Cambridge Moore

Quick Facts

Significance:

Patriot of Color at Battle Road

Place of Birth:

Bedford, Massachusetts(?)

Date of Birth:

Circa 1752

Place of Burial:

Bedford, Massachusetts

Cemetery Name:

Olde Burial Grounds

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

Cambridge Moore born circa 1752^I and was the ‘Negro servant’ of Capt. John Moore of Bedford (MA).

‘Tradition states that Cambridge Moore accompanied his master, as a freed man, to Concord, on April 19, 1775...’^II If so, would have been a volunteer attached to this company (his name is not listed in the official military records for 1775).

He enlisted from Bedford (MA) for Rhode Island service on 10 May 1777, in Capt. John Minot’s company in Col. Josiah Whitney’s regiment. The roll dated ‘Warwick Neck’ gives his discharge date as 9 July 1777.^III With Gen. Burgoyne preparing to advance on northern New York, the call once again went out for soldiers to meet this serious threat. He enlisted from Dracut (MA) on 15 August 1777, in Capt. Stephen Russell’s company in Col. Samuel Bullard’s Massachusetts militia regiment. This unit fought at the Second Battle of Saratoga. He was discharged 30 November 1777 and allowed 240 miles travel home.^IV

On 20 February 1778, he enlisted in Capt. Edward Farmer’s company in Col. Jacob Gerrish’s Massachusetts militia. This unit served at Bunker Hill, Charlestown (MA), in guarding the prisoners capture at Saratoga. He was discharged 20 May 1778. He reenlisted on 25 July 1778 in Capt. Joseph Boynton’s compnay in Col. Nathaniel Wade’s Massachusetts militia regiment, serving at Rhode Island. On 6 November 1778 he was serving at North Kingston (RI). In late 1778 he served at East Greenwich (RI). His term expired 1 January 1779.^V

He enlisted in the Continental Army on 8 July 1780. His name appears on a descriptive roll dated 9 July 1780 at Springfield (MA):^VI

age: 25
stature: 5 ft. 6 in.
engaged for: Bedford

A 6 August 1780 roll places him still at Springfield and describes him as ‘a negro.’^VII He marched to camp under the command of Lt. Jackson of the artillery and was reported ‘a negro.’ On 25 October 1780 he was serving at Camp Totaway (NJ).^VIII

By January 1781 he was serving at West Point in Capt. Sylvanus Smith’s company in Col. Rufus Putnam’s 5^th regiment. His discharge was dated 8 January 1781. He reenlisted for three years on 1 March 1781. His name again appears on a descriptive roll:^IX

age: 28
stature: 5 ft. 6 in.
complexion: Black
eyes: black
occupation: farmer (also given laborer)
engaged for: Bedford

On 16 July 1781 he received a bounty from Bedford to serve in the Continental Army for three years.^X The details are recorded in the town history:

Class 1. Capt, John Moore, chairman; provided a negro called Cambridge Moore (servant of the above), and agreed to give him, as a bounty, Twenty head of cattle, three years old, in case he continued in the service three years.^XI

At some point after the Revolution, he moved to Dracut (MA) where ‘he lived on Marsh Hill. His house stood at the corner of the old Proprietors road and the present highway near the reservoir. The well is still in existence but all traces of the house have disappeared.’^XII

He is buried in the northeast corner of the Olde Burial Grounds on Springs Road in Bedford. A stone monument marks the spot:

CAMBRIDGE MOORE
CAESAR PRESCOTT
CAESAR JONES
NEGRO SLAVES
SOLDIERS
IN THE REVOLUTION
1775 1783

Footnotes:

1. Birth date backwardly-computed, based on age in military descriptive
2. Brown, Louise K. Bedford [MA] a Revolutionary town (1975), 285. There is some disagreement on these points: Brown, Abram English. History of the Town of Bedford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, … to … 1891 … (1891), 31 states that there ‘is no evidence that any of the slaves of this town were permitted to accompany their masters to Concord on APril 19, 1775.’ Therefore the proof level has been sat at ‘?’ [service not proven but probable] rather than ‘+’ [service accepted by reason of a secondary source].
3. Secretary of Commonwealth. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War (1896-1908), 10:944; listed as ‘Moors.’ Also 2-CD Family Tree Maker^TM set “Military Records: Revolutionary War.”
4. Ibid 10:890; listed as ‘Mooar.’
5. Ibid 11:83-4; listed as ‘Morse.’
6. Ibid 10:904; listed as ‘Moor.’
7. Secretary of Commonwealth. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War (1896-1908), 10:916; listed as ‘Moore.’ Also 2-CD Family Tree Maker^TM set “Military Records: Revolutionary War.”
8. Ibid 11:3; listed as ‘More.’
9. Ibid 10:904.
10. Ibid 19:916.
11. Brown, Abram English. History of the Town of Bedford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, … to … 1891 … (1891), 27. This is in conflict with the previous statement in Brown, Louise K. Bedford [MA] a Revolutionary town (1975) that Cambridge was a ‘freed’ man.
12. Coburn, Silas R. History of Dracut Massachusetts … (1922), 339-340.

Learn more about Quintal's study.