Private Peter Salem (October 1, 1750 August 16, 1816) was an American soldier who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Born into slavery in Framingham, Massachusetts, he was manumitted by one of his enslavers, Major Lawson Buckminster, to serve in the Massachusetts Militia. At the Battle of Bunker Hill, Salem was recorded as fatally wounding British Major John Pitcairn. He subsequently enlisted in the Continental Army and served for five years, seeing action at the Battles of Saratoga and Battle of Stony Point. Following the end of his military service in 1780, Salem married and worked as a cane weaver before dying in Framingham. A monument was erected to him in the late 19th century at his grave.BlackPast.org "Salem, Peter"

Early life Salem was born on October 1, 1750, to an enslaved mother in Framingham, Province of Massachusetts Bay.Smithsonian NMAAHCCelebrate Boston "Peter Salem" His enslaver was Jeremiah Belknap, American National Biography "Salem, Peter" who later sold him to Major Lawson Buckminster. When Buckminster became a major in the Continental Army, he emancipated Salem in 1775 so he could enlist in the Massachusetts militia in what soon became the Revolutionary War.

Salem's last name may have been given to him by his original enslaver Belknap, who may have chosen the name after Salem, Massachusetts, where he once lived. His last name may also be derived from the Arabic word "salaam", meaning peace.

Military service

Salem took part in the war's first engagement at the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. He is on the roll of Captain Simon Edgell's militia company from Framingham as having served four days from April 19, 1775.History of Framingham, p. 278. On April 24, he enlisted in Captain Drury's company of Colonel John Nixon's 6th Massachusetts Regiment.

Battle of Bunker Hill

Salem, another hero of this event, fought with his company in the Battle of Bunker Hill. According to Samuel Swett, who chronicled the battle, Salem had mortally wounded British Major John Pitcairn who died from a musket shot. This has been disputed. About a dozen other free African Americans took part in the battle, including Phillip Abbot of Andover Mass,Vital records of Andover Mass p,573 Barzillai Lew, Salem Poor, Titus Coburn,Died May 5,1821 age 81 Andover Mass Vital record .p.573 Alexander Ames, Cato Howe, and Seymour Burr.

Salem reenlisted for another year in the 6th Massachusetts Regiment on January 1, 1776. When that enlistment expired, he signed up for three years in the 6th Massachusetts Regiment of Colonel Thomas Nixon, a brother of Colonel John Nixon. Salem fought at the battles of Saratoga and Stony Point.Sidney and Emma Nogrady Kaplan, The Black Presence in the Era of the American Revolution, Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 1989 revised edition. He was honorably discharged on December 31, 1779, having served a total of four years and eight months.Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War. Vol. 13, pp. 743–744. Salem apparently extended his enlistment for two months and served with Captain Claye's company in the 6th Massachusetts Regiment from January 1 to March 1, 1780, which marked the end of his military service

Later life and death Salem spent the rest of his life living peacefully. He married Katy Benson in Salem, Massachusetts in September 1783, and he later built a cabin near Leicester, where he worked as a cane weaver.

Peter Salem died on August 16, 1816, aged 65. He was buried in the Old Burying Ground in Framingham, and the town spent $150 to erect a monument in his memory in 1882.

The Freedman's Bank of Boston for many years commemorated Salem's deeds by printing his picture on their bank notes.

Media portrayals At one time Salem was thought to have been depicted in John Trumbull's painting The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, June 17, 1775. Modern authorities differ. David BartonDavid Barton,Setting the Record Straight: American History in Black & White, WallBuilder Press; 1st edition (September 1, 2004), p.5 identifies Salem standing to Thomas Grosvenor's right. Professor David Brion Davis, citing evidence from Professor Sidney Kaplan, states that the African American to Thomas Grosvenor's right "was not Peter Salem".

Peter Salem is one of the supporting characters in the 2015 television miniseries Sons of Liberty. He is played by British actor Jimmy Akingbola.IMDb "Sons of Liberty: The Uprising"

References

Sources

"Peter Salem", Celebrate Boston website, article about role in Battle of Bunker Hill "Peter Salem", African American Registry Identifying the Soldier Named “Salem”, Boston 1775 blog

External links