If you come to downtown New Bedford tomorrow and happen to see the flag of Portugal flying in front of City Hall, it is because March 15 is recognized in Massachusetts as Peter Francisco Day, commemorating the Hercules of the American Revolution immortalized by the U.S. Post Office in 1975 with an 18-cent commemorative stamp: "Contributors to the Cause ... Peter Francisco, fighter extraordinary."
Peter Francisco lived in Virginia since age 5, when he was found abandoned at City Point, now Hopewell, on June 23, 1765. Left there by Moorish pirates, he was kidnapped from his parents' backyard on a Sunday of Pentecost, while playing with his sister Angela in the town of Porto Judeu, Terceira, Azores. In 1960, Dr. John Manahan of the University of Virginia visited the Azores and came across the birth record of Peter Francisco at St. Antonio's Church in Porto Judeu. He found that a boy named Pedro Francisco was born there on July 9, 1760, and that no other records of marriage or death about him could be found, although they existed for Francisco's sister and an older brother. Dr. Manahan also found that Francisco came from an affluent family, matching the description about Peter Francisco's appearance when he was found at City Point, including the letters "PF'" on the silver buckles of his shoes.
Judge Anthony Winston of Buckingham County, uncle of Patrick Henry, who said "Give me liberty or give me death," took in Francisco, and he lived at Hunting Tower, where he worked on the plantation and as a blacksmith until December 1776, when he enlisted in the 10th Virginia Regiment of the Continental Army. At age 16, he stood 6½ feet and 260 pounds. His baptism of war was at Brandywine on Sept. 11, 1777, where he fought and was wounded along with the Marquis de Lafayette, and they became friends while hospitalized. Less than a month later, on Oct. 4, Francisco saw action at Germantown, and in early 1778 was hospitalized at Valley Forge, where he suffered due to the harsh winter and lack of food and equipment.
On June 28, 1778, Francisco fought at the battle of Monmouth, where he was hit by a musket ball while reconnoitering. Then came the attack on Stony Point, on July 15, 1779, under orders from George Washington, and Francisco was one of 20 commandos who volunteered for the assault under Lt. Gibbon who, under the cover of the night and under heavy fire, was first to climb the fortress walls, immediately followed by Francisco, who was seriously wounded by a bayonet, but he killed his attacker and two other Englishmen. Of the 20 commandos, 17 were wounded or killed, but this was a great victory for the Colonists, which boosted their morale, and Francisco went to Fishkill, N.Y. to recuperate. On Aug. 18, 1779, Francisco was again on active duty, and until the end of that year, when his three-year enlistment expired, he participated in several skirmishes.
On Aug. 16, 1780, after Francisco re-enlisted, he took part in the battle of Camden, S.C., which turned out to be a disaster for the Continental forces. Francisco is credited with saving the life of his commanding officer, Col. Mayo, and carrying to safety a 1,100-pound cannon after noticing that the horses that had been pulling it had been killed by the British.
Upset by the defeat at Camden, Francisco returned to Cumberland County, Va. Disturbed by the advance of the British forces, he again re-enlisted, this time in the cavalry unit of Col. William Washington, and with his horse Victory saw action on Jan. 17, 1781, at Cowpens, S.C., where the British cavalrymen under Col. Tarleton were badly defeated.
But the bloodiest battle of the American Revolution came at Guilford Courthouse, near Greensboro, N.C. on March 15, 1781. The British wanted to avenge their defeat at Cowpens, and won the battle, but lost the war, because the Americans fought like demons and inflicted heavy casualties upon the English. Francisco fought without parallel, cutting down 11 British soldiers with his terrible 6-foot broadsword, which, with its 5-foot blade and the heaviest of the entire army, was made under special orders from Gen. George Washington because Francisco complained the one he had was like a toothpick. Francisco was seriously wounded and left for dead on the battlefield next to four corpses, but a Quaker by the name of John Robinson found Francisco alive and took him to his home, nursing him to full recovery. Some eight weeks later, he returned to his home in Cumberland County. By then, news of Peter Francisco's feats of heroism had spread across the colonies and he was acclaimed wherever he went.
Francisco once more fought alongside his friend, the Marquis de Lafayette, at Yorktown and witnessed English Gen. Cornwallis surrender on Oct. 19, 1781. After almost two years of negotiations between France, America and England, the treaties for independence were signed on Sept. 3, 1783, in Paris, the war ended and Francisco became a civilian and went home to marry Susannah Anderson. At the age of 52, Francisco re-enlisted one more time for the War of 1812.
So, on the 231st anniversary of "the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, if you pass by Peter Francisco Square downtown, where Mill and Kempton Streets come together, near the Octopus, where you can see a huge boulder on a pedestal, please take a moment to say a prayer in memory of this great man and all those who heroically fought in the American Revolution and helped in paving the way for America as a free nation.
