Pompey Blackman

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 15th 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.

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