Private Alexander Quapash*

Private Alexander Quapash (1741 - 1776), of Indigenous heritage, was born in Wampanoag territory in 1741. He moved to Dedham and married an Indigenous woman named Sarah David. Sarah died in 1774 and Quapash enlisted in 1775. He marched on Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775, but fell ill shortly thereafter. During his illness through the winter of 1775-76, he lived with Michael Bacon and his family in North Natick. Quapash died in the Bacon family home in March 1776 and he was buried at the Pond Street Burial Ground. ADD FROM PAM’S WRITEUP

Note: More often than not, service, vital, and/or other historical records were created and kept by men of English and European backgrounds. They employed a wide range of descriptive terms, such as "mulatto," negro," and "dark complexion." These terms cannot fully capture any soldier's identity, but they do offer clues. In some cases, the surname of a soldier of color connects him to a Natick family that is well documented. Often, these soldiers are Indigenous men. The biographies in this project make it possible to say more not only about a soldier's identity or background, but also about the life he led in Natick and beyond.