Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-03-10
The Use Of Negroes in our Revolutionary
War

- 'F' NV' F~A"ND pNu NukBD WIN urea
SON. and when the opposition is especially
bitter against their use as soldiers, it NAV
not be Improbable to recur to facts in our
own history. The following, which We condense
from an elaborate articls on this subject, show
what was thought by our revolutionary father.
Of the project OF permitting negroes to fight fol
liberty,
Ia the army Immediately under the command
Of General Warrington, there were returned
on the 4th Of August l776, seven hundred and
hlty-dve negroes. This return does not include
the black regiment Of slaves raised in Rhode
Island, whose history is interesting and is given
by a recent writer, as follows
Early in 1878 it was proposed by Gen. Var
mum to Washington that the two Rhode Island
battalons in camp at Valley Forge should bs
united, and that the officers Of one, Col. Green.
Lieut., Col. Olney, and Major Ward, with their
substerns, be sent to Rhode Island to enlist a
battalion ofnegroes for tho Continental service.
The plan was approved and the officers sent
home loI that purpose.
The Rhode Island Assembly accordingly re-
solved to raise Aregiment Of slaves, who were
to be freed upon their enlistment, and their
owners to be paid BY tho State, according to the
valuation Of committee (of five, one from each
cJunty) enc hundred and twenty pounds being
tho highest price for the most valuable slave.
SlI deputies protested against this act, on the
ground that there were not enough slaves TO
make nm elective regimen that the measure
would bs dlsapproved abroa' that the expense
would be greater, and the owners be dissatisfied
with the indemnity ofsrei by the State
The preamble OF the act rect'5 the fact that
" history affords Us frequent presidents Of the
wlses, ireest, and bravtst nations having liberia
ted their slaves vnd enlisted them as soldiers to
eight for the defence Of their country"
Gov Cooke, in reporting the result to Wash
ington said " Liberty is given to every oIec.
tive slave to enter into the service during the
war and upon his passing muster ho s abso-
lutcy made free, and entitled to all the wages,
bountes and eneouragemens tlvon by Congress
to any soldier enlisting into their service.
The number Of Slaves is not
great, bat it Is generally thought that three
hundred and upward will bs enlisted -
His expectations were not disappointed and
these slaves who were to win their own freedom
IN lighting for American Independence took the
feld IN force. Before the end Of the year, these
men were trioi and not found wartizg In the
battle Of Rhode Island August %, l77S, said
by Lafayette 70 have been . tho bcs. fought
action Of the whole war thiI newly raised
black regiment, under Colonel Greene, dstu-
guished lself by deeds Of dcsperat, yalor, re-
pe.lng three times the ferc, assault o. an over
uhelming iorce Of Hesslan troops And 40 they
continued to discharge their duty with zeal and
ddeIlty-nsyer losing any Of ta,r fist laurels go
Eallantly Won. 1t Is nos Improbable that Col
John lAurens witnessed and drew SON, Of his
inspiration from tls scene Of their first trial in
the Held,
In Massachusetts, q legislative Comaittce ra-
ported. in l77s, ii favor of raising ginoutol
negroes. Connecticut Is tAid 80 have rtsor.,d t.
RAISING companies Of negroes, WHO behaved
with fidelity and ciisoncy thr5OEhYa. she aAr.
In New York, IN l7Sl, an act was passed winch
gave freedom to all the slaves who should ser,s
three years, or until regularly discharged. In
New Jersey the enlistment Of slaves was forbid
den. In Maryland in 1850, law was passed
compelling every Gl6 600 Of property to FIR
nish, within 20 days, a recruit, who might be
either freeman or a slave. In ISL, tn, Leg
lslature Of the State resolved to raiss mnedi-
aIely $50 negroes to be incorporated with the
other troops.
In Virginia and some other Southern States;
" one sound negro was o9sred asa bounty to
every soldier who wosli enlist. But the idea
that these " sound negroes might be put to
a better use did nos ercsps Mr., Msdssn, VITO,
then member Of the Continental Congress,
in expressing his satisfaction with the action Of
Virginia, said
Without dscidiaR on the e1p,disncy OF the
mode under their consideration, wonld it not be /
as well to libsrate and make soldiers At once of
the blacks themselves, as to make them in.tru
ments for enlisung whne soldiers Ii would
certainly be more consonani to the principles Of
liberty, which ought never to bs lost sigh, Of
in contest for liberty and with white officers
and majority OF white soldiers, no imaginable .
danger could be feared for themselves, as there .
certainly could be none from effect or the exam.
pie on those who should remain in bondage ex-
pcrenee having shown that freedman immedi
siely loses all attachment and sympathy with his .
former itlow-slsyes. -
An instance OF the service Of slaves as sol /
diers in Virginia is alluded to ia tho srIicle as
follows;
" In the Old Dominion, toJ, many persons
during the course OF the war caused their slaves
to enlist having rendered them to the recruiting
officers as substitutes or free persons, whose lot
or duty it was to serve in the army, at the same
time representing that these slaves were lrosmen.
On The expiration of the term Of enlistment, the +
former owners attempted to force them to return /
TO state Of sorVitude, with an equal disregard /
OF the principles Of justice and their own sol /
emn promise
The inIamy Of such proceedings aroused
Just indignation, and led to an act OF smanci- I
patton OF all slaves who had been thus enlisted /
and served their time faithfully. The act sc-
knowedged that such persons having contrib
utod towards the establishment OF American /
liberty and Independence, should enjoy the bles.
sings OF freedom as q reward for their tolls and /
labors and authorized them to sue IN torma /
FauBeris and to recover damages II detained in
slavery"
And in addition to these examples Of the use |
of negroes as soldiers in the revolutionary war,
by our fathers, who we're then rebels, We have I
the following order OF the British Commander
in-Chief Sir Henry Clinton, not only recOniIing
the existence oil the fact that negroes were in the
American Army, but also recognizing the right,
as usage Of war, to invite them to join The
standard of the king,