Kevin Johnson, in a still from a Connecticut State Library video.
The Oxford Historical Society will present Kevin Johnson as Jordan Freeman, an African-American servant of John Ledyard and the body servant of Col. William Ledyard in the Revolutionary War at the Great Hill United Methodist Church Hall, 225 Great Hill Road in Seymour. The program will take place on Saturday, November 16, at 2 p.m.
The donation for this event is $5. Students of all ages will be admitted free of charge.
Jordan Freeman was an actual person, a native of Old Lyme. Although he did not enlist himself, he witnessed key events of the War for Independence while with Col. Ledyard. Historians estimate the number of black soldiers in this war to have been about 5,000 men serving in militias, seagoing services and support activities, including nearly 500 from Connecticut. Some enlisted because they felt it was their duty; others because they were offered their freedom in return for satisfactory completion of a set period of service. The presentation is based on extensive research in the collections of the Connecticut State Library and the Museum of Connecticut History in Hartford.
Kevin Johnson is an employee of the State Library’s History and Genealogy Unit. He has been portraying Jordan Freeman for about 15 years. Previously, he reenacted the life of Private William Webb, a soldier in the Civil War, for 20 years, giving 688 presentations.
A question and answer period will follow Johnson’s performance, and refreshments will be served. For further information, call Nancy Farnum 203 888‑0230.
