**Biographies**

**of**

**Patriots of Color**

**at**

**The Battle of Bunker Hill**

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**John Ashbow**

**Colony: Connecticut Age: 22**

**Race: Native American Status: Free**

**Rank: Private Position: Rail Fence**

**Unit: Putnam/Durkee**

John Ashbow was one of four brothers who fought in the American
Revolution. These brothers were Mohegan Native Americans who were born
in Norwich, Connecticut. Their father was Reverend Samuel Ashbow. John
was born around 1753 in Norwich. John was still single in 1775.

John enlisted in May 1775 and marched in the company of Capt. John
Durkee, in Colonial Israel Putnam's regiment. The company marched from
Norwich, Connecticut to Cambridge, Massachusetts shortly after the
Lexington and Concord Battles.

On June 16, 1775 they joined the other colonial regiments on Breed's
Hill. The Connecticut troops were stationed to guard the rail fence on
the northeast side of the hill. The Connecticut troops strengthened this
fence and held the British soldiers back on the first two attacks. On
the third attack the British Army were able to overtake the troops
guarding the fence and storm into the redoubt. John survived to continue
fighting until his discharge on December 16, 1775. His other brother
Robert joined later and died in 1776 during the retreat from New York.
There is no information on the fourth brother's name only that all four
did fight in the American Revolution.

John later married a woman named Ann whose last name is not listed and
they had at least three children. Their oldest son Moses was born in
1780.

**Samuel Ashbow**

**Colony: Connecticut Age: 29**

**Race: Native American Rank: Private**

**Status: Free Position: Rail Fence**

**Unit: Putnam/Durkee**

Samuel Ashbow was one of four brothers who fought in the American
Revolution. These brothers were Mohegan Native Americans who were born
in Norwich, Connecticut. Their father was Reverend Samuel Ashbow.
Samuel, Jr. was the oldest, born around 1746.

Samuel was married and a father when he joined the colonial militia in
1775. His son Joshua was born in 1773. His wife's name was not listed in
any records..

John and Samuel both enlisted in May 1775 and marched in the company of
Capt. John Durkee, in Colonial Israel Putnam's regiment. They marched
from Norwich, Connecticut to Cambridge, Massachusetts shortly after the
Lexington and Concord Battles.

On June 16, 1775 they joined the other colonial regiments on Breed's
Hill. The Connecticut troops were stationed to guard the rail fence on
the northeast side of the hill. The Connecticut troops strengthened this
fence and held the British soldiers back on the first two attacks. On
the third attack the British Army were able to overtake the troops
guarding the fence and storm into the redoubt. It is possibly during
this last attack that Samuel was killed.

Samuel became the first Native American to die in the American
Revolution. He was probably buried on Breed's Hill in a mass grave with
the many other men who died that day. John survived to continue fighting
until his discharge on December 16, 1775. His other brother Robert
joined later and died in 1776 during the retreat from New York. There is
no information on the fourth brother's name only that all four did fight
in the American Revolution.

**Caesar Bailey(His slave name was Caesar Dickinson)**

**Colony: Connecticut Age: 26**

**Race: African American Rank: Private**

**Status: Slave Position: redoubt**

**Unit: Prescott/O. Parker**

Many slave owners would enlist their slaves into the colonial militia to
serve in their place. Although Nathaniel Dickenson supported the British
government and remained loyal to the government during the American
Revolution, he still signed up one of his slaves to take his place in
the Deerfield militia. His slave Caesar was born into slavery around
1749 in Deerfield, Massachusetts. He worked as a farmer for Nathaniel
Dickinson. Like other slaves his last name was his master's name. When
he later became free he changed his last name to Bailey.

As a member of the Deerfield militia, Caesar fought in the Battles of
Lexington and Concord.. After April 19, 1775 Caesar joined thousands of
other men who went to Cambridge. He left the Deerfield militia and
joined Colonel William Prescott's regiment.

On June 17 1775 Caesar and the other men in Colonel Prescott's regiment
were stationed in the redoubt during the Battle of Bunker Hill. There is
no other record about Caesar's military service from 1776 to 1780, but
on April 1781 he enlisted and was described on the list of soldiers as a
32 year old black man, 5 feet, 7 inches, and a farmer. His last name was
Bailey which meant he was a free man now. He might have gotten his
freedom between 1778 and 1781. In 1778 he married another slave, Hagar
on January 16. They were both listed as slaves to Samuel Dickenson,
Nathaniel's brother. He died sometime after re-enlisting in 1781, but
the cause of death was not recorded.

His wife Hagar Bailey petitioned to receive money from the government as
a widow of an American Revolution veteran. There was no record of any
children.

**Pompey Blackman (Fortune/Freeman)**

**Colony: Massachusetts Age: 20**

**Race: African American Rank: Private**

**Status: unknown Position: unknown**

**Unit: Gerrish/Baker**

Pompey was born around 1755 and he has been identified as either Pompey
Fortune or Pompey Blackman until 1785 when he was known as Pomp Freeman.
The records were not very clear about whether or not he was born into
slavery and later gained his freedom. In the military records he
identified his job as a tanner's apprentice.

At age 20 he joined Colonial Gerrish's regiment from Concord,
Massachusetts in April 1775. He then switched to Colonial Loammi
Baldwin's regiment. He served throughout the American Revolution until
November 1, 1780. He fought at Lexington and Concord and Battle of
Bunker Hill and also joined the colonial troops in Roxbury blocking the
British Army from leaving Boston at the Boston Neck, the only land route
out of Boston.

After the British Army evacuated Boston on March 17, 1776 he then joined
a unit and fought under General Benedict Arnold on Lake Champlain. He
returned home in 1777, but rejoined to fight against the British Army in
northern New York. He served a three-year term in the 15^th^
Massachusetts regiment. He was discharged on March 10, 1780 but he
reenlisted and his final discharge was on November 1, 1780.

In 1782 he settled in Lexington as a tanner and was a member of the
First Congregational Church. He later moved to Jaffrey, New Hampshire to
work for an old friend, Amos Fortune who owned a tanning business. He
died on May 20, 1790 and is believed to be buried in the Jaffrey Center
Burying Yard near the Amos Fortune lot, but there is no gravestone with
Pompey Fortune on it.

**Cuff Chambers**

**Colony: Massachusetts Age: 37**

**Race: African American Rank: Private**

**Status: Slave Position: redoubt**

**Unit: Bridge/Furbush**

Cuff Chambers was born around 1738 in Massachusetts. Cuff was the slave
of Samuel Blanchard of Andover. There is not much information about
Cuff's early life, but there is a record of his marriage to Bette on
September 16, 1762. They were both listed as slaves.

Samuel Blanchard promised to give Cuff his freedom if he served in the
war. After the war, Blanchard was true to his promise and gave Cuff his
freedom. When he joined the militia he was listed as Cuff Blanchard.
After he was free, he changed his last name to Chambers. That was his
parents' name. Years later his daughter Elizabeth stated that her
father's name originally was Chambers, but that like other slaves he had
to use his masters' last name on any record. His daughter did not
provide any information about her grandparents to say if they were also
slaves.

In 1775 he joined the Andover militia after the Battle of Lexington and
Concord. His company marched to Cambridge in May, 1775. Cuff's militia
was called "eight month's men" due to how long they would be enlisted.
Cuff was one of at least five men who were African American to serve in
Bridge's regiment.

Cuff fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill and helped to build the
redoubt. After the battle he and Bette moved to Amherst, New Hampshire
and then to Leeds, Maine. There is no information about what he did for
a living, but he was listed as a poor man requesting assistance in 1814
and received \$100 to assist him and his family. He and Bette had at
least five children born between 1775 and 1787. Elizabeth, their
youngest, was born in 1787. He died on June 8^,^ 1818 at the age of 80
and was buried in the Dead River Cemetery in Leeds on a bluff
overlooking the river. His grave was honored by the Sons of the American
Revolution and reads: "Pvt. Forbush's Mass. Co. Rev. war June 8, 1818".
PVT means he was a private in Forbush's company. His wife, Bette died on
January 26, 1839.

**Sampson Coburn**

**Colony: Massachusetts Age: unknown**

**Race: African American Rank: Corporal**

**Status: unknown Position: redoubt**

**Unit: Prescott/O. Parker**

Sampson Coburn' life is a mystery before 1775 and after 1776. There is
very little historical information about his life except in the military
records during 1775- 1776.

He joined the eight month's service in Cape Ann, Massachusetts on May
20, 1775. His date of birth was not listed, but he was identified as a
black man. He must have had some military experience because he was
given the rank of Corporal instead of Private in his company. All the
other African Americans and Native Americans who fought at Bunker Hill
were Privates except two who were a drummer and a fifer. Coburn joined
Colonel William Prescott's regiment.

His company fought in the redoubt during the battle. The military
records state that Coburn was given four cartridge boxes which is a
strong clue that he fought in the battle. Five days after the battle he
served on the main guard of troops surrounding Boston under Colonel
Loammi Baldwin.

His name only shows up two more times in the military records. On
October 31, 1775 his name was listed as receiving a coat or money equal
to the cost of a coat as payment. On January 2, 1776 he was on the list
of men who delivered "firelocks" (guns). He agreed to serve until April
1, 1776. After that date Sampson Coburn disappears from any records. His
life before May 1775 is still a mystery. The researcher did find in a
book called *Genealogy of the Descendents of Edward Coburn,* a birth
record of a "Samson Coburn" born on July 19, 1745 to Ezra and Thankful
Richardson. Why do his parent's have a different last name? Were his
parents slaves whose son became owned by a master named "Coburn?" More
mysteries to solve about Sampson Coburn who was the only African
American with the rank of Corporal at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

**Jude Hall**

**Colony: New Hampshire Age: 28**

**Race: African American Rank: Private**

**Status: Slave Position: unknown**

**Unit: Reed/Hinds**

Jude Hall was born into slavery around 1747 in Exeter, New Hampshire. He
was described as "a powerful man who could lift a barrel of cider and
drink it from the bunghole." His first master, Philemon Blake sold him
to Nathaniel Healey, but Jude did not like his new master, so he ran
away. He enlisted as a Private on May 10, 1775.

During the Battle of Bunker Hill, he was thrown "headlong by a cannon
ball striking near him." He survived the battle and continued fighting
throughout the American Revolution and was discharged in 1781.

Jude Hall probably fought at Ticonderoga and Trenton in 1777. His
regiment fought at the Battle of Hubbardton in Vermont on July 7, 1777
and his Colonel was captured. He also fought at Saratoga and Valley
Forge. He joined Sullivan's expedition against the Iroquois in the
summer of 1779. He fought in many battles until the end of the war. The
records do not list his New Hampshire regiment at the Yorktown during
the surrender of the British Army.

During the war he married a free woman Rhoda Paul in September 1785 and
they had twelve children. For his eight years of service he received
land on July 21, 1789 in Exeter. He built a small house for his family
on his land. His land had a pond called Jude's Pond. In the first U.S.
census in 1790 he was listed as "a head of household of five free people
of color."

Jude and Rhoda Hull experienced tragedies with their children. Three of
their four sons were kidnapped and sold into slavery. Jude Hall tried to
find them without success. His oldest daughter, Dorothy, married Robert
Roberts on December 15, 1805 and Roberts told the story about his three
brother-in-laws, James, William, and Aaron, being kidnapped to Judge
David Child in Boston on November 22, 1833 to petition help to find
them. Jude Hall did find out that James Hall was sold by his kidnapped
to a man in New Orleans. Aaron was kidnapped in Providence, Rhode Island
and forced to go to sea and never heard from again. William went to sea
as a free sailor, but was sold into slavery in the West Indies. He ran
away and he ended up in England. He sent news home of his captured and
freedom, but Jude Hall died before hearing this good news. Jude Hall
died on August 22, 1827 at the age of 80. He was buried in the northeast
corner of the old Winter Hill graveyard now called Winter Street
Cemetery.

**Barzillai Lew**

**Colony: Massachusetts Age: 31**

**Race: African American Rank: Private**

**Status: free Position: redoubt**

**Unit: Bridge/Ford**

Barzillai Lew was one of the free African Americans who fought at Bunker
Hill. He was born in 1743 in Groton, Massachusetts. His parents Primus
and Margaret Lew were identified as slaves, but must have gained their
freedom because by 1745 they moved from Groton to Dracut. A few men who
were slaves were allowed by their masters to hire themselves out to
other people and earn their own money. They would eventually save enough
money to buy their freedom. Mr. Primus Lew might have gained his freedom
this way, but there are no records to tell his story. Fortunately, his
son Barzillai is found in many town and military records.

Barzillai was identified as a free man who was always called "Zeal." He
grew up to be a big and strong man with an extraordinary talent as a
musician. He married Dinah Bowman in 1767. She was a slave; therefore,
Lew had to purchase her for \$400 English pounds. They eventually had
thirteen children. In 1775 they had three children, two boys and a girl.
On April 26, 1775 a third boy named Zirviah was born. His children's
names are very interesting: Zadock, Euebra, Reophas, Zimri, Eri and
Adrastus. The two children were named after their parents, Barzillai and
Dinah. Other children's names were Amy, Peter, Phebe and Lucy. Their
oldest, Zadock, was born on April 29, 1768 and their youngest, Adrastus,
was born on December 23, 1793.

When Lew joined the Chelmsford militia on May 6, 1775, he already had
military experience fighting in the French and Indian War at age 17.
When he returned from the French and Indian War he lived in Concord then
moved to Chelmsford in 1772.

Lew enlisted as a private in the eight months' service. The military
record described him as 30 years old and six feet. His job was cooper.
The record also said he was a fifer.

During the Battle of Bunker Hill his company was in the redoubt. Lew
survived the battle and remained in the militia through April 1776. He
must have returned back to work and did not join again until the
Americans needed more men to fight in New York in July 1776. He served
at Fort Ticonderoga until the defeat of the American fleet on Lake
Champlain under General Benedict Arnold. Many of the American soldiers
were discharged after that defeat, so Lew went back home to
Massachusetts.

After the American Revolution he, Dinah and their children settled in
Dracut. All of their children had a talent for music. Most of them could
play any kind of wind instrument or stringed instrument. They formed
their own band and performed at many events in the Dracut area and were
so popular that they performed in Boston and even in Portland, Maine.

He died January 18, 1822 at the age of 78 and is buried in the Clay Pit
Cemetery in Lowell.

**Jonathan Occum**

**Colony: Connecticut Age: 50**

**Race: Native American Rank: Private**

**Status: free Position: rail fence**

**Unit: Putnam/Durkee**

Fifty year old Native American Jonathan Occum joined Colonel Israel
Putnam's regiment on May 10, 1775. Like Barzillai Lew, Occum was a
veteran of the French and Indian War. He was identified in the military
records as a Mohegan from New London, Connecticut.

Occum fought with the other Connecticut regiments defending the rail
fence during the battle. His company marched to Cambridge and probably
arrived several days after joining. He fought throughout the war, but
there was not much information about his service after December, 1775.

After the war, he returned to New London and received 20 acres of land
given to veterans in 1790. He never married. His brother Sampson Occum
became famous as a Christian missionary of all the tribes of southern
New England.

The last time there was any record about Occum was in 1804 and he was
described as a single man whose brother was Sampson Occum. There are no
death records; therefore, where he is buried is a mystery.

**Joseph Paugenit**

**Colony: Massachusetts Age: 20**

**Race: Native American Rank: Private**

**Status: free Position: diagonal**

**Unit: Nixon/Drury**

Joseph Paugenit, a Native American, was born to Joseph and Zipporah
Paugenit and was baptized in Natick, Massachusetts on November 10, 1754.
Natick was the home of many Native Americans who had become Christians
and lived with English colonists for many years.

On April 24, 1775 20 year old Joseph joined the Framingham regiment.
Like many other men he enlisted as a private after the battles of
Lexington and Concord. He later fought at Battle of Bunker Hill with his
regiment.

He continued to fight in the war and fought at Battles of Harlem Heights
and White Plains in New York in 1776. He later fought at the Battle of
Saratoga and died on November 15, 1777. He could have been wounded
during the battle or died from smallpox. Many soldiers died from this
disease. He was probably buried in Albany, New York.

**Salem Poor**

**Colony: Massachusetts Age: 33**

**Race: African American Rank: Private**

**Status: free Position: redoubt**

**Unit: Frye/Ames**

Salem Poor was born a slave, probably in or around Salem, MA about 1747.
His first name most likely comes from where he was born or sold. He
belonged to John Poor, Jr., so he took on Poor's last name. It was
common at that time for slaves to be given names in this way. It is
believed he was purchased as an infant as part of a dowry. (the gifts
given from the woman's family when she gets married). Legend has it that
one of the grandmothers of the bride or groom brought the baby from
Salem to Andover, MA on her saddle as she returned to see the ships come
in.

Very little is known about Salem Poor's early life. Poor somehow managed
to earn money to buy his own freedom. He most likely took on extra jobs
in order to do so. He bought his freedom in 1769 for the price of 27
pounds, about a year's salary for an average working man at the time.
Two years later, in 1771, Salem Poor married Nancy Parker, a maid
servant to Capt. James Parker. Nancy was a mulatto, both of Native
American and African American blood.

In 1775, at the age of about 28, Poor enlisted in Colonel James Frye's
regiment. On June 16, 1775, Frye's regiment, along with two others, was
ordered to march from Cambridge to Charlestown. There were about 350 men
in Frye's regiment, and, with several hundred men from the other two
regiments, the group totaled about 850. Col. James Frye was not feeling
well, so Frye's regiment was led by Doctor James Brickett. After these
men had marched to Charlestown, and the officers had chosen Breed's Hill
to fortify, they then were instructed to build a redoubt, or fort, on
the top of that hill. They used pickaxes and shovels, and worked quickly
and quietly so as not to let the British army know of their plan. Poor
probably helped to build the fort.

We know that Salem Poor fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill. He, along
with other men, served at Fort George in upstate New York under Gen.
Benedict Arnold in 1776. He returned home in 1777, and rejoined the
local militia in Capt. Samuel Johnson's 1^st^ Andover Company. He joined
the Continental Army that same year for a three-year term, which meant
that he promised to serve in the army for three years. His unit served
at Saratoga, in New York, and spent the winter at Valley Forge, NY. In
1778 he continued to serve "near White Plains" (New York). In 1779 his
regiment was stationed at Providence, Rhode Island. We do not know how
much longer he lived after the war, when he died or where he was buried.

The most interesting and unusual thing about Salem Poor is what some
officers wrote about him just six months after the Battle of Bunker
Hill. In December of 1775, fourteen officers who fought at that battle
wrote up a petition to the General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony. In
that petition (or letter recognizing Poor's military service), they said
that "in the late Battle at Charlestown," a man from Colonel Frye's
regiment "behaved like an experienced officer" and that in this man
"centers a brave and gallant soldier." The petition does not tell us
exactly what he did to deserve this praise from the officers. It does
tell us, though, that Salem Poor was a brave soldier, and a hero of this
battle. No other soldier from the American Revolution received such
recognition.

**Cuff Whittemore (Cartwright/De Carteret)**

**Colony: Massachusetts Age: 24**

**Race: African American Rank: Private**

**Status: slave Position: Redoubt**

**Unit: Gardner/Locke**

Cuff Whittemore was born around 1751. Before the Revolution, he was
called Cuff Cartwright (or De Carteret) and was the servant of William
Whittemore. He enlisted in the eight months' service from Cambridge on
June 4, 1775 in Capt. Benjamin Locke's company, in Col. Thomas Gardner's
regiment. This company served in the Battle of Bunker Hill, where his
Colonel was mortally wounded and Lt. Col. William Bond took over
command. It is stated that Cuff:

> ... fought bravely in the redoubt. He had a ball through his hat at
> Bunker Hill, fought to the last, and when compelled to retreat, though
> wounded, the splendid arms of the British officers were prizes too
> tempting for him to come off empty handed, he seized the sword of one
> of them slain in the redoubt, and came off with the trophy, which in
> the few days her unromantically sold. He served faithfully through the
> war, with many hair-breadth "scrapes from sword and pestilence.

By May 1777, Cuff had reenlisted in the Continental Army for three years
under Capt. Isaac Pope, in Col. William Shepard's regiment. This unit
fought at Saratoga where Cuff was taken prisoner and ordered to take
care of General Burgoyne's charger for a few moments when he mounted him
and returned to the American Camp.

> . . . just before the capture of (Burgoyne) at Saratoga, he was
> ordered to take the General's favorite horse on morning to the brook
> for water. The American and British armies lay on each side of it,
> half a mile or so apart. After the horse had drank sufficiently, Cuff
> concluded to join the Americans, and dashing through the brook, while
> the British bullets flew thick at him, reached our lines.
>
> On April 1, 1818, Cuff applied for a U.S. pension, which was granted.
> In June 1820 he had to reapply in order to prove his need. He
> described himself as a "pauper" in Charlestown, "without any estate",
> and "very infirm and has not family and is unable to support himself".
>
> Cuff Whitemore died in Charlestown Ma on January 26, 1826. He is one
> of a very few men of color who was honored with an obituary notice.
> His was published in *Columbian Centinel* January 28, 1826.

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Across

2\. I was a talented musician.

> 5\. My tombstone reads: Pvt. Forbush's Mass. Co. Rev war
>
> June 8, 1818

10\. I was the only African American to have the rank of corporal

12\. I fought under Benedict Arnold at Lake Champlain.

Down

> 1\. I was the first Native American to die in the American Revolution.
>
> 3\. When I was captured at the Battle of Saratoga I stole General
> Burgoyne's horse and rode back to the American Camp.

4\. I was signed up by my Loyalist owner to take his place in fighting.

6\. After the war, I received the 20 acres of land given to veterans.

7\. I was a Christian Native American from Framingham.

8\. I was one of four brothers who fought in the American Revolution.

9\. Three of my four sons were sold into slavery.

Word List

> John Ashbow Jude Hall
>
> Samuel Ashbow Barzellai Lew
>
> Caesar Bailey Jonathan Occum
>
> Pompey Blackman Joseph Paugenit
>
> Sampson Coburn Salem Poor
>
> Cuff Chambers Cuff Whittemore

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