Norwich ― As the country’s 250th anniversary approaches, many cities, including Norwich, will host celebrations to remember famous Founding Fathers and events, but city Historian Dale Plummer will honor lesser-known local figures in a series titled: “The Forgotten Fight for Freedom.”

The series will kick off at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Park Congregational Church with a free concert featuring the group Magpie, performing a concert, “Sword of the Spirit,” honoring the life of Aaron Dwight Stevens, a local abolitionist executed for his participation in John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry, Va., a failed attempt to incite an anti-slavery revolution.

On Sunday, there will be a memorial service for Stevens at the First Congregational Church at the Norwichtown Green at 1 p.m., led by the Rev. George Blair. Stevens' family attended First Church, and his father served as choir director, Plummer said.

Stevens, born in Lisbon and raised in Norwich, was severely wounded during the attack. But as he was convicted and sentenced to be executed, authorities nursed him back to health before hanging him, Plummer said.

“He had six bullets that tore through him,” Plummer said, citing letters between Stevens and his sister. “Three in the head and face, two in the chest and one in his left arm. He was so badly shot up they thought he was going to die. You don’t execute someone who is going to die anyway, so you nurse him back to life and execute a healthy man.”

Saturday’s concert will be held on the 164th anniversary of Stevens’ execution for inciting slaves to revolt on March 16, 1860, one day after his 29th birthday, Plummer said.

The folk group Magpie, featuring the duo of Greg Artzner and Tony Leonino, will perform their song cycle “Sword of the Spirit” with traditional instruments and songs telling the story of John Brown and the men who followed him. The concert is sponsored by the Elsie A. Brown Fund.

Plummer said his planned series is related to the continued fight for freedom by lesser-known individuals and segments of the American population.

Plummer credited local historian Vic Butch, who wrote a biography of Stevens titled, “Journey to the Gallows: Aaron Dwight Stevens,” for suggesting a program featuring Stevens’ actions and his execution in the raid that has been called the prologue to the Civil War.

“So, what we are going to do is feature people like Stevens and others of the fighters for freedom,” Plummer said. “We’re doing this to reintroduce people to Aaron Dwight Stevens, who is pretty much forgotten, but is definitely a hero of Norwich. He truly, definitely gave up his life for the abolition of slavery.”

c.bessette@theday.com