Born in Africa about 1750. A slave who fought in the Revolutionary War from 1777 to 1780, in the 6th CT Regt. He was freed from slavery in 1782. He married Rhea and they had one daughter Katy, who married Robin Prim.
[ Freeman was a slave of Wallingford's Noah Yale, but more importantly he rose from that status to become a soldier, landowner, husband and father who personified perseverance.
In 1777, Yale offered Freeman emancipation in exchange for fighting as a substitute for his (Yale's) son who recently drafted to the war. Freeman took this opportunity to obtain his freedom and enlisted in the army on June 2 of that year. He served as a private in the 6th Connecticut Regiment. This regiment consisted of men mostly from New Haven County, and Freeman even found himself in the same company as a fife player from Wallingford. Dick Freedom, another black soldier from Wallingford, also fought in the 6th Regiment, but he was in Captain Mansfield's Company while Freeman fought in the company led by Major Eli Leavenworth.
During Freeman's three years of service with the 6th Connecticut Regiment, he found himself in some very trying situations. He spent the summer of 1777 at Peekskill, N. Y., training on the banks of the Hudson River.
Freeman then spent the winter of 1777 at West Point making fortifications around that area known as "Meigs Redoubt" named after the Commanding officer Return Jonathan Meigs, and then the following summer at White Plains where General Washington's army had formed a camp.
Companies of the 6th Connecticut Regiment were also involved in several conflicts along the Hudson River, including the Battle of Stony Point, where Americans attacked an important British fort.
Freeman was discharged from the army on April 25, 1780, and he returned to Wallingford shortly after. Freeman didn't receive his freedom right away, though. Instead, Freeman and Yale revised the original deal because Chatham wanted to marry Yale's slave, Rhea, but Yale would only allow this if Freeman would work for him an additional seven years. This certainly prolonged Freeman's quest for freedom, but he loved Rhea and was determined to start a family. Freeman agreed to Yale's offer and the marriage took place.
Contributor: Ross Kenney (50121446) ]
[ Freeman was a slave of Wallingford's Noah Yale, but more importantly he rose from that status to become a soldier, landowner, husband and father who personified perseverance.
In 1777, Yale offered Freeman emancipation in exchange for fighting as a substitute for his (Yale's) son who recently drafted to the war. Freeman took this opportunity to obtain his freedom and enlisted in the army on June 2 of that year. He served as a private in the 6th Connecticut Regiment. This regiment consisted of men mostly from New Haven County, and Freeman even found himself in the same company as a fife player from Wallingford. Dick Freedom, another black soldier from Wallingford, also fought in the 6th Regiment, but he was in Captain Mansfield's Company while Freeman fought in the company led by Major Eli Leavenworth.
During Freeman's three years of service with the 6th Connecticut Regiment, he found himself in some very trying situations. He spent the summer of 1777 at Peekskill, N. Y., training on the banks of the Hudson River.
Freeman then spent the winter of 1777 at West Point making fortifications around that area known as "Meigs Redoubt" named after the Commanding officer Return Jonathan Meigs, and then the following summer at White Plains where General Washington's army had formed a camp.
Companies of the 6th Connecticut Regiment were also involved in several conflicts along the Hudson River, including the Battle of Stony Point, where Americans attacked an important British fort.
Freeman was discharged from the army on April 25, 1780, and he returned to Wallingford shortly after. Freeman didn't receive his freedom right away, though. Instead, Freeman and Yale revised the original deal because Chatham wanted to marry Yale's slave, Rhea, but Yale would only allow this if Freeman would work for him an additional seven years. This certainly prolonged Freeman's quest for freedom, but he loved Rhea and was determined to start a family. Freeman agreed to Yale's offer and the marriage took place.
Contributor: Ross Kenney (50121446) ]
Born in Africa about 1750. A slave who fought in the Revolutionary War from 1777 to 1780, in the 6th CT Regt. He was freed from slavery in 1782. He married Rhea and they had one daughter Katy, who married Robin Prim.
[ Freeman was a slave of Wallingford's Noah Yale, but more importantly he rose from that status to become a soldier, landowner, husband and father who personified perseverance.
In 1777, Yale offered Freeman emancipation in exchange for fighting as a substitute for his (Yale's) son who recently drafted to the war. Freeman took this opportunity to obtain his freedom and enlisted in the army on June 2 of that year. He served as a private in the 6th Connecticut Regiment. This regiment consisted of men mostly from New Haven County, and Freeman even found himself in the same company as a fife player from Wallingford. Dick Freedom, another black soldier from Wallingford, also fought in the 6th Regiment, but he was in Captain Mansfield's Company while Freeman fought in the company led by Major Eli Leavenworth.
During Freeman's three years of service with the 6th Connecticut Regiment, he found himself in some very trying situations. He spent the summer of 1777 at Peekskill, N. Y., training on the banks of the Hudson River.
Freeman then spent the winter of 1777 at West Point making fortifications around that area known as "Meigs Redoubt" named after the Commanding officer Return Jonathan Meigs, and then the following summer at White Plains where General Washington's army had formed a camp.
Companies of the 6th Connecticut Regiment were also involved in several conflicts along the Hudson River, including the Battle of Stony Point, where Americans attacked an important British fort.
Freeman was discharged from the army on April 25, 1780, and he returned to Wallingford shortly after. Freeman didn't receive his freedom right away, though. Instead, Freeman and Yale revised the original deal because Chatham wanted to marry Yale's slave, Rhea, but Yale would only allow this if Freeman would work for him an additional seven years. This certainly prolonged Freeman's quest for freedom, but he loved Rhea and was determined to start a family. Freeman agreed to Yale's offer and the marriage took place.
Contributor: Ross Kenney (50121446) ]
[ Freeman was a slave of Wallingford's Noah Yale, but more importantly he rose from that status to become a soldier, landowner, husband and father who personified perseverance.
In 1777, Yale offered Freeman emancipation in exchange for fighting as a substitute for his (Yale's) son who recently drafted to the war. Freeman took this opportunity to obtain his freedom and enlisted in the army on June 2 of that year. He served as a private in the 6th Connecticut Regiment. This regiment consisted of men mostly from New Haven County, and Freeman even found himself in the same company as a fife player from Wallingford. Dick Freedom, another black soldier from Wallingford, also fought in the 6th Regiment, but he was in Captain Mansfield's Company while Freeman fought in the company led by Major Eli Leavenworth.
During Freeman's three years of service with the 6th Connecticut Regiment, he found himself in some very trying situations. He spent the summer of 1777 at Peekskill, N. Y., training on the banks of the Hudson River.
Freeman then spent the winter of 1777 at West Point making fortifications around that area known as "Meigs Redoubt" named after the Commanding officer Return Jonathan Meigs, and then the following summer at White Plains where General Washington's army had formed a camp.
Companies of the 6th Connecticut Regiment were also involved in several conflicts along the Hudson River, including the Battle of Stony Point, where Americans attacked an important British fort.
Freeman was discharged from the army on April 25, 1780, and he returned to Wallingford shortly after. Freeman didn't receive his freedom right away, though. Instead, Freeman and Yale revised the original deal because Chatham wanted to marry Yale's slave, Rhea, but Yale would only allow this if Freeman would work for him an additional seven years. This certainly prolonged Freeman's quest for freedom, but he loved Rhea and was determined to start a family. Freeman agreed to Yale's offer and the marriage took place.
Contributor: Ross Kenney (50121446) ]
Gravesite Details
It is believed he is buried in an unmarked grave in Broad Street Cemetery. In May 2008 this memorial was placed on the Broad St. grass median to the east of the cemetery (Memorial Boulevard).
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