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. As for Mary, why was she bound out, and when did her service start? [Muster rolls, etc., 1743-1787] - Archive In February 1781, the unit merged with the 2nd Rhode Island. Payment records indicate payment through September 1824, but they end with no explanation. It is also worth noting that the dollars were paid in Continental dollars which were quickly depreciating in value. : Stackpole Books. If the men are the same, Elijah Danforth is also the most solid connection we have to Billerica being Fortune Freeman's hometown. And sometimes, the paper trail ends without any conclusive findings. Without finding Fortune's name in any Conant family records, we are left with questions about his early life. Women followed the army to be with their husbands and contributed actively to the cause. Medieval and early modern soldiers 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. [38] The 4th Massachusetts disbanded in West Point, New York in November of 1783. By the end of 1818, the program cost nearly $2 million.[7]. In 1777, British strategy included a plan to capture Philadelphia, the patriot capital. [44] Freeman may have died in September, possibly between the ages of 64 and 77. The Forgotten Patriots of the Tom's Creek Hundred [29] Bounty note, no. WebWashington rapidly set troops in motion to bring on a general engagement with the enemy. [31] Muster/payrolls, and various papers (1763-1808) of the Revolutionary War, Vol. Benedict Arnold. Throughout the Revolution,the fightfor independencepermeated intoNative American tribes and alliances. [22] If Freeman settled at camp with men who fought at Monmouth, he would have heard conversations about the battle. [14] Records of Military Operations and Service: Officers and Enlisted Men. 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, The tribes closest to the American settlements along the eastern seaboard sided with the Patriots. 32, Image 99, via FamilySearch.org. f p. 736 pgs. 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. Inflation and depreciation meant that these bounty payments were not worth their face value by the time soldiers were paid. African American Patriots at the Siege of Ninety Six While his wartime declarations remained the same, he provided additional personal information in his restatement per the requirements and described his dire circumstances. Frederick was listed as "present" on company muster rolls from his enrollment through June 1863. Muster Books and Pay Lists (WO 12/5171-5172): 38th Phill Greenwalt is co-founder of Emerging Revolutionary War and is also a full-time contributor to Emerging Civil War. Some enslaved men found freedom in fighting. Six men are recorded as married and seven as single. From there, Freeman did not mention any specific event until 1780, but muster rolls document Conant's presence in 1779. Things to Do in Monmouth 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. 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. Wells was a surgeon in the Continental Army and after his service in the Revolution, he paid his enlistment bounty to his former master and lived the rest of his life as a free man in Lebanon, Connecticut. Each applicant had to disclose his age, occupation, health, and ability to support his household, and an inventory of his real and personal property."[39]. The 1st Continental Artillery Regiment, raised in Virginia and commanded by Col. Charles Harrison, had marched from New York in April 1780 to the support of Gen. Benjamin Lincoln, whose force was under siege at Charleston, South Carolina. 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. 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. "F$H:R!zFQd?r9\A&GrQhE]a4zBgE#H *B=0HIpp0MxJ$D1D, VKYdE"EI2EBGt4MzNr!YK ?%_&#(0J:EAiQ(()WT6U@P+!~mDe!hh/']B/?a0nhF!X8kc&5S6lIa2cKMA!E#dV(kel }}Cq9 N')].uJr 9 0 0 9 5 779 Tm 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. Send Students on School Field Trips to Battlefields Your Gift Tripled! 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. 52, Part 2 (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 1986), 184, via Haithi Trust. Peter Salem was a freed slave from Massachusetts who is known for mortally wounding British Major John Pitcairn during the fighting at Bunker Hill. Captain Danforth and his family lived in Billerica for years, with Danforth even serving as a minute man in 1775. 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 [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. The 38th was stationed at Fort Washington and Long Island during the war and was involved in the following conflicts: Muster Books and Pay Lists 12-5171-5172 Shelf List.pdf. On June 17, 1775, as British redcoats marched up the heights of Bunker Hill outside of Boston, Massachusetts,they were met with a hail of musketry from the defenders of the earthen redoubt. And then later, records show that a "Fortune Freeman" enlisted in 1781 into the 4th Massachusetts, serving until discharge in 1783. [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/. [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. Old, destitute, and with little else to rely upon, Freeman sought financial assistance from the country he served for nearly six long years. John P. Resch. Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643. With that tattered discharge note, we now can follow Fortune Freeman's paper trail, which begins in 1781 in Hingham, Massachusetts. The Battle of Monmouth was fought on June 28, 1778, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Major General Charles Lee commanded 12,000 men of the Continental Army under the leadership of General George Washington. For the British, General Sir Henry Clinton commanded 11,000 men under the leadership of Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis. Monmouth Rebellion Hb``$WR~|@T#2S/`M. State Board of Charities," Social Networks and Archival Context, https://snaccooperative.org/ark:/99166/w6129qv4. [10] Field and staff rolls 1775-1780, Muster/Payrolls and Various Papers (1763-1808) of the Revolutionary War, Vol. WebMuster Rolls & other Records of Service of Maryland Troops in the American Revolution 1775-1783 ( (HTML)) (Reprint ed.). 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.. The new British commander, Lieutenant General Henry Clinton, received orders to Webex display range cookers; somerset county, pa magistrate reports; market segmentation disadvantages; saroj khan daughter death; two in the thoughts one in the prayers meme Historical and Military Criticism, with Topographical Illustration (New York: A.S. Barnes & Co., 1876), 336. 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 A muster roll of 16 Creek Indians who arrived presumably in late 1850 or early 1851. 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. Aaron Longstreet's roll, 2 October 1776 310 Muster roll of Major Van Cortland's Company, 6 September 1779 317 Payroll of Capt. A muster roll of 61 Creek Indians and 3 slaves who arrived July 1848 under the charge of Ward Coachman. Bounty receipts: Suffolk, Essex, and Middlesex counties 1781-1782, Muster/Payrolls and Various Papers (1763-1808) of the Revolutionary War, Vol. "It required all claimants to submit documentation of their poverty to a court of record. During the Battle of Brandywine, Washington attempted to prevent the British army from taking Philadelphia, the patriot capital. Their roles in Washingtons army included pioneer duties, such as constructing fortifications and clearing roads to musicians, guides, spies, and rank-and-file infantrymen. [31] He served in Elnathan Haskell's company, William Shepard's regiment. Throughout his pension testimony, Freeman only names one company captain that he served under Captain Danforth. But the stories of these men are important to tell when we look back at our nations founding to see who served in the war that secured the independence of the United States. Furthermore, Danforth served on a committee chosen by the town of Billerica to call on "persons to inlist [sic] into the Continental service. Fishkill 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. 2 (1988): 13958. [28] An Account of Clothing Delivered Lt. I found them employed in building little huts for their winter quarters. Monmouth | Board Game | BoardGameGeek quarter given : the muster roll of Prince Charles Edward Stuart's If Freeman was Conant, was he promised freedom to join or was he merely hopeful that freedom could be a possibility? The 38th served under various colonels' names until designated the 38th Regiment of Foot in 1751. According to the surviving records, though, Fortune Conant served with Nixon's regiment in the late summer and fall of 1777. 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." By 6:00 P.M., however, the British felt they had enough. National Archives Fortune Freeman, Pension No. The Catawba had taken part in an earlier raid against a British position with Sumter as well. But when Fortune Freeman applied for a pension, he included one tattered sheet of paper that confirmed a discharge in 1783 from the 4th Massachusetts Regiment, which does have a record of a Fortune Freeman, who enlisted in 1781 and served until the end of the war. Aged and infirm, he could no longer work and support himself. The experience of veteran soldiers such as Freeman would prove crucial in the fall of 1781. 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. Militia, United States -- History Revolution, Previous engagements: Defense of Canada, Lake Champlain, Northern New Jersey, Defense of Philadelphia, Philadelphia-Monmouth. In addition to the bonds not maturing, the Continental currency continued to devalue over the course of the war. 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. It is very likely Fortune Conant collected a bounty of 24 from Billerica, 20 from Massachusetts, and 20 dollars from the Continental Congress as bounty payments when someone finally convinced him to enlist.[17]. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. The largest conglomeration of tribes, the Iroquois Confederacy, split along regional lines. WebFour muster masters were appointed to carry out the intent of the Provincial Congress. [15] Town records 1685-1779 Billerica, Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986, Middlesex County, Image 598, via FamilySearch.org. [6] Congress estimated wrong. 0.298 scn Later muster rolls state that Fortune Conant officially enlisted in the Continental Army a few weeks later on June 4, 1777. 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. 2 . Fortune Conant's name also does not appear in any land records.[11]. Virginia Regiments in the Continental Army Dunmore made several more attempts to gain a stronghold on the colony but in EMC The troops who came to camp included men from all thirteen of the original states. ", Born sometime between 1747 and 1760,[9] Fortune Freeman lived in Massachusetts until at least the start of the American Revolution. [43] "New York (State). 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. If Freeman is the same man "on command" with Scammell, he undoubtedly fought at Yorktown. 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. The Valley Forge Park Alliance maintains the Muster Roll Project and helps to inspire appreciation of and support for Valley Forge National Historical Park. There is also the record from the British of a prisoner of war, George with the word Negro written beside his name. NJDARM: Collection Guide Additionally, no recorded Massachusetts regiments participated at Brandywine during the battle. His family home being the Rolls Mansion built just outside of Monmouth at 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. [1] Fortune Freeman, Pension No. NARA M804, page 13, via Fold3.com. 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. McGuire, Thomas J. /TT1 1 Tf Subscribe to the American Battlefield Trust's quarterly email series of curated stories for the curious-minded sort! ([5/16/2011 9:36:32 AM])Tj 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. (NJDARM: Collection Guide -)Tj [20] After a series of October battles, Burgoyne found himself surrounded by Gates' men and surrendered on October 17. 1st New Jersey Regiment - Wikipedia 3rd Maryland Regiment 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. 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. Journal of the Early Republic 8, no. Washington rapidly set troops in motion to bring on a general engagement with the enemy. [38] Fortune Freeman, Pension No. It is estimated that less than 200 African Americans served in the unit during the conflict. 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. battle of monmouth muster rolls - iccleveland.org "Politics and Public Culture: The Revolutionary War Pension Act of 1818." "[42] Was Freeman previously married, and if so, did his wife die? Disease, not cold or starvation, was the true scourge of the camp. 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 . 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. [25] "The American Revolution Timeline," George Washington Papers, Library of Congress. Thomas Gibson, a free man of color from Guilford County, enlisted for two years service in 1781 and defended his home county that March. Others, born free, joined and fought for home, country, and a hope to get any financial footing in life. 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 Officers and men alike were badly supplied and unpaid. Physicians and Surgeons with Washington at Valley Forge. What would a desperately poor man claim to guarantee financial relief? Recruited throughout the spring of 1778, the regiment's companies comprised Black and white soldiers, along with Native Americans. He had served in Greenes third line of defense with the 2nd Maryland Regiment. in the service of the United States Commanded by William Shepard for the Month of This 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. 12th pennsylvania regiment revolutionary war 1850. 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. S 43,572, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. BT Not only were they serving in units from the northern colonies, but 58 African Americans had mustered into the North Carolina Line. Standing shoulder to shoulder, anethnically diverse soldiery formed. 2021 Valley Forge Legacy Muster Roll Project. 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. 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. What about his parents or any siblings? WebListed below is a copy of the muster roll of Captain Maroneys Company of Flying Camp: Roll of Captain Philip Maroneys Company, Flying Camp, Maryland August 5, 1776 -List of the members of Captain Philip Maroneys Company, in the Flying Camp, August 5, 1776, enlisted in the Middletown District and elsewhere, Frederick County, Maryland. Remarkably, one of the soldiers (a New Jersey Valley Forge 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. 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. It is also unknown what work he pursued. Archive.org. 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. E Troop, 7th Cavalry Regiment, Muster Roll. Elnathan Haskell's Company in the 4th Massachusetts Regt. [Muster rolls, etc., 1743-1787] by Montgomery, Thomas Lynch, 1862- Publication date 1906 Topics Pennsylvania. NJDARM: Collection Guide - When he returned to Massachusetts, he may have been able to finally claim freedom for himself. Included in their ranksof2,400were approximately 120 Black militiamen, including Peter Salem. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Hazen, History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register, 239. Paintings courtesy of Don Troiani,www.historicalimagebank.com. [27] By December, he appears once again in an account of soldiers receiving clothing at camp in Peekskill. As the sound of combat grew fainter, the battle for individual rights began. John Armstrong. Politics and Public Culture: The Revolutionary War Pension Act of 1818. Journal of the Early Republic 8, no. Revolutionary War Militia Overview - Pennsylvania Historical The original records are located in The National Archives, Public Record Office, Kew. When he needed financial assistance, he turned to the new country he served for help. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history. Capt. Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. 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. ( )Tj By 1820, Congress amended the 1818 Pension Act.