Caesar Bailey (Dickinson)

Quick Facts

Significance:

Patriot of Color at the Battle of Bunker Hill

Place of Birth:

Deerfield, Massachusetts(?)

Date of Birth:

Circa 1749

Date of Death:

Circa 1781(?)

The following is from the 2004 National Park Service study Patriots of Color researched and prepared by George Quintal:

Caesar Bailey was born circa 1749.^I The first known record of him is from the Hampshire County (MA) court records and is related as follows:

The…case involved John Williams and Cesar, slave to Nathaniel Dickinson. George Sheldon relates that John Williams charged Cesar on November 10, 1771 with stealing one gallon of West Indian rum belonging to John Williams. John Williams requested that a warrant be issued for Cesar “that he may be apprehended and dealt with according to law & as in duty bound.” The warrant was issued on December 2, and Cesar was arrested the following day. At his trial, “Titus negro” served as one of two witnesses in the case. The identity of Titus is unknown … it is unclear as to whether the slave or the master paid the fine and court costs.^II

Caesar remained the slave of Nathaniel Dickinson, a Tory, until ‘Caesar passed into the possession of Nathaniel’s brother, Samuel, when Nathaniel’s property was confiscated due to his Tory activities.’^III

He served at the Lexington Alarm from Deerfield in Capt. Jonas Locke’s company of Minute Men in Col. Williams’ regiment.^IV With thousands of others who appeared at Cambridge on the Alarm, he joined the eight month’s service in the company of Capt. Oliver Parker, in Col. William Prescott’s regiment.^V This company served in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the redoubt.

There is no record of any service from 1776 to 1780. On 3 April 1781 he enlisted and is shown on a descriptive roll^VI as follows.

age: 32
stature: 5 ft. 7 in.
complexion: black
hair: black
occupation: farmer
residence: Deerfield
enlisted: April 3, 1781
term: 3 years

For this term of service he is listed as ‘Baley, Caesar,’ the change of name indicating the distinct possibility that he had become free sometime between 1778 and 1781. The company and regiment are not listed. This is perhaps because he died in the service soon after this enlistment.^VII

Caesar married Hagar ____ in Deerfield MA on 16 January 1778. They are both listed as ‘servants to Samuel Dickinson.’^VIII There is no record of any children.

Footnotes:

1. Based on descriptive roll – see Footnote 6.
2. Moon, Jennifer. “Master and Servant: Slavery in 18^th Century Deerfield” (1987), 33. [unpublished manuscript in the Historic Deerfield Library collection; courtesy: Pockumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield, MA].
3. Ibid, 5.
4. Secretary of the Commonwealth. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War (1896-1908) 4:735, listed under ‘Dickenson.’ Also 2-CD Family Tree Maker^TM set “Military Records: Revolutionary War.”
5. Ibid 4:740, listed under ‘Dickerson.’ After the Battle of Bunker Hill, Capt. Parker left the service and command of the company fell to Lt. Nathaniel Sartwell.
6. Secretary of the Commonwealth. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War (1896-1908) 1:526. Also 2-CD Family Tree Maker^TM set “Military Records: Revolutionary War.”
7. United States Revolutionary War Pensions, NARA, Record Group 15, Series M804. 2670 rolls, Pension# R371, Roll 108, Frame 201, application of widow Hagar in 1842 at which time she resided in Pittsfield, MA.
8. “Church Records 1731-1810,” Box 4:75 (Pockumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield, MA). Also Vital Records to 1850. Births, Marriages and Deaths. Vols for most Massachusetts towns, Deerfield, MA, Marriages under “UNIDENTIFIED AND NEGROES.” Hagar is listed as ‘Oscar.’

Learn more about Quintal's study.