Needom N. Freeman

Needom N. Freeman is known for A Soldier in the Philippines, a memoir first published in 1901. In the book’s opening chapter, he says he was born on September 25, 1874, in Barrettsville, Dawson County, Georgia, and describes a childhood shaped by farm work, brief stretches of schooling, and life in a large family.

Freeman served as a private in the United States Army during the years 1898 to 1900. His memoir looks back on that service during the Philippine-American War and is often noted for offering the perspective of an enlisted soldier rather than an officer, which gives the narrative a direct, ground-level feel.

Reliable biographical information about his later life appears to be limited in the sources I could confirm. What remains clear is that his book has endured as a firsthand historical account, continuing to interest readers looking for a personal view of American military service in the Philippines at the turn of the twentieth century.