Middletown Revolutionary War Soldier Overlooked No More

MIDDLEFIELD, CT — A Revolutionary War veteran from Middletown is getting his just recognition at his now-honorable final resting place.

A grave-marking ceremony for Philemon Freeman, sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution, has been scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sept. 12 at the Old North Burial Ground on Jackson Hill Road in Middlefield.

For two centuries after his death in 1820, Freeman lay in an unmarked grave at the cemetery. His wife, Rachel, was nearby, also in an unmarked grave. In 2021, thanks to the efforts of the DAR's Wadsworth Chapter and member Bryna O'Sullivan, his service to the new nation was publicized and a "proper veterans" headstone was put into place.

He is being recognized as part of the region's America 250th events.

According to the DAR, Freeman, a Black man from Middletown, enlisted in the Second Connecticut Regiment of the Continental Army on April 22, 1779.

He returned to Middletown after the war and raised a family there, according to the DAR. He received a land grant for his service and a military pension.

The headstone was unveiled on. Aug. 28, 2021 by the Middlefield Historical society.