Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-01-24

Rhode Island had number Of slaves.
A regiment Of them was enlisted into the
Continental service, and no drawer men
met the enemy in battle F.; but not one Of
them was permitted TO be soldier until
he had first been made freeman" The
defence of Red Bank, on the Delaware,
will be recollected as one Of the hottest
and bIoodiest contests in the Revolution.
Among the defenders of the fort, was the
Rhode Island Black Regiment, which
behaved with the utmost gallantry. In
an action in Rhode Island, the same reg
iment successfully repealed three charges
of the British on the flank Of the Amer
lean forces.
In the Connecticut leyies, too, blacks
formed no mean part. When in the
progress of the war, it became difficult
TO obtain recruits in the State, resort
was had to the enlistment of blacks, OF
whom a battalion was soon enlisted
There being objections on the part Of
officers to accept the command of them,
Capt. Humphreys, afterwards General,
who was attached to the family of Wash
ington, volunteered his services. There
was no trouble about finding officers af.
ter that. Negro soldiers were among the
defenders of Fort Griswold at New
/ London, and showed marked bravery
and determination. When Major Mont
gomery, one Of the leaders Of the expe-
dition, was raised on the walls OF the
fort by his soldiers, he was received on
the point Of pike by Jordan Freeman,
black, and spitted dead. When the
British officer received the sword OF
Ledyard and brutally run him through
with it, black soldier, standing by Led
yard, promptly retaliated by bayonetiug
the officer; he paid the penalty of SO
nobly avenging the death of his gallant
commander, with his life, falling pierced
with thirty-three wounds.
In the last war with Great Britain,
too, the blacks took part When Gen.
jackson took the command of the South
ern Department in 1914, he issued a
proclamation to the free colored inhabi-
tants OF Louisiana, urging them 10 rally
to the support of "their country" His
proclamation is dated Sept, 81, 1914.
On the 18th Of Dec. following, he issued
an address to the coIored members of his
army. In that address he tells them
that he had expected much of them, and
further says you have done more than
| expected. In addition TO the previous
qualities before knew you to possess, |
found among you a noble enthusiasm,
which leads to the performance of great
things The New Orleans Picayune, in
its account Of the celebration Of the bat
tie Of New Orleans in 1851, says that
not the least interesting feature was the
presence of "ninety of the colored vete-
rams, who bore conspicuous part in the
dangers of the day they were celebrating,
and who by their own good conduct in
the presence of the enemy, deserved and
received the appreciation Of their illus
trious communicative
1t is we'll known that the crews OF
several Of our men-of-war in the Revo-
luton, as well as in the war of 1872,
were in part black. Captain Perry wrote
to Commodore Chauncey concerning
some men sent to him: The men thai
came by Mr.. Champlin, are motley set:
blacks, soldiers and boys Commodore
Chauncey replied: Il regret that you
are not pleased with the men sent you by
MessrS. Champin and Forrest, for. to
my knowledge a part of them are not
surpassed by any seamen we have in the
fleets and have yet to learn that the
color Of the skin, or the cut and trim
mings of the coat, can affect mans
qualifications or usefulness. | have
nearly fifty blacks on this ship, (he
Pike and many Of them are among my
best men," Capt. Lawrence and his
crew, after the capture Of the British
sloop-of-war Peacock, were invited by
the managers OF the Park Theatre in
New York, to play in honor Of the
victory. AS the crew marched together
into the pit, it was discovered that near.
| ly one half of them were negroes.
The negroes have not degenerated in
fighting qualities, we presume. In the
progress Of the present war, there have
| been some notable instances of their
courage and devotion. 1t will not be
forgotten that when the federal feet
bombarded the rebel forts at Hatteras,
fourteen negroes, recently slaves in Vir-
ginia, faithfully and without panic,
worked the after guns of the upper deck
of the Minnesota, and hailed with vic
! tors nride. the stars and strines rs theY