BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY Peter Salem (circa 1750–August 16, 1816) was an African American who served as a soldier in the American Revolutionary War.[1] He was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, a slave of Jeremiah Belknap. Salem was later sold to Lawson Buckminster, who gave him his freedom to enlist in the Continental Army.[2][3]
Military service
Peter Salem was given his freedom by Major Lawson Buckminister to join the military and took part in the battle of Concord on April 19, 1775. He appears on the roll of Captain Simon Edgell's company of militia from Framingham as having served 4 days from April 19, 1775.[4] On April 26, he enlisted in Captain Drury's company of Colonel John Nixon's 6th Massachusetts Regiment.
Battle of Bunker Hill
Salem served with his regiment in the Battle of Bunker Hill where he fired his last shot and killed British Marine Major John Pitcairn. Other free African Americans in the battle wereBarzillai Lew, Salem Poor, Titus Coburn, Alexander Ames, Cato Howe, and Seymour Burr.
Salem reenlisted for one year on He was honorably discharged from the Continental Army on December 31, 1779 with four years and eight months service.[5]
In addition to Bunker Hill, Salem also fought at the battles of Saratoga and Stony Point.
Later life and death
After his discharge, Salem lived in Salem, Massachusetts and married Katy Benson in September 1783. He later built a cabin near Leicester, MA, where he worked as a cane weaver. On August 16, 1816 at the age of 66, he died in the poorhouse at Framingham. He was buried in the Old Burying Ground in Framingham. In 1882, the town of Framingham erected a gravestone monument in his memory.
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