revolution 1775-1783 ((HTML)) (Reprint ed. battle_of_monmouth | hisXmark Elnathan Haskell's Company in the 4th Massachusetts Regt. Fought in one day, on June 28, 1778, the Battle of Monmouth resulted in no clear victory for either Washington's troops or the British. Many recent European arrivals sought fortune and honor by enlisting in the regiments of the states they now called home. The Fortune Freeman who enlisted in the 4th Massachusetts and is discharged from the 4th Massachusetts, enlisted in March 1781 in Hingham, Massachusetts. Journal of the Early Republic 8, no. EMC Every Scottish regiment present at the battle has been recorded and the following are detailed: Stewarts of Appin, Atholl Brigade, Bannerman of Elsick's, Cameron of Locheil's, Chisholm of "[23] This possibly means that Conant served on a mission outside of camp raids and skirmishes frequently took place as both the Continental and British forces tested each other's defenses. WebWhile the British had escaped, the Americans claimed victory in the Battle of Monmouth and Washington was lauded for his bravery. APPENDIX 1 5 for the period Nov. 1779 through Feb. 1780 with the notation, Discharged Jan[uary] 19, 1780. 30 But when Cornwallis marched his army toward the Chesapeake Bay, Washington saw an opportunity to strike. A Return of officers of the Third Regiment of Light Dragoons with the dates of their 2 . [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. American attack at the Battle of Monmouth on 28th June 1778 in the American Revolutionary War. The most common killers were influenza, typhus, typhoid, and dysentery. Though we do not know Freeman's exact journey, he claimed to have fought next in the June 1778 Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey. V)gB0iW8#8w8_QQj@&A)/g>'K t;\ $FZUn(4T%)0C&Zi8bxEB;PAom?W= The American Revolution is marked with a varying cast of diverse soldiers who fought for their independence. 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. [36] "Alexander Scammell," The Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire, https://www.socnh.org/alexander-scammell/. The Philadelphia Campaign, Volume II. We were unable to find any birth record for Fortune Conant. With the American colonists' Declaration of Independence, General Howe affected the landing of his troops on Long Island which included the 38th and attacked Washington's army successfully before Brooklyn Heights. From there, Freeman did not mention any specific event until 1780, but muster rolls document Conant's presence in 1779. They were prepared by the commanding officer of each 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. 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. A unique historical record compiled from the rolls made by the Hanoverian army of the Duke of Cumberland after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. 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. endstream endobj 18 0 obj <> endobj 19 0 obj (~MLj5s) endobj 25 0 obj <> endobj 27 0 obj <> endobj 39 0 obj <> endobj 38 0 obj <> endobj 20 0 obj [/ICCBased 40 0 R] endobj 40 0 obj <>stream Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more.
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