The patriot militia at the Battle of Bunker Hill was made up of roughly 2,500 to 4,000 men, mostly farmers and merchants. Among them were 150 patriots of color. These Black and Native American men contributed greatly that day in the fight against highly trained British Regulars.
Samuel Ashbow
Samuel Ashbow was a 29-year-old member of the Mohegan tribe and one of four brothers who volunteered, fought, and died in the American Revolution. On June 17, 1775, Ashbow helped fortify a rail fence critical to the defense of a redoubt on Breed’s Hill. He and the patriots held the line, driving back two assaults by the British. But they could not withstand a third assault. Ashbow was killed as the British overtook the redoubt. He was the first Native American killed in the war.
Salem Poor
Salem Poor enlisted in the 5th Massachusetts Regiment. His unit—which included other Black volunteers Titus Coburn, Peter Salem, and Seymour Burr—built fortifications at Bunker Hill and defended the construction of the redoubt. When forced to retreat, Poor aided the wounded before turning and firing one last shot that killed British Lt. Col. James Abercrombie.
Continental Army regimental commanders petitioned the Massachusetts Bay Colony General Court to recognize Poor’s heroism. They insisted he “behaved like an experienced officer…” and considered him a “brave and gallant soldier.” Poor would survive the winter at Valley Forge and the Battles of Monmouth and Saratoga. In 1780, he resigned and returned home as a free Black veteran.
