battle of monmouth muster rolls - iccleveland.org British Army muster rolls and pay lists c.1730-1898 - The National Monmouth Battle S 43,572, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. 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]. There were Blacks servingin the reconstituted 1st and 2nd Virginia units that fought with General Nathanael Greene at the Battle of Guilford Court House. "[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]. December 1775 to February 1776 - The battalion was mustered and organized at Burlington and Trenton to consist of eight companies from Gloucester, Archive.org. By 1820, Congress amended the 1818 Pension Act. WebThis Revolutionary War Militia Arrangement provides a breakdown of the battalions and companies raised in each county and the names of the commanding officers. 12th pennsylvania regiment revolutionary war 2011-05-16T09:36:32-04:00 WebMuster Roll Search the online database of people who served at Valley Forge. https://www.loc.gov/collections/george-washington-papers/articles-and-essays/timeline/the-american-revolution/. The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. [10], The Conant family name in Massachusetts turns up throughout the history of the state. 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. Others, born free, joined and fought for home, country, and a hope to get any financial footing in life. A muster roll of 4 Creek Indians who arrived Sep. 23rd, 1851. Connecticut Regiments in the Continental 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!$5X3/9 ($5j%V*'&*r" (,!!0b;C2( I8/ Army records and eyewitness accounts speak of a skilled and capable force in charge of its own destiny. He died of typhoid fever at North Mountain, Virginia, June 3, 1863. Hull fought in the Battle of Cowpens, the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, the Siege of Ninety-Six, and the Battle of Eutaw Springs. Webthe muster rolls in E 101; protections for war service and appointment of attorneys in the Treaty Rolls in C 76; the Gascon Rolls in C 61 (for intended military service in Gascony) the Scotch Rolls in C 71, (for intended military service in Scotland) 9. [38] Fortune Freeman, Pension No. 3rd New Hampshire Regiment Leavened by Acrobat Web Capture 9.0 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. 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. [30] Records of Military Operations and Service: Officers and Enlisted Men. BT 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. Posted on September 17, 2014 by Sam Russell. Von Steubens hands-on training program helped the army become a more proficient marching machine. Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts 1776-1777, Vol. Fishkill Dunmore's War p. 736 pgs. Did he have any other family? And then later, records show that a "Fortune Freeman" enlisted in 1781 into the 4th Massachusetts, serving until discharge in 1783. NJDARM: Collection Guide John Armstrong. Examining the possible connection between Fortune Conant and Fortune Freeman can help uncover potential motivations Freeman had for enlisting in the war. 0 -86 TD [26], Following the muster roll trail leads Conant to Bedford, New York. 1850. 52, Part 2 (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 1986), 184, via Haithi Trust. 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. 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. Hb``$WR~|@T#2S/`M. New Jersey Regiments in the Continental Army WebBattle of Monmouth (1778) Unit History The Regiment was authorized on April 27, 1775 in the Connecticut State Troops as the 4th Connecticut Regiment. NARA M881, page 4, via Fold3.com. 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 There were enough kids to make TWO companies! 2nd Maryland Regiment (2007). [40] Fortune Freeman, Pension No. NARA M804, pages 4 and 9, via Fold3.com. With that tattered discharge note, we now can follow Fortune Freeman's paper trail, which begins in 1781 in Hingham, Massachusetts. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. nQt}MA0alSx k&^>0|>_',G! Things to Do in Monmouth The story of one of the most famous revolutionary women, Betsy Ross, is likely just that - a story. There is no record of an African American serving higher than the rank of corporal in the main army. There were 35 warriors as part of the force, led by Generals New River, a Catwaba leader, and Billy Ayers along withMajor Jacob Ayers. At the time of his application, Freeman showed his dire need for financial help. Militia, United States -- History Revolution, /TT1 1 Tf John Hannigan, "The Many Lives of Fortune Freeman," Rethinking the Age of Revolution, Blogs @ Brandeis, 10 December 2013, https://blogs.brandeis.edu/revolutions/2013/12/10/the-many-lives-of-fortune-freeman/. [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. [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. The law promised pensions to veterans "in reduced circumstances"[4] who had served at least nine months in the Continental Army. 1, Image 114, via FamilySearch.org. Colonel Company Peekskill, Muster/payrolls, and various papers (1763-1808) of the Revolutionary War, Vol. Some enslaved men found freedom in fighting. 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. 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. A lack of records is not unusual for revolutionary soldiers, particularly soldiers of color, but Freeman's claims are illustrative of the experiences many soldiers of color experienced during the American Revolution. 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. By mid-December he had decided to encamp at Valley Forge. Iwo Jima--5th MarDiv/28th Marines/2nd According to the surviving records, though, Fortune Conant served with Nixon's regiment in the late summer and fall of 1777. When Fortune Freeman enlisted in 1781, it brought the guarantee of pay. Monmouth Rebellion He then said he reenlisted in Boston in 1780 into the same company and regiment. Medieval and early modern soldiers In 1779, while the war slowed to a stalemate, conditions for the Maryland soldiers deteriorated. 3rd Maryland Regiment Additionally, no recorded Massachusetts regiments participated at Brandywine during the battle. 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. Though Freeman reveals nothing of his pre-war life in his pension record, Fortune Conant is credited to Billerica, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, for the purpose of the town meeting their recruitment quota for the war effort. A muster roll of 61 Creek Indians and 3 slaves who arrived July 1848 under the charge of Ward Coachman. 1852. 32, Image 99, via FamilySearch.org. ). Originally from Massachusetts, Freeman moved to New York City at some point after the war. Remarkably, one of the soldiers (a New Jersey Lets also Army Muster Rolls, 1641-1707. As wintry weather approached, armies often withdrew to fixed camps. 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. 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]. When he needed financial assistance, he turned to the new country he served for help. 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. [12] Henry Allen Hazen, History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register (Boston: A Williams & Co, 1887), 25. Muster Battle of Monmouth [23] Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783. Standing shoulder to shoulder, anethnically diverse soldiery formed. (file:///M|/highpoint/webdocs/state/darm/darm2011/guides/guides%20for%20p\ df/sdea1004.html)Tj 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. 0 -2.182 TD Left Valley Forge with 306 assigned, 194 fit for duty. 2011-05-16T09:36:31-04:00 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. 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. Colonel William Prescott's militiaheld their own until ammunition ran low, repulsing the British from Bunker Hill. 50, Image 668, via FamilySearch.org. From there, Freeman did not mention any specific event until 1780, but muster rolls document Conant's presence in 1779. In Fortune Freeman's testimony about his Revolutionary war service, he remembered enlisting under a Captain Elijah Danforth in 1776. Recruited throughout the spring of 1778, the regiment's companies comprised Black and white soldiers, along with Native Americans. In November of 1775, Washington barred the enlistment of free Blacks and slaves. No Quarter Given [27] By December, he appears once again in an account of soldiers receiving clothing at camp in Peekskill. He appeared on muster rolls for York Hutts, an encampment in New Jersey, from November 1781 to January 1782. The integrated army in the Revolutionwasthe last integrated American army until the Korean Warnearly175 years later in 1950. [25] "The American Revolution Timeline," George Washington Papers, Library of Congress. [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. /TT0 1 Tf In fact, there is no record of a "Fortune Freeman" in Danforth's company at all. 32, Image 104, via FamilySearch.org. If Freeman was Conant, was he promised freedom to join or was he merely hopeful that freedom could be a possibility? WebMost unit muster rolls did not specify the race of soldiers. A muster roll of 34 Creek Indians who arrived Jan. 27th, 1852. [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. Dedicated surgeons, capable nurses, a smallpox inoculation program, and camp sanitation regulations limited the death tolls. WebOn September 11, 1777, General George Washington was determined to prevent the British from capturing the American seat of government, Philadelphia. NARA M853, page 64, via Fold3.com. 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. [26] Muster roll of Lieut. "[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. Throughout the Revolution,the fightfor independencepermeated intoNative American tribes and alliances. But his assertions complicate understanding if Fortune Freeman and Fortune Conant were same person. More than 200 miles from his enlistment site in Boston, he may have chosen to start afresh in a new location. One of the men, Jonathan Overton, served in the North Carolina Continentals and lived to be 101, dying in 1849. The name Fortune Conant appears only in muster rolls. [5] John P. Resch. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 56,000 acres in 25 states! The records were acquired from the Massachusetts State Archives in Boston. Battle of Monmouth Without finding Fortune's name in any Conant family records, we are left with questions about his early life. 1 0 obj <> endobj 2 0 obj <>stream in history from Wheeling Jesuit University. Fortune Freeman, Pension No. If Freeman is the same man "on command" with Scammell, he undoubtedly fought at Yorktown. [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. Though monetary value depreciated as the war progressed, were bounty payments used to purchase his freedom? NJDARM: Collection Guide - Brandywine Battle The 15th Virginia Regiment was raised on December 28, 1775 in eastern, Virginia for service with the Continental Army. 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." Where did he come from? In the spring of 1818, an old man named Fortune Freeman appeared before the Mayor's Court of New York City. In 1777, British strategy included a plan to capture Philadelphia, the patriot capital. S 43,572, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. Monmouth has many notable connections but one of its most famous is the connection to the Rolls Family. [Muster rolls, etc., 1743-1787] - Archive [3] Jack D. Warren Jr., America's First Veterans (Washington, DC: American Revolution Institute of the Society of Cincinnati, Inc., 2020), 97. For the British, they were prepared about once every 182 days. Yet, they were present at every engagement and shivered through every winter. NARA M881, page 5, via Fold3.com. WebUnder Dearborn the 3rd regiment was at the Battle of Monmouth, where some of its most soldierly men participated. Payment records indicate payment through September 1824, but they end with no explanation. ET The Continental Army was integrated and included many patriots of African descent. 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 The Valley Forge Park Alliance maintains the Muster Roll Project and helps to inspire appreciation of and support for Valley Forge National Historical Park. Elnathan Haskell's Company in the 4th Massachusetts Regt. One of the most notable contributions came from the Oneida, who sent aid and a contingent of warriors to Valley Forge. Their individual stories are recorded below: BROWNE Thomas Aged 33 and baptised at Chardstock in 1651. Perhaps he was, and he simply misremembered the battle. 2021 Valley Forge Legacy Muster Roll Project. Freeman may have moved to Hingham to try and start a new life as maritime towns had generally more job opportunities than farming towns. [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. Included on those returns were the names of at least 755 Blacks serving in the ranks. American attack at the Battle of Monmouth on 28th June 1778 in the American Revolutionary War. "[18] But he also said he witnessed the surrender of General John Burgoyne following combat at the Battle of Saratoga, which took place in October 1777 in upstate New York. 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. The tribes closest to the American settlements along the eastern seaboard sided with the Patriots. He had served in Greenes third line of defense with the 2nd Maryland Regiment. WebThe muster rolls record the name, rank, military station and pay period of each soldier while they were with the regiment. The new British commander, Lieutenant General Henry Clinton, received orders to The final event Freeman explicitly mentioned in his pension application is the capture of Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis and his army, after the Siege of Yorktown, which lasted three weeks. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history. 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. Battle of Monmouth. Transportation problems made large-scale winter operations infeasible. It is likely that Freeman decided to stay in New York after his discharge. Did he feel a sense of pride in the idea of independence? If Freeman declared or received his freedom during the war, he most likely did not have a home of his own to return to. The Muster Rolls are neatly typed pages tightly bound in oversized books which require the use of a special overhead copying process. Their attack pushed the Americans out of the crossing. Aside from his own declarations, few records of his life exist before or after the war. In his pension, Freeman stated his discharge in 1780, which lines up with Conant's discharge. If Freeman had bounty bonds from prior service as Fortune Conant, they would not mature until 1785. 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. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. While encamped at Valley Forge, General Washington asked for a delegation of Oneida and Tuscarora warriors sent to his army. 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. [2] Freeman did not have a unique experience as a veteran in poverty. [20] Henry B. Carrington, MA, LLD, Battles of the American Revolution 1775-1781. Muster Rolls Recorded in the Monmouth Roll (the During the Battle of Brandywine, Washington attempted to prevent the British army from taking Philadelphia, the patriot capital. [13] The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. Paintings courtesy of Don Troiani,www.historicalimagebank.com. WebNOTE: The following information was transcribed from the original Muster Roll held at the National Archives and Records Aministration, College Park, MD. [29] Discharged on June 4, 1780, completing his three-year enlistment, Fortune Conant does not appear in any further military records.[30]. When Congress first passed the law, they expected fewer than 2,000 eligible applicants[5] and estimated that it would cost $155,000. ( )Tj However, recalling a wound at Brandywine, specifically, complicates understanding the story of Fortune Freeman. It is also worth noting that the dollars were paid in Continental dollars which were quickly depreciating in value. This process does not force the page flat, as in the usual He is currently a Supervisory Park Our FREE Virtual Teacher Institute is the can't miss online educator event of the summer. EMC Retrieved 29 May 2006. But if Freeman was not at Brandywine, was he still injured in the war? Six men are recorded as married and seven as single. Was he freeborn? endstream endobj 37 0 obj [/ICCBased 41 0 R] endobj 41 0 obj <>stream Valley Forge [3] Battle of Monmouth 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. 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. [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. 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 Records only give us a part of someones life, and sometimes they are misremembered, forgotten, or incomplete. As for Mary, why was she bound out, and when did her service start? John Cadwalader. Index card abstracts of accounts, muster and pay rolls, descriptive lists and accounts, etc. 2 . 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. 8.25 0 0 8.25 18 744.75 Tm Archive.org. Webbefore the battle of Sedgemoor. Battle of Monmouth 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. War of 1812 Service Records, 1812-1815 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 Archive.org. of soldiers who served in Massachusetts companies and regiments during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783. Muster rolls of the participating companies of American militia and minute-men in the battle of April 19, 1775, mostly from the archives of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, but a few from other sources " 78 p Photocopy Addeddate 2008-01-24 16:23:44 Call number 2735985 Dunmore made several more attempts to gain a stronghold on the colony but in It is possible that Fortune Conant, a young man who enlisted either enslaved or perhaps recently freed, later changed his name. 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. APPENDIX 1 5 for the period Nov. 1779 through Feb. 1780 with the notation, Discharged Jan[uary] 19, 1780. 30 [34] "To George Washington from Alexander Scammell, 16 November 1780," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-03961. Archive.org. 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. The Fortune Freeman who enlisted in the 4th Massachusetts and is discharged from the 4th Massachusetts, enlisted in March 1781 in Hingham, Massachusetts. S 43,572, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. 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. Section Two - Valley Forge Muster Roll An integrated military force representing the colonies was not exclusive to Washingtons main army. The warriors of these two tribes were among the last of Lafayettes forces to retreat across the Schuylkill River that day. [1] Fortune Freeman, Pension No. If the men are the same, Elijah Danforth is also the most solid connection we have to Billerica being Fortune Freeman's hometown. Muster Rolls & other Records of Service of Maryland Troops in the American Revolution 1775-1783 ((HTML)) (Reprint ed. Disease, not cold or starvation, was the true scourge of the camp. 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, Benedict Arnold. And sometimes, the paper trail ends without any conclusive findings. NARA M853, page 64, via Fold3.com. Peter Salem was a freed slave from Massachusetts who is known for mortally wounding British Major John Pitcairn during the fighting at Bunker Hill. Following this amendment, Freeman reapplied. [44] United States Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers, 1818-1872, Vol.