People often picture the Continental Army of 1777 as a ragtag bunch of inexperienced fighters, but Washingtons men fought with skill and were often on the offensive while campaigning against superior numbers of professional soldiers. Although "sadly in want of clothing" the brigade participated in the battle of Monmouth. The Continental Army lost the battle and retreated, leaving Philadelphia in English hands, though most of Washington's troops survived. In 1779, while the war slowed to a stalemate, conditions for the Maryland soldiers deteriorated. 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. From there, Freeman did not mention any specific event until 1780, but muster rolls document Conant's presence in 1779. Leavened by The troops also constructed miles of trenches, five earthen forts (redoubts), and a state-of-the-art bridge over the Schuylkill River. Entered Valley Forge with 325 men assigned and 194 fit for duty. Left Valley Forge with 306 assigned, 194 fit for duty. The main military force, which coalesced under General George Washington as the Continental Army, was not an integrated army until 1776. If Fortune Freeman is Fortune Conant, it is possible that he returned to Boston after his first discharge. Baltimore, Maryland: Lord Baltimore Press, Maryland Historical Society. While the soldiers who entered camp on December 19, 1777, were not well-supplied, they were not downtrodden. Aaron Burr. in the service of the United States Commanded by William Shepard for the Month of September 1781, Muster/payrolls, and various papers (1763-1808) of the Revolutionary War, Vol. Physicians and Surgeons with Washington at Valley Forge. 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. What follows are two stories presented as part of a possible whole: one of a man named Fortune Conant, who served for three years from 1777-1780, and disappeared after his discharge, and another about a man named Fortune Freeman, who claimed to have served the entirety of the war, struggled to live a life in the new nation in New York City, and ultimately died in poverty. Dunmore's War WebThe Marylanders also fought at the Battle of Monmouth (June 1778). 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. f "[42] Was Freeman previously married, and if so, did his wife die? I found them employed in building little huts for their winter quarters. Muster Roll dated August 24, 1780. EMC One of the most famous units was the1st Rhode Island Regiment. 38.277 0 Td S 43,572, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. 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. S 43,572, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. 0.298 scn Landing in Boston in July 1774, the 38th found themselves involved in the first military engagement of the American war: Concord and Lexington, April 1775. By summer, Washington could claim that the war effort was going well. There is no record of an African American serving higher than the rank of corporal in the main army. NARA M804. He became one of 20,000 Revolutionary War veterans[3] who filed for a pension by the end of 1818 following the passage of a pension bill that same year. 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. 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. Was he born into slavery? Von Steubens hands-on training program helped the army become a more proficient marching machine. 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. [27] Fortune Conant, Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War. 1850. Army returns reveal that two-thirds of the nearly 2,000 men who perished died during the warmer months of March, April, and May, when supplies were more abundant. NARA M804, page 4, via Fold3.com. What about his parents or any siblings? Political, religious, and personal ties, however, led some tribes to support the patriots. Herkimer's militia, whichconsisted of 60-100 Native Americans from the Oneidatribe, were ambushed by the Seneca and Mohawk tribes in alliance with the Britishat the Battle of Oriskany. It appears that Freeman, presumably because of his lengthy combat and campaign experience, is listed as "on command" with a Colonel Alexander Scammel, who led a New Hampshire regiment. But his assertions complicate understanding if Fortune Freeman and Fortune Conant were same person. One of the men, Jonathan Overton, served in the North Carolina Continentals and lived to be 101, dying in 1849. The 15th Virginia Regiment was raised on December 28, 1775 in eastern, Virginia for service with the Continental Army. Elnathan Haskell's Company in the 4th Massachusetts Regt. Battle of Monmouth Archive.org. THE CONTINENTAL LINE, MILITIA, AND STATE TROOPS The tribes closest to the American settlements along the eastern seaboard sided with the Patriots. The experience of veteran soldiers such as Freeman would prove crucial in the fall of 1781. N')].uJr 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. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. [37] "From George Washington to William Heath, 29 October 1781," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-07314. [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? /TT1 1 Tf WebThe fighting see-sawed back and forth under the brutal June sun for several hours. E Troop, 7th Cavalry Regiment, Muster Roll. Archive.org. Previous engagements: Defense of Canada, Lake Champlain, Northern New Jersey, Defense of Philadelphia, Philadelphia-Monmouth Field Officers Colonel Francis Johnston Many Blacks who fought and were enslaved fought for their freedom and independence as a person of color. The warriors of these two tribes were among the last of Lafayettes forces to retreat across the Schuylkill River that day. See the Charles Rolls statue Founder of Rolls-Royce . 53. [14] If Fortune Freeman's memory is correct and he originally joined as Fortune Conant he came to Boston after accepting a bounty and passing muster in Middlesex County and enlisted for the term of three years. The British Army focused instead on a campaign in the southern colonies, with an army under General Cornwallis engaging Continental forces in the Carolinas. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston. Within two months, however, Washington reversed this decision, and despite many attempts to block Blacks from serving their country, hundreds of Blacks enlisted nonetheless. Guide to Revolutionary War Records - State of Delaware NARA M881, page 4, via Fold3.com. 12th pennsylvania regiment revolutionary war [32] Muster Roll of Capt. Frederick Odell Conant, A history and genealogy of the Conant family in England and America, thirteen generations, 1520-1887: containing also some genealogical notes on the Connet, Connett and Connit families (Portland, ME: 1887), 557. Muster Rolls If Freeman served earlier in the war as Fortune Conant, he would have already been familiar with the New York terrain, and in the intervening months between his possible first discharge and his reenlistment, not much had changed. Transportation problems made large-scale winter operations infeasible. George Washington's Integrated Army - American Battlefield Trust Included in their ranksof2,400were approximately 120 Black militiamen, including Peter Salem. Order of Battle. They only needed a little more training to reach their full potential. 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]. [14] Records of Military Operations and Service: Officers and Enlisted Men. [31] Muster/payrolls, and various papers (1763-1808) of the Revolutionary War, Vol. Capt. Phill Greenwalt is co-founder of Emerging Revolutionary War and is also a full-time contributor to Emerging Civil War. Muster Battle of Monmouth On one copy of a muster roll from April, Conant is listed as "on command on the lines. n3kGz=[==B0FX'+tG,}/Hh8mW2p[AiAN#8$X?AKHI{!7. Peter Salem was a freed slave from Massachusetts who is known for mortally wounding British Major John Pitcairn during the fighting at Bunker Hill. His bounty payments would not have hit their full value so soon after his first discharge. 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. Washington's Officers at Valley Forge. 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. 1st New Jersey Regiment - Wikipedia Throughout his pension testimony, Freeman only names one company captain that he served under Captain Danforth. Join us online July 24-26! It is likely that Freeman decided to stay in New York after his discharge. Six men are recorded as married and seven as single. battle_of_monmouth | hisXmark 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. 2011-05-16T09:36:31-04:00 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. Monmouth Battle One of the most notable contributions came from the Oneida, who sent aid and a contingent of warriors to Valley Forge. 3rd Maryland Regiment 32, Image 104, via FamilySearch.org. battle_of_monmouth | hisXmark [3] Jack D. Warren Jr., America's First Veterans (Washington, DC: American Revolution Institute of the Society of Cincinnati, Inc., 2020), 97. In some cases, the muster rolls are accompanied by payrolls and receipt rolls. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. 27, Image 523, via FamilySearch.org. 2011-05-16T09:36:32-04:00 Lets also Army Muster Rolls, 1641-1707. of soldiers who served in Massachusetts companies and regiments during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783. [19] "Massachusetts Regiments in the Continental Army," RevolutionaryWar.us, https://revolutionarywar.us/continental-army/massachusetts/. He provided a sparse list of apparel described in the record as "all old and nearly worn out. Section Two - Valley Forge Muster Roll [Muster rolls, etc., 1743-1787] - Archive Arriving to the court with merely the clothes on his back, Freeman provided few details about his personal life in his statement. [29] Bounty note, no. [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. The largest conglomeration of tribes, the Iroquois Confederacy, split along regional lines. Paintings courtesy of Don Troiani,www.historicalimagebank.com. John P. Resch. 52, Part 2 (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 1986), 184, via Haithi Trust. Their individual stories are recorded below: BROWNE Thomas Aged 33 and baptised at Chardstock in 1651. Mifflins Division|2nd Pennsylvania Brigade| 5th Pennsylvania Regiment. S 43,572, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. Children's Muster drill during the 236th anniversary Battle of Monmouth re-enactment. [35] "From George Washington to Alexander Scammell, 17 May 1781," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05812. 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. In February 1781, the unit merged with the 2nd Rhode Island. When Fortune Freeman enlisted in 1781, it brought the guarantee of pay. Benedict Arnold. Did he feel a sense of pride in the idea of independence? NJDARM: Collection Guide The original records are located in The National Archives, Public Record Office, Kew. 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. Whether there of his own volition or brought to the court by a city official, it remains unclear, but Freeman, "extremely poor"[1] and unable to work, swore to the court that he served as a soldier in the Revolution, and applied for a veteran's pension for some relief. American attack at the Battle of Monmouth on 28th June 1778 in the American Revolutionary War. 48, Image 88, via FamilySearch.org. Muster Muster Roll [13] The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. An advanced force of some 4,000 American troops was allocated to attack the marching British Army and cut it in half. WebBattles of the American Revolution Series: Volume V. At Monmouth Courthouse in east-central New Jersey, General Washington's Continental Army came of age. Politics and Public Culture: The Revolutionary War Pension Act of 1818. Journal of the Early Republic 8, no. Every purchase supports the mission. 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. Bounty receipts: Suffolk, Essex, and Middlesex counties 1781-1782, Muster/Payrolls and Various Papers (1763-1808) of the Revolutionary War, Vol. 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. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. The Philadelphia Campaign, Volume II. Is it possible these two different identities tell the same story? McGuire, Thomas J. Was he enticed by the hope for a new nation? The Catawba had taken part in an earlier raid against a British position with Sumter as well. 0 -86 TD As the sound of combat grew fainter, the battle for individual rights began. Old, destitute, and with little else to rely upon, Freeman sought financial assistance from the country he served for nearly six long years. However, a Fortune with the surname "Conant" did. The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. ", Born sometime between 1747 and 1760,[9] Fortune Freeman lived in Massachusetts until at least the start of the American Revolution. 6. Ask someone to think of Valley Forgeand they will nearly always envision an anonymous group of soldiers struggling against winters fury and clothed in nothing but rags. While his wartime declarations remained the same, he provided additional personal information in his restatement per the requirements and described his dire circumstances. 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 With no other information provided, Mary's terms of service are unknown, and it is unclear what happened to her later in life. WebMuster Roll of Captain Richard Lloyd's Company, Colonel Hazen's Regiment, August, 1778. [26], Following the muster roll trail leads Conant to Bedford, New York. WebThe Battle of Brandywine was the largest single day engagement of the American Revolution where nearly 30,000 soldiers (not including civilians, teamsters, servants, and As for Mary, why was she bound out, and when did her service start? Stop the Largest Rezoning in Orange County History, The American Revolution in Indian Country: Crisis and Diversity in Native American Communities (Studies in North American Indian History), Native Americans in the American Revolution: How the War Divided, Devastated, and Transformed the Early American Indian World, The Effects of Weather on 18th Century Warfare, Allies and Enemies: British and American Attitudes towards Native Americans during the Revolution, African Americans in the Armed Forces Timeline, 5 Surprising Places to Find Native American Influence in History. )U!$5X3/9 ($5j%V*'&*r" (,!!0b;C2( I8/ [28] An Account of Clothing Delivered Lt. Washington rapidly set troops in motion to bring on a general engagement with the enemy. [8] While a Ph.D. candidate in History at Brandeis University in 2013, John Hannigan, current head of reference services at the Massachusetts State Archives, wrote a blog post about Fortune Freeman's pension record. Monmouth has many notable connections but one of its most famous is the connection to the Rolls Family. But if Freeman was not at Brandywine, was he still injured in the war? It is possible that Fortune Conant, a young man who enlisted either enslaved or perhaps recently freed, later changed his name. Their attack pushed the Americans out of the crossing. Archive.org. Elnathan Haskell's Company in the 4th Massachusetts Regt. NARA M804, page 10, via Fold3.com. Mary Stockwell, Ph.D. Notes: 1. A muster roll of 16 Creek Indians who arrived presumably in late 1850 or early 1851. battle State Board of Charities," Social Networks and Archival Context, https://snaccooperative.org/ark:/99166/w6129qv4. The British surrender at Saratoga brought the French into the war as American allies in February 1778. On December 31, 1783, Freeman received his honorable discharge from the 4th Massachusetts Regiment, having been enlisted for three years. [31] He served in Elnathan Haskell's company, William Shepard's regiment. [28] Conant also appeared in a bounty note issued by the State of Massachusetts Bay on January 1, 1780. [5] John P. Resch. It is also unknown what work he pursued. On the morning of June 27, having massing his forces at Bath, Feversham marched towards Monmouth's position with his advance units. Provisions, though never abundant in the early months of the encampment, were available. uuid:3d7d0c57-d1b8-4aa6-b03e-56b0d8f90c70 Historic Valley Forge The Black private joined thousands of other veterans in a post-war exodus from their home states. [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. Their roles in Washingtons army included pioneer duties, such as constructing fortifications and clearing roads to musicians, guides, spies, and rank-and-file infantrymen. It is also worth noting that the dollars were paid in Continental dollars which were quickly depreciating in value. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 56,000 acres in 25 states! [6] Congress estimated wrong. 1783, after a brief stay in Halifax, returned home to England. If the men are the same, Elijah Danforth is also the most solid connection we have to Billerica being Fortune Freeman's hometown. 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. [10], The Conant family name in Massachusetts turns up throughout the history of the state. Acrobat Web Capture 9.0 in the service of the United States Commanded by William Shepard for the Month of NARA M853, page 64, via Fold3.com. New Jersey Military Records FamilySearch 2021 Valley Forge Legacy Muster Roll Project. It is curious that of all the details to remember from six years of military service, his possible first captain is the only name that remained etched into Fortune Freeman's memory. 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. WebBattle of Monmouth, also called Battle of Monmouth Court House, (June 28, 1778), indecisive engagement in the American Revolution, fought at Monmouth, New Jersey.