Poor, Salem (1740’s?-1802), was an African American soldier who became a hero at the Battle of Bunker Hill. The battle, actually fought at nearby Breed’s Hill, was one of the first battles of the American Revolution (1775-1783). The battle was fought on June 17, 1775, near Boston. See Bunker Hill, Battle of . Another black patriot, Peter Salem, probably fought in the same battle, and some stories confuse the two.
Poor was born a slave in Andover, Massachusetts, probably in the 1740’s. He bought his freedom in 1769. In May 1775, Poor enlisted in the Continental Army. On June 16, 1775, he was sent to assist the building of fortifications at Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Few details are known about Poor’s actions during the battle. He is believed to have killed the British Lieutenant Colonel James Abercrombie in Charlestown.
In December 1775, 14 white officers present at the battle, including the American commander Colonel William Prescott, petitioned Massachusetts to recognize Poor’s outstanding service at Charlestown. Of the thousands of American soldiers who fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill, Poor was the only soldier singled out for such recognition.
Poor also fought in Revolutionary War battles at White Plains, New York, in 1776; Saratoga, New York, in 1777; and Monmouth, New Jersey, in 1778. He camped with General George Washington’s troops in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in the winter of 1777 and 1778. Poor was probably discharged in 1780. It is believed that he married several times and died in poverty in 1802.
See also African Americans (Colonial times) ; Salem, Peter .
