Abel Benson

Who knew that a nine-year-old descendant of slavery from Framingham was just as important to the Revolutionary War as Paul Revere?

Abel Benson was born in Framingham in 1766, before the Revolutionary War. His grandfather was Nero Benson, brought from Africa and the slave of Rev John Swift, the minister of the Framingham Church. Nero was a trumpeter in the French and Indian War with Lt. Isaac Clark's company. Nero's with Dido Dingo was also from Africa. They had a son, William.  

At the death of Rev Swift, his slave Nero went to his son-in-law Ebenezer Roby of Sudbury.   Nero's son William met a white woman named Sarah Perry in Sudbury. They were married and moved to Framingham, where they had a daughter, Katy, and a son, Abel.  

When Abel was about 6 years old, he was given his Grandpa Nero's trumpet. Though Grandpa Nero died before Abel was born, he loved that trumpet and practiced until he got pretty good. Sometimes, he would blow it when the militiamen were drilling on Framingham Common. 

In April 1775, when Abel was 9 years old, some men from Boston saw him playing the trumpet. One man said, “Boy, you blow a fine signal.” “Thank you, sir,” Abel answered. “Can you ride a horse?” “Yes, sir.” “Then we're going to make you one of our messengers.”  

On the night of April 18, those men came and got Abel and his trumpet and told him: “Boy, ride to Natick, then on to Needham and Dedham and Dover. Blow your horn as loud as you can. Tell everyone the Regulars march. 

Everyone to Lexington and Concord.” And Abel did just that. He was one of those who got the word out that night, along with Paul Revere, William Dawes, Samuel, and Abel Prescott. But he was the only one who spread the alarm by blowing a trumpet.  At 14, he joined the army as a trumpeter and cook with the Massachusetts 8th and 3rd regiments. Most of the time, he was in New York State near the Hudson River. 

He was discharged from the army in 1783 and was known as the Fiddler from Framingham, famous for drawing my fiddle bow. They said that he could still keep the dancers at full trot even when fast asleep in his chair. Thomas Nixon drew a picture of him playing for two dancing couples.