, 1862-12-22

SANAA-NAA3 AN"4At.
BLACK SOLDIERS.
Historical Antecedents Found In this
Country.
The New York Er7ang Iast makes few
extracts from Mr.. Liycrmorc's book for the
times, just published in Boston:
Il, relation to the question Of using negroes
as soldiers, Btr. Liyermorc has collected a
most important mass of evidence, all going
to chow that the Wsc6t and foremost men Of
the revolutionary struggle were favorable to
the employment Of negro soldiers; and that,
in fact, black men were in the reyolutionary
brarel5-often dcsperately-for the cause Of
liberty, theirs as much as any ones.
Crispus Attueks was 4 nlu}atto slave, ad-
vertised Us {: runaway, for whose return ten
afterwards, On March 5th, ITO, he rallied
wayering crowd Of citizens, led them against
the soldiers, and himself fen by their IRE, the
first martyr in the Boston massacre, Of which
Daniel Webster said "From that moment
We may date the severance Of the British en-
pre- ...-......
Attncks was buried with public honors, and
the stone placed over the four victims Of the
massacre had this inscription:
Long as in Freedom cauee the wise contend
Dear to yonr country shall your fame extend.
Where feh:s hfasldws'l' Attueks= Gray aud Maverick
at the battle OF Bunker Hill, on the memo
rable 17th Of June, 17775, negro soldiers stood
side By side, and fought brayely with their
dicr, once slave, fired the shot which Killed
Major Pitcairn, Of the British marines, who
led the assault Colonel Trumbn1l, in his
celebrated historic picture Of this hattie, in
troduces conspicuously the colored patriot.
Peter served faithfully Us soldier, during the
war, in Colonel Nixon's regiment
Concerning Salem Poor, another negro sol
dier who served in the same battle, Mr.. Eiyer-
more prints petition to the Massachusetts,
General Conrt, for reward, sent in by officers
Of his regiment, as being due him for bchay-
ing ',llke an experienced officer as we'll as an
excellent soldier"
Samuel LaHrcnee, Of Groton, at one time
commanded company whose rank and tile
were all negroes, Of whose courage,
military discipline and fidelity, lie 81
ways. spoke will respect. On one
occasion, being out accommodating with
! this company, lie got go far in advance OF hia
| command tliat he was surrounded, and on the
point Of being made prisoner by the enemy
| The men, soon discovering his peril rushed
to Ills rescue, and fought with the most deter
| mined bravery till that rescue WAS effectna1ly
secured. He never forgot this circumstance,
| and ever after took especial pains to show
kindness and hospitality to any Individual of
| the colorcd race who came near his dwelling
at the commencement Of the war, says Mr.
Livermore, it appears to have been customary
| for the free negroes to DE enrolled with white
| citizens in tile militia. Il. many instances the
| Slaves also stood in the Ta:1As with freemen,
| but shortly it was ordered that only frecnlen
| should be admitted to the army, aud by yari-
| ous regulations Of most Of the States it be-
| came the rule that a man who had served the
| county against the enemy VAS by that act
t made free.
South Carolina, in 1775,; authorized the ell
ro1]ment Of Elayes as sspioneers and labor
ers. but the selfish shareholders afterwards
revoked this permission, though the best pat
riots in the State urged that negroes should
be employed not only a. pioneers but as SOL
| diers. MIR. Liyermore remarks:
Although slaTery existed throughout the 1oun-
try it is significant fact that the principal oppo-
sit1on to negro eoldiere came from the States
where there the least hearty and efficient sup
pert Of the principles Of Republican government,
and the least ability or disposition to furnish an
| equal or fair quota Of white soldiers.
It would seem that in this respect at least
South Carolina has not changed.
South Carolina and Georgia contained 20 maSy
tories at one time. that it was supposed the Brit
ish officers. who elsewhere would, by procla1na-
tor, fee al {t 9ininE the might
lest s. the king friends should suac1 thereby.
Congress, at the motion Of Southern mem
bers, determined, in IT'S, that negroes be re-
jected from the army; but they were there al
ready, and, as would seem, in considerable
numbers. General Washington wrote, re-
monstrating, IN December, ITS; add hlr.
Sparks says:
The resolve was not adhered to. = :
Many black soldiers were in the service during sill
the stages of the war.
Gen. Thomas wrote Of negroes in the army
in IT'S:
We have some negroes. but Hook upon them in
general equally seTNceable with other men 70.
ta1i.ue; and ID action many OF them hare proved
! themselves 1rayc.
AS to another class in the army he has not
so gooda report:
1would avoid a.lreaection. or any thing that may
tend to give uIahEage; but there is iu This ar1nJ
from The Southwark number called rife men
who are as Indifferent men as lever served with
These privatcs arc mutinous. and often descrting
tets eas snsnE an Pr aE o s a@ ad bs1
would be Sc well without as with them.
Cor. Dunuore issued proclamation o!
emancipation in Virginia, early in the war
which created great CONSERVATION. But hi
Nas na1ow-nlinded and selfiah man ht
offered freedom oui; to such as came to hi:
banners-thc b1e-bodied men, that iE-apt
give himself DO concern about the womeI
and children. The negroes quickly saw thai
he cared nothing for them, but only for hi
own ends; and his selt1shpees found its re
ward in the loss of their confidence; 30 that
| though the Shareholders were alarmed, th'
proclamation had little effect. Yet all through
the revolution the threat Of freeing the slave
was terror to the Southern people. Th'
Virginia planters took care to point out II
| their s1ayes.that Dunmore promised freedom
only to the able-bodied. b1r. Liyermor,
quoted paper printed in Williamsburg, Va
in which this point is made On the othe
! hand, this hope is held out to the slaves as
. reward for faithlessness.
ths2 be tht the
couraEed and upheld this elarerv~ than BIZ thei
present masters. who wish, in general to make i
as easy and comfortable az. possible: and VIII.
mtte only
losing their treedom but restore it to such as hay
already unhappily lost it.'
4 In l776 Gen. Greene reports to Washington
) that SO0negroes were then collected on Statel
| Is1and, to he formed into regiment On th
23d October, 177f, Hessian officer, who wa
with Bu1goFne at the time Of his surrender
wrote in his journal, Of our army:
The negro can take the field instead Of his mas
ter andtherefo1e regiments to be seen in whicl
! them there arc ablebodied, strong and brave fe
I lows.''
The capture Of the British General Prescott
, ! near Newport, in LIT, which was hailed Witl
J. joy through the country, was performed b,
Col Barton; a negro named Prince, who wa
part ofhis force, butting in with his head th
| door Of the Generals chamber. +.
ii Negroes were enlisted as t'subittutesr Il
the army in Connecticut, to the number q
some hundreds. The Rhode Island Assembly
: in 1TT8, authorized the enlistment Of slaves
| who we're to be freed on enliEting, and receiy
: the same pay, &C., as white soldiers. Tn
masters we're paid for the slaves. And her
is n sample Of these Rhode Island freedmen
quality: -
f When Col. Greene was surprised and murdered
near Points Bridge, New York, on the t4th Of May
till they were cut to pieces. and the enemy rcache
him over the dead bodies Of his faithful negroes
; In 1T7S the General Court Of Mossachusett
sanctioned the enrolment Of negroes, but no
in special corps. In Maryland, John Cad
{ wa11ader wrote from Annapolis, il. ISL;
, We have resolved to raise Immediately 80 nj
and q bill is n&w almost completed.
l In New York, in the same year, the Legisls
turc Offered piece Of land to the master fu
: every slave he placed IN the army, and free