Last updated: October 11, 2024
Person
Cato Hart
Quick Facts
Significance:
Patriot of Color at the Battle of Bunker Hill
Place of Birth:
Framingham, Massachusetts(?)
Date of Birth:
Circa 1752
The following is from the 2004 National Park Service study Patriots of Color researched and prepared by George Quintal:
Cato Hart was born circa 1752I and honorably served his country for eight years, one of a select group of men to do so. He is the longest service of any man of color in this study.
He enlisted on 4 May 1775 from Framingham in the company of Capt. Thomas Drury, in Col. John Nixon’s regiment. He was stationed at Prospect Hill in July and Winter Hill in September.II
In 1776, he was engaged in the New York campaign in Capt. Micajah Gleason’s company, in Col. Thomas Nixon’s 4th Regiment, at North Castle (now Mt. Kisko NY) and was probably involved in the Battle of White Plains.III
In 1777, he enlisted in the Continental Army in Capt. Robert Allen’s company, in Col. Ichabod Alden’s regiment.IV This unit served in the Saratoga Campaign.
In 1778, the regiment was ordered to protect the New York frontiers. Upon continued assaults on border families by the Iroquois in the Cherry Valley area of New York, the regiment was ordered there to protect the inhabitants. The fort at Cherry Valley was attacked on 10 November 1778 and his Colonel was killed. Major John Brooks took command. In February 1779 he was stationed at Fort Herkimer. He was still in service in 1780 but his exact whereabouts is unknown.V
From February 1781 to June 1781, he was at West Point in Capt. Benjamin Warren’s company, in Col. John Brooks’ regiment.VI In July 1781, he was transferred to Capt. William Mills’ company at York Hutts and remained there through the end of the year. He was reported ‘sick in quarters’ in October and November 1781. By December 1781, he was ‘sick and absent,’ an indication that his sickness had gotten worse.VII During this time Gen. Benedict Arnold, commanding at West Point, defected. He was still sick in January 1781VIII but his health must have improved as he is listed on a descriptive roll on 20 February 1782:IX
age: 30 yrs (also given as 33)
stature: 5 ft. 3 in. (also given as 5 ft. 8 in. and 5 ft. 4 in.)
complexion: black
hair: black
occupation: laborer (also given as farmer)
residence: Framingham
Upon his discharge in June 1783 at the disbandment of the Army by Gen. Washington, he was awarded a Badge of Merit ‘for faithful service,’ being ‘entitled to 1 and 2 stripes.’X
Temple, in his respected history, tells us a little more about him:
...His residence in 1805 was Mendon [MA]. He received a deed dated Aug. 6, 1805, of 200 acres of land, being lot No. 12, in Mars Hill near the boundary between Maine and New Brunswick, “for patriotic services rendered in the Revolutionary War.” He assigned the deed to Jona. Maynard Esq. The grant was included in the tract which was surrendered to Great Britain by the Ashburton Treaty of Aug. 20, 1842. This lot, and the other granted lots and townships included within the said surrendered territory, were recently surveyed and located, and the titles obtained in some way, by a sharp claimant, who received from the United States Government large sums of money in payment for the same.XI
Footnotes:
- Secretary of the Commonwealth. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War (1896-1908) 7:373 per age on descriptive roll, listed as ‘Hart’ and ‘reported a negro.’ Also 2-CD Family Tree MakerTM set “Military Records: Revolutionary War.”
- Ibid 7:676, listed as ‘Hearts.’
- Ibid 7:373.
- Ibid 7:384, listed as ‘Harts.’
- Ibid.
- Ibid 7:674, listed as ‘Heart’; also 7:384-5 and 7:373.
- Ibid 7:676; 7:674; 7:385; 7:373.
- Ibid 7:674.
- Ibid 7:373.
- Secretary of the Commonwealth. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War (1896-1908) 7:674. Also 2-CD Family Tree MakerTM set “Military Records: Revolutionary War.”
- Temple, J.H. History of Framingham, Massachusetts … (1887), 324.