Robin Starr - Revolutionary War Hero & Enslaved Man

Memorial
Written By John Mills

As you may already know, my non-profit, The Alex Breanne Corporation, has been working with 7th grade students in Cornwall, CT to get a cenotaph installed for Robin Starr. Robin was enslaved to a man named Josiah Starr in Danbury, serving in the Revolutionary War while he was enslaved. He purchased his freedom in the middle of the war for a total of £40, the equivalent of approximately $12,000 today. He then received the medal of military merit from George Washington... one of only 3 men from Connecticut to have ever received this honor. He would go on to own land and raise a family. 3 of his grandsons fought with the 29th Connecticut Colored Regiment during the Civil War... two of them were wounded (one shot in the face) and the other died. Also, his 16-year-old Great-Grandson died with the 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Regiment.

Last night, I paid a pretty penny at auction to purchase a 1782 pay bond issued to Robin for his Revolutionary War service. This artifact is now added to our Alex Breanne Corporation collection.

At some point, we will determine what to do with our collection, but for now, I'm incredibly happy this history is now outside of monetization and exploitation... residing now in the hands of descendants of the enslaved.

I believe Robin Starr's story should be front and center in 250th celebrations. Please let me know if you would like additional information on this incredible family.

Thank you and God Bless.

John

John Mills

Originally from San Diego, John Mills is a technologist by trade, but an equity advocate and independent scholar by passion. The descendant of both southern and northern enslaved, John focuses on unearthing little known people and stories of this country’s history in slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. John presents research through the lens and perspective of a descendant, with intent to inspire understanding and empathy, a means to inspire good, God fearing people, now armed with information, to look into whether they may be unwittingly aligning to biases resulting from the reverberating effects of a past time. John is a member of the Connecticut Freedom Trail and a member of the Webb Deane Stevens Museum Council. John is also working with an international team funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in an effort to deliver transformational impact on digital methods in cultural institutions...a means to decolonize museums. Finally, John is working with the state of Connecticut, business leaders and scholars in Middletown, CT to honor and memorialize a former enslaved individual by the name of Prince Mortimer.

https://alexbreanne.org
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