To better understand and appreciate what happened at Valley Forge, it is helpful to know how the encampment fits into the context of the American Revolution (1775-1783). Politics and Public Culture: The Revolutionary War Pension Act of 1818. Journal of the Early Republic 8, no. 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 Paintings courtesy of Don Troiani,www.historicalimagebank.com. Historical and Military Criticism, with Topographical Illustration (New York: A.S. Barnes & Co., 1876), 336. The women present at Valley Forge included hundreds of enlisted mens wives who followed the army year round, and some officers wives on extended visits. [16] Hazen, History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register, 238. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. For the British, they were prepared about once every 182 days. On May 6, 1778, the army joyously celebrated Frances alliance with and formal recognition of the United States as a sovereign power. NJDARM: Collection Guide - Baltimore, Maryland: Lord Baltimore Press, Maryland Historical Society. WebDuring the battle of Monmouth on 28 June 1778, it was part of the Main Armys Right Wing, commanded by Major General Nathanael Greene, and in the 1st Maryland Brigade, BT Acrobat Web Capture 9.0 x- [ 0}y)7ta>jT7@t`q2&6ZL?_yxg)zLU*uSkSeO4?c. R -25 S>Vd`rn~Y&+`;A4 A9 =-tl`;~p Gp| [`L` "AYA+Cb(R, *T2B- Promises of freedom motivated thousands of enslaved African Americans to join Continental and British forces. 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. WebThe muster rolls record the name, rank, military station and pay period of each soldier while they were with the regiment. Records only give us a part of someones life, and sometimes they are misremembered, forgotten, or incomplete. endstream endobj 5 0 obj <> endobj 6 0 obj <> endobj 3 0 obj <> endobj 7 0 obj <> endobj 11 0 obj <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC/ImageI]/XObject<>>>/Type/Page>> endobj 12 0 obj <>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]>>/Type/Page>> endobj 13 0 obj <>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]>>/Type/Page>> endobj 14 0 obj <>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]>>/Type/Page>> endobj 15 0 obj <>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]>>/Type/Page>> endobj 36 0 obj <>stream The experience of veteran soldiers such as Freeman would prove crucial in the fall of 1781. The 38th served under various colonels' names until designated the 38th Regiment of Foot in 1751. If the men are the same, Elijah Danforth is also the most solid connection we have to Billerica being Fortune Freeman's hometown. Von Steubens hands-on training program helped the army become a more proficient marching machine. One of the men, Jonathan Overton, served in the North Carolina Continentals and lived to be 101, dying in 1849. [26], Following the muster roll trail leads Conant to Bedford, New York. Payment records indicate payment through September 1824, but they end with no explanation. When Congress first passed the law, they expected fewer than 2,000 eligible applicants[5] and estimated that it would cost $155,000. And that I have no other means of obtaining a subsistence, except the pension allowed by Congress, and do actually need the assistance of my country to prevent my being dependent on charity.[40]. One of the most notable contributions came from the Oneida, who sent aid and a contingent of warriors to Valley Forge. WebThis Revolutionary War Militia Arrangement provides a breakdown of the battalions and companies raised in each county and the names of the commanding officers. %PDF-1.6 % From March to May of the same year, he appeared on muster rolls dated at King's Ferry, a major crossing point on the Hudson. There is no record, however, of any Fortune Freeman or Conant that served in Nixon's regiment after June 4, 1780. Where did he come from? His name appears on a roll dated Sept. 8, 1778, for Col. Thomas Clarks com- His name also appears on a muster roll of Tatums company . [15] Town records 1685-1779 Billerica, Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986, Middlesex County, Image 598, via FamilySearch.org. 48, Image 88, via FamilySearch.org. 0 -2.182 TD McGuire, Thomas J. 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 [26] Muster roll of Lieut. 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. American attack at the Battle of Monmouth on 28th June 1778 in the American Revolutionary War. 32, Image 99, via FamilySearch.org. Mifflins Division|2nd Pennsylvania Brigade| 5th Pennsylvania Regiment. /TT1 1 Tf What about his parents or any siblings? The law promised pensions to veterans "in reduced circumstances"[4] who had served at least nine months in the Continental Army. 68, Image 673, via FamilySearch.org. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Officers and men alike were badly supplied and unpaid. While encamped at Valley Forge, General Washington asked for a delegation of Oneida and Tuscarora warriors sent to his army. "Forten" Conant first appears on a list of men mustered by Colonel James Barrett, muster master of Middlesex County, on May 16, 1777. 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. While the soldiers who entered camp on December 19, 1777, were not well-supplied, they were not downtrodden. WebBattle of Monmouth, June 28, 1778 Wyoming Valley Massacre, July 3, 1778 Battle of Rhode Island, Aug. 29, 1778 Tryon's Attack upon New Haven, etc., July 5-10, 1779 Storming of Stony Point, July 15, 1779 Sullivan's Indian Raid, July-Aug., 1779 Battle of Springfield, N. J., June 23, 1780 Affair of Fort George, N. Y., Oct. 11, 1780 [24] Judith L. Van Buskirk, Standing In Their Own Light: African American Patriots in the American Revolution (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2017), 118. If Freeman is the same man "on command" with Scammell, he undoubtedly fought at Yorktown. Their individual stories are recorded below: BROWNE Thomas Aged 33 and baptised at Chardstock in 1651. One of the most famous units was the1st Rhode Island Regiment. To accomplish this, the British commander in chief, Sir William Howe, landed nearly 17,000 of His Majestys finest troops at the head of Chesapeake Bay. Archive.org. On December 31, 1783, Freeman received his honorable discharge from the 4th Massachusetts Regiment, having been enlisted for three years. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. [27] By December, he appears once again in an account of soldiers receiving clothing at camp in Peekskill. The Black private joined thousands of other veterans in a post-war exodus from their home states. The American Revolution is marked with a varying cast of diverse soldiers who fought for their independence. During the 1781 campaign against British General Lord Charles Cornwallis, there are five Black veteran pension records showing service under the Marquis de Lafayette in the Virginia Battalion commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gaskin. Taking up positions along Brandywine Creek, Washington mistakenly believed that his army blocked all fords across the Brandywine. Although they lost two key battles, as well as Philadelphia, to the British, Washingtons soldiers emerged from these experiences with a renewed confidence in their fighting abilities. WebColonel Daniel Morgan was the commander of the 11th and 15th Virginia in 1778 when he wrote this letter to General George Washington during the Revolutionary [35] "From George Washington to Alexander Scammell, 17 May 1781," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05812. The Continental Army was primed and ready to move on to the next level just as a charismatic former Prussian army officer, Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von Steuben, arrived in camp in February 1778. 2y.-;!KZ ^i"L0- @8(r;q7Ly&Qq4j|9 and Hull stayed with Kosciuszko during the heaviest fighting in the Southern theater. 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. [36] "Alexander Scammell," The Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire, https://www.socnh.org/alexander-scammell/. [33] Appointed Adjutant General of the Continental Army by General George Washington in January 1778, Scammell held that position until he requested permission to resign his post and resume command of a regiment in November 1780. The sound that would have reached your ears on approaching the camp was not that of a forlorn howling wind, but rather that of hammers, axes, saws, and shovels at work. Col. Calvin Smith's Company in the 5th Battalion of Massachusetts Bay Forces in the Service of the United States comm by Col Tho Nixon for May 1779, Muster and payrolls 1777-1780, Muster/Payrolls and Various Papers (1763-1808) of the Revolutionary War, Vol. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Valley Forge was not the darkest hour of the Revolutionary War; it was a place where an already accomplished group of professionals stood their ground, honed their craft, and thwarted one of the major British offensives of the war. [22] If Freeman settled at camp with men who fought at Monmouth, he would have heard conversations about the battle. 1783, after a brief stay in Halifax, returned home to England. Though monetary value depreciated as the war progressed, were bounty payments used to purchase his freedom? Mechanicsburg, Penn. [11] Fortune is, however, included in a genealogical history of the Conant family, but the only information included says that he lived in Billerica and served three years in the Continental Army. The 1st Rhode Island, which was first created in 1775, saw action straight through the war, fighting at the Siege of Boston, the New York and New Jersey Campaign, Battle of Red Bank, the Battle of Rhode Island, and the Siege of Yorktown. Frederick was listed as "present" on company muster rolls from his enrollment through June 1863. Complete: 100 % Content Source The National Archives Publication Number M246 Record Group 93 Published on Fold3 04 Apr 2007 Last Updated 23 Jul 2007 Description NARA M246. (file:///M|/highpoint/webdocs/state/darm/darm2011/guides/guides%20for%20p\ df/sdea1004.html)Tj When Fortune Freeman enlisted in 1781, it brought the guarantee of pay. 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. 2021 Valley Forge Legacy Muster Roll Project. The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 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. manuscript copy of a declaration of the Deputies of the Shrewsbury Association as submitted to the County Committee for Monmouth, May 15, 1775; muster rolls, court martial records, and other military documents from the Revolution and Early National period; Monmouth County sheriffs records, 1787-1831, retained by Daniel 1393, issued by the State of Massachusetts Bay, for the sum of 247 pounds and 10 pence, in favor of Fortune Conant: dated January 1, 1780: date for maturity: March 1, 1785. [28] Conant also appeared in a bounty note issued by the State of Massachusetts Bay on January 1, 1780. /Artifact <>BDC Was he freeborn? 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. Following the stalemate, Washington established camp at White Plains, just north of New York City.[21]. In a History of Billerica, Massachusetts, a William Conant is listed as taxed in the town from 1776 to 1779, and his daughter Betsey, is stated as being baptized there in August 1795. Phill Greenwalt is co-founder of Emerging Revolutionary War and is also a full-time contributor to Emerging Civil War. They only needed a little more training to reach their full potential. [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. "[42] Was Freeman previously married, and if so, did his wife die? While statistically most were of English descent, the ranks also included persons of African, American Indian, Austrian, Dutch, French, German, Irish, Polish, Portuguese, Prussian, Scottish, Spanish, and Swedish descent. In 1779, while the war slowed to a stalemate, conditions for the Maryland soldiers deteriorated. Archive.org. [14] Records of Military Operations and Service: Officers and Enlisted Men. The expected arrival of the French greatly altered British war plans and triggered their evacuation of Philadelphia in June. NARA M804. Muster Rolls & other Records of Service of Maryland Troops in the American Revolution 1775-1783 ((HTML)) (Reprint ed. 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. WebOn September 11, 1777, General George Washington was determined to prevent the British from capturing the American seat of government, Philadelphia. Some enslaved men found freedom in fighting. It is also entirely possible that Freeman felt that mentioning an injury would help his case for a pension, or someone encouraged him to embellish his story. The records were acquired from the Massachusetts State Archives in Boston. When he needed financial assistance, he turned to the new country he served for help. A muster roll of 61 Creek Indians and 3 slaves who arrived July 1848 under the charge of Ward Coachman. 1 0 obj <> endobj 2 0 obj <>stream Might this be the same Fortune Freeman who later reenlisted, and eventually filed for a pension? The Muster Rolls are neatly typed pages tightly bound in oversized books which require the use of a special overhead copying process. On June 28, at the Battle of Monmouth, N.J., Washingtons men demonstrated their improved battle prowess when they forced the British from the field. 1852. 2011-05-16T09:36:32-04:00 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. WebLoyalist Muster Rolls During the American Revolution, muster rolls were prepared by the commanding officer of each company of a regiment for the express purpose of paying the officers and soldiers. 69, Image 144, via FamilySearch.org. [10], The Conant family name in Massachusetts turns up throughout the history of the state. Nevertheless, perhaps he encountered difficulties with work, and his bounty monies did not hold out as long as he had hoped. More than 200 miles from his enlistment site in Boston, he may have chosen to start afresh in a new location. Henry Allen Hazen, "History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register. [37] "From George Washington to William Heath, 29 October 1781," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-07314. WebMuster Roll of Captain Richard Lloyd's Company, Colonel Hazen's Regiment, August, 1778. John Cochran. Physicians and Surgeons with Washington at Valley Forge. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. [3] 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. Many Blacks who fought and were enslaved fought for their freedom and independence as a person of color.
June Regents 2022 Cancelled, Articles B