Caesar Cambridge

Bio

Caesar was enslaved by David Mitchell of South Hadley, Massachusetts.  On March 6, 1778, the day after he enlisted in the Continental Army, he purchased his freedom from Mitchell:

David Mitchell of that town [South Hadley], gave his negro man, Caesar Cambridge, his freedom, in consideration of 85 pounds paid in cash, and of an order for his wages in a cruise in the brig Defence, supposed to be 40 pounds. The 125 pounds may have been equal to 100 silver dollars, which the negro had earned, partly, if not wholly, in the service of his country. The emancipating paper was recorded. (History of Hadley, Massachusetts, Sylvester Judd, pg. 410)

Caesar appears in a list of “Inlisted Privates” on "A muster Roll of Captain Joshua Benson’s Company, in the 5 Battalion of the Mass^sts Bay Forces in the service of the United States, Commanded by Col Rufus Putnam Taken for Sep^r  1779."

Military Service

• June 30, 1778; enlisted as a private in Capt. Samuel Cook’s Co. and Capt. Moses Montague’s Co. , Col. Elisha Porter’s regt.
• Sept. 1778; Capt. Joshua Benson’s Co., Col. Rufus Putnam’s regt., served for 3 years
• said to have served on the ship, the "Defence”, which sailed in July of 1779 to Fort George on the Penobscot Bay in Maine, as part of a failed siege
• Oct. 1779; transferred from Putnam’s regt. to Capt. Moses McFarland’s Invalid Regt.; in Boston as of Oct. 4, 1779
• Jan. 1- May 15, 1780; Capt. Moses McFarland’s Invalid Regt. 
• 1780?; discharged