Cato Prince was an African American man born in Marblehead in 1756. His birth date no longer known. Cato Prince was purchased by Capt. John Prince around 1768, when Cato was about 12 years old. According to Marblehead historian Samuel Roads Jr., Cato was enslaved by Captain John Prince until 1781 when he was emancipated. Cato Prince enlisted in the Continental Army between 1780-1781.
Cato Prince served in the Massachusetts 8th Regiment under Captain Smith’s company of Colonel Jackson’s regiment and witnessed General Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown. Cato Prince was honorably discharged in 1783 at the end of the war. Unfortunately, Cato Prince had lost his discharge papers, and friends of his had to verify for his service with the 8th regiment. When his companions from the 8th regiment confirmed their service was Cato Prince, he was free to leave –– and with that became a free man.
After the war, Cato Prince had married Durander Fowle of Marblehead in 1784. He appears in the Marblehead census in 1800 as being part of a five person household of free people of color. It is noted that Cato Prince had also married Sally Black of Salem in 1805, however there is no evidence of Durander Fowle’s death, therefore some historians believe that the Cato Prince who married Sally Black is a different Cato Prince.
Later in 1818, Cato Prince requested his war pension, which stated him to be an older man. Cato Prince’s pension application stated “has no family; is infirm and unable to do any kind of work” and “is supported by charity.” In turn, his application was approved. The "Marblehead Pension Roll of 1835" states that a Cato Prince in Essex County, Massachusetts received an annual allowance of $96 until his death on April 24, 1826, which is about $3,300 today.
Sources
- Hannigan, John. "Patriots of Color: The African and Native American Patriots of the Revolutionary War - Paper 4." National Park Service. Available at NPS.gov.
- Grundset, Eric G.. "Forgotten Patriots: African American and American Indian Patriots in the Revolutionary War." Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Available at DAR.org.
- Marblehead Museum. "Cato Prince and Durander Fowle Marriage Record." Marblehead Vital Records Marriage. Available at BIPOC Database of the Marblehead Museum.
- Marblehead Museum. "Pension and Death Record, April 24, 1826." Available at BIPOC Database of the Marblehead Museum.
Edited by Alisa Grishin