ADONIA K. SMITH: Thomas Freeman: A soldier’s service

kAmpD @FC ?2E:@? >2C@?E9 H:E9 >J 5@8[ q2J=66[ E@ G:D:E 2 D>2== 46>6E6CJ @? q6CCJ r@==686’D |@F?E2:? r2>AFD :? #@>6] %96C6[ x 42>6 24C@DD 2 H62E96C65 >:=:E2CJ 9625DE@?6 362C:?8 E96 ?2>6 @7 %9@>2D uC66>2?[ 2 >2? 3@C? :?E@ D=2G6CJ H9@ =2E6C D6CG65 :? E96 &?:@? pC>J 5FC:?8 E96 r:G:= (2C]k^Am kAmp=D@ %9@>2D uC66>2?[ 96 H2D 3@C? 2C@F?5 `gac 2?5 5:65 pAC:= `g[ `ghb[ 2E 23@FE eh] $E2?5:?8 36D:56 9:D 8C2G6[ x H@?56C65 23@FE E96 92C5D9:AD 96 6?5FC65 2?5 E96 C6>2C<23=6 ;@FC?6J 7C@> 6?D=2G6>6?E E@ >:=:E2CJ D6CG:46]k^Am kAm|J :?E6C6DE :? %9@>2D uC66>2? 3682? H:E9 2 D62C49 7@C E96 @=56DE J D6CG:46 2?5 C@=6 :? 7@F?5:?8 uC66>2?E@H? :?EC:8F65 >6] x H2?E65 E@ =62C? >@C6 23@FE E96 >2? 369:?5 E96 9625DE@?6 2?5 D92C6 9:D A=246 :? @FC ?2E:@?’D 2?5 =@42= 9:DE@CJ]k^Am kAm%9@>2D’D E:6D E@ u=@J5 r@F?EJ 3682? F?56C 5:77:4F=E 4:C4F>DE2?46D] p44@C5:?8 E@ q6CCJ r@==686 C6D62C49[ y@9? #] uC66>2?[ E96 72C>6C H9@ 6?D=2G65 %9@>2D[ 2?5 9:D H:76[ |2CJ w2>:=E@? uC66>2?[ >@G65 E@ u=@J5 r@F?EJ :? E96 62C=J `gd_D[ 3C:?8:?8 %9@>2D[ 9:D H:76 w6?C:6EE2[ 2?5 @E96C 6?D=2G65 A6@A=6 H:E9 E96>] %9@>2D 2?5 w6?C:6EE2 925 >2CC:65 ?62C |:==6586G:==6 :? `gcf[ 3FE =:<6 >2?J 6?D=2G65 4@FA=6D[ E96J 925 =:EE=6 4@?EC@= @G6C E96:C =:G6D] |@C6 E92? 2 564256 =2E6C[ E96 r:G:= (2C H@F=5 3C:?8 2 AC@7@F?5 492?86[ 8:G:?8 %9@>2D E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ D6CG6 :? E96 &?:@? pC>J 2?5 368:? D92A:?8 9:D @H? 7FEFC6]k^Am kAmp=E9@F89 v6@C8:2 H2D A2CE @7 E96 r@?7656C24J[ &?:@? 7@C46D @44FA:65 #@>6 :? `gec] %92E DF>>6C[ E96 ccE9 &?:E65 $E2E6D r@=@C65 x?72?ECJ C64CF:E65 q=24< >6? 7C@> E96 2C62] %9@>2D 6?=:DE65 2D 2 AC:G2E6 :? r@>A2?J x @? yF?6 b_[ `gec[ 2?5 C6>2:?65 :? #@>6 5FC:?8 yF=J 2?5 pF8FDE[ A6C7@C>:?8 >:=:E2CJ 5FEJ 2D 2 3=24:E9] u@C D@>6@?6 H9@ 925 DA6?E >F49 @7 9:D =:76 6?D=2G65[ ;@:?:?8 E96 &?:@? pC>J >2C<65 2 D:8?:7:42?E EFC?:?8 A@:?E]k^Am kAmw:D >:=:E2CJ D6CG:46 D@@? 3C@F89E 92C5D9:A] x? `gec[ r@?7656C2E6 7@C46D 42AEFC65 %9@>2D 2?5 9F?5C65D @7 @E96C q=24< D@=5:6CD H96? E96 &?:@? 82CC:D@? 2E s2=E@? DFCC6?56C65] (9:=6 H9:E6 D@=5:6CD C646:G65 A2C@=6D[ >2?J q=24< 6?=:DE65 >6? 72465 C6\6?D=2G6>6?E @C 7@C465 =23@C] %9@>2D DFCG:G65 42AE:G:EJ 3FE 3642>6 D6C:@FD=J :==] p44@C5:?8 E@ 9:D A6?D:@? C64@C5D[ 9:D 7@C>6C 6?D=2G6C 2CC2?865 9:D EC2?DA@CE2E:@? E@ |6C:H6E96C r@F?EJ 2?5 D64FC65 >65:42= 42C6 7@C 9:>]k^Am kAm%9@>2D 6G6?EF2==J C64@G6C65 2?5 C6EFC?65 E@ u=@J5 r@F?EJ :? =2E6 `ged] w:D >:=:E2CJ D6CG:46 @77:4:2==J 6?565 H96? 96 H2D >FDE6C65 @FE :? `gee] %96 H2C H2D @G6C[ D=2G6CJ 925 366? 23@=:D965[ 2?5 2 ?6H 492AE6C @7 9:D =:76 H2D 368:??:?8]k^Am kAmx? E96 J62CD E92E 7@==@H65[ %9@>2D 6DE23=:D965 9:>D6=7 2D 2 3=24:E9 2?5 72C>6C H9:=6 96 2?5 w6?C:6EE2 C2:D65 E96:C 72>:=J] x? `gf` 96 2?5 |625 uC66>2?[ 36=:6G65 E@ 92G6 366? 9:D 72E96C[ AFC492D65 g_ 24C6D 7@C S`b_] %9@>2D 3642>6 @?6 @7 E96 7@F?56CD @7 uC66>2?E@H?[ 2 4@>>F?:EJ H96C6 7@C>6C=J 6?D=2G65 72>:=:6D 4@F=5 @H? =2?5 2?5 3F:=5 =:G6D @7 E96:C @H?] qJ E96 E:>6 @7 9:D 562E9 :? `ghb[ 96 @H?65 bg_ 24C6D :? u=@J5 r@F?EJ[ 2? 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ 244@>A=:D9>6?E 7@C D@>6@?6 H9@ 925 2CC:G65 E96C6 6?D=2G65]k^Am kAmuC66>2?E@H? 8C6H :?E@ 2 E9C:G:?8 4@>>F?:EJ @7 9@>6D[ 72C>D[ 72>:=:6D[ 2?5 uC66>2?D r92A6= |6E9@5:DE tA:D4@A2= r9FC49] {62C?:?8 23@FE :ED 9:DE@CJ >256 >6 E9:?< @7 r9F33E@H?[ E96 4@>>F?:EJ H96C6 x =:G6] p=E9@F89 6249 92D :ED @H? 5:DE:?4E DE@CJ[ 3@E9 C67=64E E96 56E6C>:?2E:@? @7 q=24< 72>:=:6D H9@ AFE 5@H? C@@ED 2?5 4C62E65 @AA@CEF?:E:6D 7@C 7FEFC6 86?6C2E:@?D] q6EH66? `h`e 2?5 `hae[ q6CCJ $49@@=D AFC492D65 =2?5 7C@> >6>36CD @7 E96 uC66>2? 72>:=J[ 2?5 uC66>2?E@H? 8C25F2==J 72565 7C@> E96 =2?5D42A6] xED 46>6E6CJ C6>2:?D 2 E2?8:3=6 =:?< E@ E96 A6@A=6 H9@ @?46 =:G65 E96C6[ H9:=6 2 9:DE@C:42= >2C<6C 565:42E65 @? q6CCJ’D 42>AFD :? a_`c 96=AD AC6D6CG6 E96 4@>>F?:EJ’D >6>@CJ]k^Am kAm(2?E:?8 E@ AFE 2 7246 E@ E96 ?2>6[ x C624965 @FE E@ q6CCJ r@==686 2?5 r96CJ= uC66>2? $?:A6D @7 E96 uC66>2?E@H? w:DE@C:42= u@F?52E:@? :? 9@A6D @7 7:?5:?8 2 A9@E@8C2A9 @7 %9@>2D] r96CJ= E@=5 >6 D96 H2D ?@E 2H2C6 @7 2?J 6I:DE:?8 A9@E@8C2A9 @7 9:>] (9:=6 9:D :>286 >2J 36 =@DE E@ 9:DE@CJ[ 9:D =:76 DE@CJ DFCG:G6D E9C@F89 9:DE@C:42= C64@C5D[ >:=:E2CJ 5@4F>6?ED[ 2?5 E96 4@>>F?:EJ 96 96=A65 3F:=5]k^Am kAmpD H6 9@?@C @FC G6E6C2?D 5FC:?8 p>6C:42’D ad_E9 2??:G6CD2CJ J62C[ x 9@A6 H6 C6>6>36C >6? =:<6 %9@>2D uC66>2?] w:D D6CG:46 96=A65 AC6D6CG6 E96 &?:@?[ 2?5 9:D 56E6C>:?2E:@? 96=A65 3F:=5 2 4@>>F?:EJ E92E 6?5FC65 7@C 86?6C2E:@?D] x’> 8=25 >J D62C49 =65 >6 E@ 9:D 8C2G6 2?5 82G6 >6 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ D92C6 E96 DE@CJ @7 2 >2? H9@D6 =:76 2?5 4@?EC:3FE:@?D D9@F=5 ?6G6C 36 7@C8@EE6?]k^Am