The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-06-02

coin, now in command Of our armies, sha
fail to seize upon aud use to the best advaI
tage the slaves of all rebel citizens, they wi
prove to be much more lenient and less Of abe
ntionists than our great Souther~s general
nave been among whom we may class Jackson
Gaines, Taylor and Jessup.
The history of our country demonstrate
that sidres, as well as free persons of color, i
the old slaveholding States, were taken int
the Revolutionary army by authority Of tn
States, or Colonies themselves. During th
last war with England the great State of New
York had a regiment Of colored men In II,
service. And 1t Is part OF the history Of th,
country that the greater portion Of Commo
dore Perry's victorious crew on Lake Erie
were as black as negroes get TO be In Amer
lea.
In IT'S, as cited In Bartlett's Index to tn,
Laws OF Rhode Island, an act was passed eau
thorizing the enlistment of slaves in the Con
tinental Battalions." They were declared
4 free by the act, upon the condition that they
/ would enlist, and the army record shows thai
many OF them served with fidelity during the
war. ae@
In 1881, while George Clinton was the Gov.
ernor Of New York, an act was passed for the
purpose OF raising some regiments, who were
to be paid OFF In bounty lands unappropria-
ted and from that law We take the following
very interesting section:
aSection 6. Be II enacted that .rx nerson
who shall deliver one or n,ors ~ HE ~ bsr M
bodied male slaves To anv varrant oficer az
aforesaid, to serve in either ~ the sid ran;
ments or independent eorns ana nrod - 90
tihcate thereof, signed by any person author
lied to muster and receive the men to be raised
BY virtue OF this act, and produce such certif-
male slave no entered and nnustered =. sfor.
said he entitled to ~. iocs,;o. nd -. - a.,
right in mannar =. i, ~ H., .h;. e. a;.oa.J ~
and shall he and baroHv I. ds.L rrsJ fror.
anv f,,tnra NJ n.;ntanan.s e s,,.S I'm I'm
to the contrary notr;ths,and;ng and snch
slave SO entered AZ ss,rs.s;d RS =. n ~.
three wears or unt;l reoml.rlx d;scharnaJ III
immediatey after sucI ser,;cs nr disn 'a, ho
and Is hereby dsclarcd 70 ho e.. rS.m ss ,.h;s ~
State ''' man '' 'A''
,,,-
AZ carry as liH, IL was the practice OF the
s,Ases VI virginia to-desert from their own
eIe, ~ oIuer 'hAt tney might enilst as soldiers,
ana thereoy secure their freedom. In 1888,
Deiorc the news OF the Treaty OF Peace in
faris mad reached this country, the Legisla-
ture OF Virginia, mindful of the conduct of
the slaves who had rendered valuable ser
vices In the army, passed the following pre-
amble and act In relation to them:
ssWhereas IL has heep r.nres.,,.d 20 IL. n-.v
ent General Assembly thai durinr The conrps ~
the war many psrson. In tb,s State have csn.sd
their slaves 10 enlist in certain rec;m.nts ~
corps raised within the same. hayine tsndered
such slave. to the of6cers .nno;ntsd 10 rscr,,;,
forces within tba S,.,. .s ssh.s,,n... e. 80
nersons who's iot ~ S,,,r !. ~. iec
a;u,aS,s ~ ~ VI u.,y !. 'As " serve IN such
nc 80 snch ~ sae same .ime represent
en1;s,aj br 49, oes, s'las M sne siAses 80
freernen and n .nne.r;n, u for,pa. - s, "sre
semhly tha, on ,he sx,,;rs,;au :, ~ " ahe as
lst,nant 81 .n.h siarIp 30. Ss3n vi .erm Q, en-
attaron,eJ ,aa;n 90 80 sns ,osf ouners nave
state Of seryitnde oontr.rx 10 ,ss nr;nn;r,s. -
iustice and 10 their own .oiemn nrd,n;... r;pes Vi
50 And wbere.. Il srnssrs ;,,.. ~ .nd $1,000
able that Ali persons enlisted .for...;d ~
have faithfully served accoriinr n the ,s,,,s ~
their enlistment. and have therabv ~ .n,r..
contributed toward the est.bl;.hmsr, ~ 49,;
can liberty and independence' should en;oy N.
blessings of freedom as 4 reward for their tolls
and labors:
BE it therefore enacted that each and every
slave who. by the nppointmeut and direction Of
his owner, hath enlisted in any regiment or
corps raised within this State, either on CONT
mental or state establishment, and hath been
received as a substitute for any free person
whose auty or iot u was 70 serve faithfully dur
ins m ,ne .erin OF sucn enhstment, or hath been
S,,I,, s,,he-sd .oH sum sslnse ~ some oncer
s s.l susuosl-et 70 glAnl sucn aiscnarge' snail,
AMI camna,elv % .n .n's s sS' pe iuny
and deemed free In ss fsll and a,nnl. . ys.ana.
as If each and .rarv one ~ ,hsr. ra,. s,'.;"ra
named in this act: and The Attornsv-f;sneraI ~
the Commonwealth Is nrruoy requiieu 20 vom-
mence an action IN Jorma paaPeris in behalf Of
any Of the persons above described who shall,
after the passing OF this act, be detained IN SER
tuae Dy any person Snatsoeser, ana II upon
.,pi,,eS ~ liz ,rsdar, - une IL
act \ ;nrv shall he smnsnnelsd 10 as.s.. ths
den,sSss snr h;s detcnt;or y 'A'
Fnsc,nan,. hv ,ha I.o;.,.,,ro ~ South
c.rn,;.. ,,,.nr, ~. s,h,.", ~ ~ oo
80. ~ ..s. .a S,'h :" ss ssue ss
.h ehee,, anu sns ~ loI1 s,,a umo. 7, VIII snun
sne iacl ~ uolu Iene, "At pfoposea ~
troons from her slave populstior. And Col
Lawrens. OF South Carolina. h entitled 10 the
credit OF the movement. for he urged upon
Congress. and upon the State Legislature.
with eloauence and great force, the necessity
and advantage OF armipg the slaves. and max
ing them soldiers. And he carried the meas
ure.
President Madlsoa daring his term of office
and in the war OF lsi2. proposed raising BLACK
regiments. and giving the slaves who might
Consent 10 serve their freedom. II NAV he