Cuff Saunders (abt. 1750 - 1788)

Born about 1750 in Nederlands-Guiana [uncertain]

Husband of Phyllis (Hinckley) Tattoon — married May 1783 (to 1788) in Lebanon, New London, Connecticut, United States

Died Dec 1788 at about age 38 in Lebanon, New London, Connecticut, United States

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Biography

Cuff Saunders is Notable.

Private Cuff Saunders served with 4th Connecticut Regiment (1777), Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Cuff was born about 1750. If he was born in Guyana, it would have been ruled by the Netherlands at that time. He passed away in 1788.

Slaveowners

• Dr. Longrill of Hartford CT
• Israel Wyatt Wells of Colchester CT

Israel Wells freed Cuff on 15 May 1777 so Cuff could enter the US army.

Military

Cuff Wells enlisted in May 1777, receiving a bounty from Colchester CT. He served in the company of Capt. Jedidiah Hyde, 4th Regiment, until May 1781. From 1781-1783, he worked in the Army hospital at Danbury CT.

Occupation

Pharmacist. Known as "Dr. Cuff".

Family

In May 1783, Cuff married Phyllis, who was enslaved by Elizabeth Hinckley (wife of Charles) of Lebanon.

SON'S OBITUARY - 28 Jun 1839 Hartford Connecticut, page 2^[1] "Cuff Saunders, familiarly called Doctor Cuffe, went into the Revolutionary war with the late Doct. Philip Turner, deceased of Norwich, who employed Cuffe as an attendant in the hospital, where he acquired considerable skill, and used to practice physic after the war till he died. His wife, who was formerly the slave of Charles Hinckley, Esq. deceased, is now [1839] living in Lebanon, at a very advanced age. Their son, Prince Saunder ... was born in Lebanon, Conn., in February,1785."

Phyllis had a son named Prince, who was baptized in 25 July 1784 in Goshen Church in Lebanon CT.

Sources

1. ↑ Hartford Courant, June 28, 1839, Page 2. via Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant/19620051/ : accessed August 27, 2023), clip page by user KazKozlowski

• Brown, Barbara and James Rose, Black Roots in Southeastern Connecticut 1650-1900, published 2001, New London County Historical Society, p. 362
• United States Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Applications, 1800-1900, Pension of Cuff Saunders,; Residence Place: Connecticut; Pensioner's Name: Phillis Tatton;; Veteran's Name: Cuff Wells; Veteran's Military Service Branch: Connecticut; File Name: 2528; Pension Number: W. 18,103; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NSLT-R2X

• The Valley Forge Muster Roll, http://valleyforgemusterroll.org/

• https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/cuffee-wells

• https://www.gilderlehrman.org/news/former-slave-doctor-cuffee-saunders-1781

• Alexander, Leslie (editor). Encyclopedia of African American History, (ABC-CLIO, 2010)

• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775–1783, National Archives and Records Administration, Publication M881, Record Group 93.

• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, National Archives and Records Administration, Publication M804, Record Group 15.

• Horton, James O. In Hope of Liberty: Culture, Community and Protest among Northern Free Blacks, 1700–1860 (Oxford University Press, 1996)

• Greene, Robert Ewell. Black Defenders of America, 1775–1973 (Johnson Pub. Co., 1976)

• Obituary notices regarding Prince Saunders, The Colored American, June 8, 1839, and July 20, 1839.