Fortune Conant's name also does not appear in any land records.[11]. S 43,572, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. He provided a sparse list of apparel described in the record as "all old and nearly worn out. "It required all claimants to submit documentation of their poverty to a court of record. The British surrender at Saratoga brought the French into the war as American allies in February 1778. Even in Washingtons home ofVirginia, Blacksoldiers fought in Virginia units. "[42] Was Freeman previously married, and if so, did his wife die? General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. [3] Jack D. Warren Jr., America's First Veterans (Washington, DC: American Revolution Institute of the Society of Cincinnati, Inc., 2020), 97. 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. 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. 1850. The Continental Army lost the battle and retreated, leaving Philadelphia in English hands, though most of Washington's troops survived. [36] "Alexander Scammell," The Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire, https://www.socnh.org/alexander-scammell/. 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. The British soon tested the Continental Armys newfound discipline at the Battle of Monmouth, which took place in central New Jersey on June 28, 1778. "[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. [Names in bold are believed . Henry Allen Hazen, "History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register. Aaron Longstreet's roll, 2 October 1776 310 Muster roll of Major Van Cortland's Company, 6 September 1779 317 Payroll of Capt. When Fortune Freeman enlisted in 1781, it brought the guarantee of pay. 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. Elnathan Haskell's Company in the 4th Massachusetts Regt. With that tattered discharge note, we now can follow Fortune Freeman's paper trail, which begins in 1781 in Hingham, Massachusetts. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. [25] "The American Revolution Timeline," George Washington Papers, Library of Congress. 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. Nevertheless, perhaps he encountered difficulties with work, and his bounty monies did not hold out as long as he had hoped. When he needed financial assistance, he turned to the new country he served for help. In 1779, while the war slowed to a stalemate, conditions for the Maryland soldiers deteriorated. But if Freeman was not at Brandywine, was he still injured in the war? The Fortune Freeman who enlisted in the 4th Massachusetts and is discharged from the 4th Massachusetts, enlisted in March 1781 in Hingham, Massachusetts. Children's Muster drill during the 236th anniversary Battle of Monmouth re-enactment. 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 The original records are located in The National Archives, Public Record Office, Kew. [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. During the action at Barren Hill, Oneida soldiershelped delay the advancing British force. Others, born free, joined and fought for home, country, and a hope to get any financial footing in life. [29] Discharged on June 4, 1780, completing his three-year enlistment, Fortune Conant does not appear in any further military records.[30]. 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. [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? Rather than wait for deliverance, the army located supplies, built log cabins to stay in, constructed makeshift clothing and gear, and cooked subsistence meals of their own concoction. (*(%8H8c- fd9@6_IjH9(3=DR1%? See the Charles Rolls statue Founder of Rolls-Royce . /TT1 1 Tf [15] Town records 1685-1779 Billerica, Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986, Middlesex County, Image 598, via FamilySearch.org. The army compensated full-time women followers for rendering such valuable services as laundering and nursing. Aged and infirm, he could no longer work and support himself. 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. 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. Organized between May 1-20, 1775, to consist of 10 companies from Litchfield and Hartford Counties. Paintings courtesy of Don Troiani,www.historicalimagebank.com. NARA M804, page 4, via Fold3.com. [26], Following the muster roll trail leads Conant to Bedford, New York. [10], The Conant family name in Massachusetts turns up throughout the history of the state. 1851. 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. 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. He then said he reenlisted in Boston in 1780 into the same company and regiment. 1459. Was he enticed by the hope for a new nation? WebMost unit muster rolls did not specify the race of soldiers. The Muster Rolls are neatly typed pages tightly bound in oversized books which require the use of a special overhead copying process. December 1775 to February 1776 - The battalion was mustered and organized at Burlington and Trenton to consist of eight companies from Gloucester, NARA M881, page 5, via Fold3.com. Later muster rolls state that Fortune Conant officially enlisted in the Continental Army a few weeks later on June 4, 1777. [34] "To George Washington from Alexander Scammell, 16 November 1780," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-03961. "Politics and Public Culture: The Revolutionary War Pension Act of 1818." [10] Field and staff rolls 1775-1780, Muster/Payrolls and Various Papers (1763-1808) of the Revolutionary War, Vol. 1776, August, Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn, successful, 1776, November, Battle of Fort Washington, commanded by Lord Percy, successful, 1776, September, Battle of Harlem Heights, capture of Fort Lee, flank companies of 38th participate, 1777 New Jersey Campaign, as part of the Brunswick, New Jersey garrison, 1777, September, Battle of Brandywine located west of Philadelphia, successful, 1777, October, after the capture of Philadelphia by the British, the Battle of Germantown, located north of Philadelphia, successful, 1778, June, Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey, under the new commander, General Clinton, who had been given orders to retreat from Philadelphia to New York, flank companies of 38th participate, 1778, July, defence of Newport, Rhode Island, 1778, August, under General Pigot, the Battle of Rhode Island, also known as, the Battle of Quaker Hill, in which the Americans tried unsuccessfully to recapture the Island from the British, now known as Aquidneck Island, 1778, After September, regiment returned to New York, 1779 Clinton moved the main British effort to the South, 1780, June, Battle of Springfield, New Jersey, the last major engagement in the north, British under von Knyphausen attack George Washington's army, unsuccessful, 1781, September, participated in the raid on New London, Connecticut, commanded by Benedict Arnold who had switched sides, this expedition was to be its last of the war. WebOn December 9, 1775, three companies from the First joined the 2nd Virginia Regiment in defeating Dunmore's troops at the Battle of Great Bridge near Norfolk. (file:///M|/highpoint/webdocs/state/darm/darm2011/guides/guides%20for%20p\ df/sdea1004.html)Tj Though a few probate records indicate some Conant family members enslaved people of African descent, Fortune's name does not appear in any of these surviving records. 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." Send Students on School Field Trips to Battlefields Your Gift Tripled! 27, Image 523, via FamilySearch.org. It was natural to expect that they wished for more comfortable accommodations, after the hardships of a most severe campaign; but I could discover nothing like a sigh of discontent at their situation On the contrary, my ears were agreeably struck every evening, in riding through the camp, with a variety of military and patriotic songs and every countenance I saw, wore the appearance of cheerfulness or satisfaction.. WebMuster Roll of Captain Richard Lloyd's Company, Colonel Hazen's Regiment, August, 1778. Index card abstracts of accounts, muster and pay rolls, descriptive lists and accounts, etc. By February 1822, nearly 12,000 veterans were back onabout 20,000 veterans took the pauper's oath and submitted to the means test; and all but 2,000 got the benefit." Entered Valley Forge with 325 men assigned and 194 fit for duty. 6. A muster roll of 4 Creek Indians who arrived Sep. 23rd, 1851. 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. N')].uJr Fortune Conant, a member of Thomas Nixon's Regiment, would have been at Saratoga, not Brandywine. NARA M881, page 4, via Fold3.com. Elnathan Haskell's Company in the 4th Massachusetts Regt. In addition to the bonds not maturing, the Continental currency continued to devalue over the course of the war. The Edenton Whig, a local newspaper, described Overton as, a soldier ofthe Revolution, and, served under Washington and was at the battle of Yorktown, Overton was praised by the community and say that, "He has lived among us longer than the ordinary period allotted to human life, and always sustained a character for honesty, industry, and integrity. [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]. 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]. Transportation problems made large-scale winter operations infeasible. Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. p. 736 pgs. Officers and men alike were badly supplied and unpaid. Dunmore made several more attempts to gain a stronghold on the colony but in WebThe muster rolls record the name, rank, military station and pay period of each soldier while they were with the regiment. 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. Previous engagements: Defense of Canada, Lake Champlain, Northern New Jersey, Defense of Philadelphia, Philadelphia-Monmouth Field Officers Colonel Francis Johnston Phill graduated from George Mason University with a M.A. By the end of 1818, the program cost nearly $2 million.[7]. /CS0 cs 1 scn From 1888 onwards, the series contains only muster rolls, there are no longer any pay lists and by 1898 muster [26] Muster roll of Lieut. Following the stalemate, Washington established camp at White Plains, just north of New York City.[21]. ET [17] The committee in Billerica voted for an additional bounty of 24 to "such persons as will now Inlist into the Continental Army" but they needed to figure out how the money would be raised for the additional bounty. [43] "New York (State). Standing shoulder to shoulder, anethnically diverse soldiery formed. [22] Fortune Conant, Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War. WebWhile the British had escaped, the Americans claimed victory in the Battle of Monmouth and Washington was lauded for his bravery. [21] "The American Revolution Timeline," George Washington Papers, Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/collections/george-washington-papers/articles-and-essays/timeline/the-american-revolution/. 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. Remarkably, one of the soldiers (a New Jersey In choosing a site for quarters, Washington had to balance the Continental Congresss wish for some type of winter campaign aimed at dislodging the British from the capital against the needs of his weary and poorly supplied army. With 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 Plains, New York, in August 1778. 2 (1988): 13958. [9] Freeman is described as "seventy-one" in his 1818 pension but is "about sixty-five" in his 1820 record, but Hingham enlistment records describe him as 21 in 1781. Without finding Fortune's name in any Conant family records, we are left with questions about his early life. [19] Nixon's men comprised part of the main body of Gates' men during the September 19 Battle of Freeman's Farm and continued the campaign through the next month. and Hull stayed with Kosciuszko during the heaviest fighting in the Southern theater. "[35] Composed of men from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, the regiment marched South to Yorktown, engaging in skirmishes along the way, and served as part of the 2nd brigade of The Light Infantry Division during the Siege of Yorktown.[36]. You can browse these by regiment. For those covering the date of the Battle of Waterloo you can also search by an individuals name. From 1816 to 1856, the musters are principally of the Royal Corps of Sappers and Miners, and list only NCOs and other ranks. The two merged in 1856, as the Royal Engineers There were 35 warriors as part of the force, led by Generals New River, a Catwaba leader, and Billy Ayers along withMajor Jacob Ayers. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston. Archive.org. Hb``$WR~|@T#2S/`M. 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. 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. 50, Image 668, via FamilySearch.org. The troops also constructed miles of trenches, five earthen forts (redoubts), and a state-of-the-art bridge over the Schuylkill River. endstream endobj 37 0 obj [/ICCBased 41 0 R] endobj 41 0 obj <>stream [33] Muster Roll of Capt. I found them employed in building little huts for their winter quarters. [30] Records of Military Operations and Service: Officers and Enlisted Men. [25] Following this attack, Nixon's regiment retreated to the "Highlands" in New Jersey on June 12, and Conant is still listed on pay rolls and clothing receipts through September. [6] Congress estimated wrong. He was the only officer, orginally Payment records indicate payment through September 1824, but they end with no explanation. Captain Danforth and his family lived in Billerica for years, with Danforth even serving as a minute man in 1775. uuid:3d7d0c57-d1b8-4aa6-b03e-56b0d8f90c70 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. Thomas Gibson, a free man of color from Guilford County, enlisted for two years service in 1781 and defended his home county that March. Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts 1776-1777, Vol. [20] Henry B. Carrington, MA, LLD, Battles of the American Revolution 1775-1781. [29] Bounty note, no. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. [12] Henry Allen Hazen, History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register (Boston: A Williams & Co, 1887), 25. [24], At the end of May and beginning of June, the British returned to King's Ferry. Was he freeborn? When the French army of General Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau headed toward Yorktown in the summer of 1781, one of the commanding officers aides, Baron von Closen left the following observation: A quarter of them [the Continental Army] are Negroes, merry, confident, and sturdy. These African Americansreceived the same pay as their fellow white soldiers but did not see the type of military promotions as their counterparts. NARA M246, page 150, via Fold3.com. One of the men, Jonathan Overton, served in the North Carolina Continentals and lived to be 101, dying in 1849. 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. If he served as part of Nixon's regiment, it is much more likely that he fought in Saratoga. ([5/16/2011 9:36:32 AM])Tj Lafayette later recalled, in regards to Washingtons service at Monmouth that, "I thought then as now I had never beheld so superb a man." [14] Records of Military Operations and Service: Officers and Enlisted Men. When he returned to Massachusetts, he may have been able to finally claim freedom for himself. Old, destitute, and with little else to rely upon, Freeman sought financial assistance from the country he served for nearly six long years. 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. 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 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. And sometimes, the paper trail ends without any conclusive findings. It is highly unlikely that Freeman saw action both at the battles of Brandywine and Saratoga: The battles took place hundreds of miles apart and only a few weeks separated them. The 38th served under various colonels' names until designated the 38th Regiment of Foot in 1751. [6] Warren Jr., America's First Veterans, 97. NARA M804, pages 4 and 9, via Fold3.com. One of the casualties that day was Herkimer who was mortally wounded but kept command by being propped against a tree. "Forten" Conant first appears on a list of men mustered by Colonel James Barrett, muster master of Middlesex County, on May 16, 1777. [22] If Freeman settled at camp with men who fought at Monmouth, he would have heard conversations about the battle. Previous engagements: Defense of Canada, Lake Champlain, Northern New Jersey, Defense of Philadelphia, Philadelphia-Monmouth. 0.298 scn Militia, United States -- History Revolution, On May 6, 1778, the army joyously celebrated Frances alliance with and formal recognition of the United States as a sovereign power. Physicians and Surgeons with Washington at Valley Forge. HyTSwoc [5laQIBHADED2mtFOE.c}088GNg9w '0 Jb Web250 Capt. 48, Image 88, via FamilySearch.org. The 3rd then wintered near Danbury, Connecticut. Left Valley Forge with 306 assigned, 194 fit for duty. Furthermore, Fortune Freeman presented a discharge from the 4th Massachusetts, but Danforth's company served in what later became numbered the 6th Massachusetts.
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