battle of monmouth muster rolls battle of monmouth muster rolls

Bounty receipts: Suffolk, Essex, and Middlesex counties 1781-1782, Muster/Payrolls and Various Papers (1763-1808) of the Revolutionary War, Vol. It is possible that Fortune Conant, a young man who enlisted either enslaved or perhaps recently freed, later changed his name. [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/. [5] John P. Resch. [34] "To George Washington from Alexander Scammell, 16 November 1780," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-03961. 2y.-;!KZ ^i"L0- @8(r;q7Ly&Qq4j|9 Send Students on School Field Trips to Battlefields Your Gift Tripled! His bounty payments would not have hit their full value so soon after his first discharge. These included the companies of: Captain Daniel Smiths Company Robert Doacks Company of Militia Men in Michael Woods Muster District Men in Thomas Burks Muster District Garrisons at Elk Garden Fort Garrisons at the Glade Hollow Fort WebThe Marylanders also fought at the Battle of Monmouth (June 1778). But if Freeman was not at Brandywine, was he still injured in the war? Elnathan Haskell's Company in the 4th Massachusetts Regt. On December 31, 1783, Freeman received his honorable discharge from the 4th Massachusetts Regiment, having been enlisted for three years. 18 756 576 -39.75 re Fortune Conant's name also does not appear in any land records.[11]. 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. Aged and infirm, he could no longer work and support himself. N')].uJr WebFour muster masters were appointed to carry out the intent of the Provincial Congress. 0 -2.182 TD The Continental Army lost the battle and retreated, leaving Philadelphia in English hands, though most of Washington's troops survived. [28] Conant also appeared in a bounty note issued by the State of Massachusetts Bay on January 1, 1780. Disease, not cold or starvation, was the true scourge of the camp. 52, Part 2 (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 1986), 184, via Haithi Trust. Elnathan Haskell's Company in the 4th Massachusetts Regt. In 1779, while the war slowed to a stalemate, conditions for the Maryland soldiers deteriorated. 1850. x- [ 0}y)7ta>jT7@t`q2&6ZL?_yxg)zLU*uSkSeO4?c. R -25 S>Vd`rn~Y&+`;A4 A9 =-tl`;~p Gp| [`L` "AYA+Cb(R, *T2B- In February 1781, the unit merged with the 2nd Rhode Island. His paper trail then goes blank until 1783. John Cadwalader. 9 0 0 9 5 779 Tm Left Valley Forge with 306 assigned, 194 fit for duty. Muster Rolls & other Records of Service of Maryland Troops in the American Revolution 1775-1783 ((HTML)) (Reprint ed. Certainly, hardship did occur at Valley Forge, but the encampment experience could be characterized as suffering as usual, for privation was the continental soldiers constant companion. Women followed the army to be with their husbands and contributed actively to the cause. Their attack pushed the Americans out of the crossing. 2011-05-16T09:36:31-04:00 The American Revolution's success was hard-fought by a diverse group of people. Valley Forge was not the darkest hour of the Revolutionary War; it was a place where an already accomplished group of professionals stood their ground, honed their craft, and thwarted one of the major British offensives of the war. When Fortune Freeman enlisted in 1781, it brought the guarantee of pay. And sometimes, the paper trail ends without any conclusive findings. Payment records indicate payment through September 1824, but they end with no explanation. NJDARM: Collection Guide - Again, though no "Fortune Freeman" is listed with Nixon's men, Fortune Conant is documented on record at White Plains on September 9, 1778, with Danforth's company in Nixon's regiment, a few months after the Battle of Monmouth. 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. Perhaps he was, and he simply misremembered the battle. )U!$5X3/9 ($5j%V*'&*r" (,!!0b;C2( I8/ During the 1781 campaign against British General Lord Charles Cornwallis, there are five Black veteran pension records showing service under the Marquis de Lafayette in the Virginia Battalion commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gaskin. The name Fortune Conant appears only in muster rolls. The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 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. 48, Image 88, via FamilySearch.org. The tribes closest to the American settlements along the eastern seaboard sided with the Patriots. At the time of his application, Freeman showed his dire need for financial help. [22] Fortune Conant, Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War. "Politics and Public Culture: The Revolutionary War Pension Act of 1818." WebThe fighting see-sawed back and forth under the brutal June sun for several hours. Where did he come from? It is also worth noting that the dollars were paid in Continental dollars which were quickly depreciating in value. The Muster Rolls are neatly typed pages tightly bound in oversized books which require the use of a special overhead copying process. [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. 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. He was the only officer, orginally An advanced force of some 4,000 American troops was allocated to attack the marching British Army and cut it in half. 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. Was he enticed by the hope for a new nation? 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. 68, Image 673, via FamilySearch.org. [24], At the end of May and beginning of June, the British returned to King's Ferry. 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. WebFrom 1878 to 1898, all muster rolls and pay lists are in WO 16. 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. APPENDIX 1 5 for the period Nov. 1779 through Feb. 1780 with the notation, Discharged Jan[uary] 19, 1780. 30 [6] Warren Jr., America's First Veterans, 97. [12] Henry Allen Hazen, History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register (Boston: A Williams & Co, 1887), 25. Records only give us a part of someones life, and sometimes they are misremembered, forgotten, or incomplete. Leavened by NARA M853, page 64, via Fold3.com. This series of battles and Nixon's presence in New York starting in July further support the idea that Freeman served at Saratoga and not Brandywine and witnessed a pivotal turning point in the American Revolution. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. One of the most notable contributions came from the Oneida, who sent aid and a contingent of warriors to Valley Forge. We were unable to find any birth record for Fortune Conant. Yet, they were present at every engagement and shivered through every winter. HyTSwoc [5laQIBHADED2mtFOE.c}088GNg9w '0 Jb John Cochran. And then later, records show that a "Fortune Freeman" enlisted in 1781 into the 4th Massachusetts, serving until discharge in 1783. While statistically most were of English descent, the ranks also included persons of African, American Indian, Austrian, Dutch, French, German, Irish, Polish, Portuguese, Prussian, Scottish, Spanish, and Swedish descent. Thomas Gibson, a free man of color from Guilford County, enlisted for two years service in 1781 and defended his home county that March. As for Mary, why was she bound out, and when did her service start? If Freeman declared or received his freedom during the war, he most likely did not have a home of his own to return to. Von Steubens hands-on training program helped the army become a more proficient marching machine. Elnathan Haskell's Company in the 4th Massachusetts Regt. For the British, they were prepared about once every 182 days. The Valley Forge Park Alliance maintains the Muster Roll Project and helps to inspire appreciation of and support for Valley Forge National Historical Park. [30] Records of Military Operations and Service: Officers and Enlisted Men. Is it possible these two different identities tell the same story? Monmouth has many notable connections but one of its most famous is the connection to the Rolls Family. However, recalling a wound at Brandywine, specifically, complicates understanding the story of Fortune Freeman. S 43,572, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. There is no record of an African American serving higher than the rank of corporal in the main army. 27, Image 523, via FamilySearch.org. WebMuster Roll of Capt. [44] Freeman may have died in September, possibly between the ages of 64 and 77. WebFeversham learnt of Monmouth's march eastwards on the afternoon of June 26 and ordered all the Royal forces and militia to muster at Bath. 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. Throughout his pension testimony, Freeman only names one company captain that he served under Captain Danforth. WebPension Rolls and Correspondence (1790-1846) RG 1800.066 Revolutionary War Records (3 boxes) Box 1 Revolutionary War Records, Accounts, 1776-1807 (23 folders) In Fortune Freeman's testimony about his Revolutionary war service, he remembered enlisting under a Captain Elijah Danforth in 1776. 2011-05-16T09:36:32-04:00 The battle on Bunker's Hill took place on June 17th, 1775 and was one of the crowning victories for the 38th and the whole of the British army. Join us online July 24-26! Of those whose aged are known, the youngest was 23, the oldest 48 and the average 34. ([5/16/2011 9:36:32 AM])Tj The new British commander, Lieutenant General Henry Clinton, received orders to Their roles in Washingtons army included pioneer duties, such as constructing fortifications and clearing roads to musicians, guides, spies, and rank-and-file infantrymen. Hazen, History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register, 239. EMC Without finding Fortune's name in any Conant family records, we are left with questions about his early life. (file:///M|/highpoint/webdocs/state/darm/darm2011/guides/guides%20for%20p\ df/sdea1004.html)Tj Examining the possible connection between Fortune Conant and Fortune Freeman can help uncover potential motivations Freeman had for enlisting in the war. Political, religious, and personal ties, however, led some tribes to support the patriots. Following this amendment, Freeman reapplied. Webbefore the battle of Sedgemoor. ET Civil War and Interregnum soldiers 1642-1660 9.1 General He appeared on muster rolls for York Hutts, an encampment in New Jersey, from November 1781 to January 1782. "[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. According to military records, Conant stayed with his company in Nixon's regiment throughout 1779, moving to various positions to keep British forces contained within New York City. [31] Muster/payrolls, and various papers (1763-1808) of the Revolutionary War, Vol. 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. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Furthermore, Fortune Freeman presented a discharge from the 4th Massachusetts, but Danforth's company served in what later became numbered the 6th Massachusetts. While Wayne wanted to press the attack, Washington demurred, believing that his men were beat out and with heat and fatigue.. The 3rd then wintered near Danbury, Connecticut. Journal of the Early Republic 8, no. "Forten" Conant first appears on a list of men mustered by Colonel James Barrett, muster master of Middlesex County, on May 16, 1777. WebThe muster rolls record the name, rank, military station and pay period of each soldier while they were with the regiment. The Black private joined thousands of other veterans in a post-war exodus from their home states. He stated that he continued to serve in the same regiment until his honorable discharge in 1783. Who were his parents? Within two months, however, Washington reversed this decision, and despite many attempts to block Blacks from serving their country, hundreds of Blacks enlisted nonetheless. WebWhile the British had escaped, the Americans claimed victory in the Battle of Monmouth and Washington was lauded for his bravery. Might this be the same Fortune Freeman who later reenlisted, and eventually filed for a pension? 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. Cuffee Wells is just one example. There were enough kids to make TWO companies! Commanded the Grenadier Company of the Rangers from August 6, 1776 to October 24, 1778. [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. [6] Congress estimated wrong. Remarkably, one of the soldiers (a New Jersey 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. WebCountless hours were spent scouring muster rolls, hospital records, and other primary source documents in an effort to identify the soldiers. 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. 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. Included on those returns were the names of at least 755 Blacks serving in the ranks. 53. Many recent European arrivals sought fortune and honor by enlisting in the regiments of the states they now called home. It is likely that Freeman decided to stay in New York after his discharge. uuid:3d7d0c57-d1b8-4aa6-b03e-56b0d8f90c70 The main military force, which coalesced under General George Washington as the Continental Army, was not an integrated army until 1776. However, no records indicate that a Fortune with the surname "Freeman" ever served under Danforth. When he returned to Massachusetts, he may have been able to finally claim freedom for himself. p. 736 pgs. The Valley Forge Muster Roll for December 1777 to June 1778 indicated that 20 to 30 members of Sheldons Regiment were still at Valley Forge at that time, battle of monmouth muster rolls https://iccleveland.org/wp-content/themes/icc/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg 150 150 ICC ICC Subscribe to the American Battlefield Trust's quarterly email series of curated stories for the curious-minded sort! Did he have any other family? Peter Salem was a freed slave from Massachusetts who is known for mortally wounding British Major John Pitcairn during the fighting at Bunker Hill. ). When troubles threatened with the Colonies, the 38th was one of the first corps despatched from Ireland to America. Even in Washingtons home ofVirginia, Blacksoldiers fought in Virginia units. Nevertheless, perhaps he encountered difficulties with work, and his bounty monies did not hold out as long as he had hoped. 2 (1988): 13958. "[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. [35] "From George Washington to Alexander Scammell, 17 May 1781," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05812. Militia, United States -- History Revolution, Sign up for our quarterly email series highlighting the environmental benefits of battlefield preservation. 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. Perhaps the most important outcome of the encampment was the armys maturation into a more professional force. The army compensated full-time women followers for rendering such valuable services as laundering and nursing. "It required all claimants to submit documentation of their poverty to a court of record. Was he enslaved by the family? 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. of soldiers who served in Massachusetts companies and regiments during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783.