Nero Hawley (1742 – January 30, 1817) was an African-American soldier who was born into slavery in North Stratford, Connecticut, and later earned his freedom after enlisting in the Continental Army in place of his owner, Daniel Hawley, on April 20, 1777, during the American Revolution. His life is featured in the 1976 book From Valley Forge to Freedom, which also notes other areas of present-day Trumbull, Connecticut associated with Hawley. Revolutionary War 2nd Connecticut The 2nd Connecticut Regiment was raised in the spring of 1777 for the new army or Continental Line and was made up of men and slaves, among them Hawley, from throughout the state of Connecticut. Ordered to assemble in Danbury, Connecticut, to prepare to take the field, they went into camp in Peekskill, New York, soon after. They served during the summer and fall of 1777 along the Hudson River under the command of General Israel Putnam. On November 14, 1777, they were ordered to join General George Washington's main army in Pennsylvania, where they engaged in the sharp action of the Battle of White Marsh on December 8. The unit lost a number of officers and men killed or wounded in the battle. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania Nero Hawley spent the winter of 1777–1778 at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, under the command of General Washington. He was a private in Captain James Beebe's Company, within General Jedediah Huntington's Brigade of the 2nd Connecticut Regiment, 1st Connecticut Division. On March 12, 1778, the parish of North Stratford, now Trumbull, Connecticut, made donations of provisions for those residents serving in the southern army stationed at Valley Forge. Of the fifteen men serving there from North Stratford, three were Hawley's: Abraham, Nathan and Nero. Nero Hawley answered seven roll calls between December 1777 and June 1778 during the harsh winter encampment. Battle of Monmouth On July 28, 1778, Hawley fought in the Battle of Monmouth, in New Jersey. Hawley was assigned to the 2nd Connecticut Brigade commanded by Huntington and camped at White Plains before spending the winter of 1778–1779 with the division at Redding, Connecticut. He served on the east side of the Hudson River in General William Heath's wing during the operations of 1779 and with the Light Company under Captain Ten Eyck. He was then detached to Colonel Return J. Meigs' Light Regiment and engaged the enemy at the Battle of Stony Point on July 15,